Over 500 retired military personnels have allegedly taken lucrative jobs, paying about 7 figures with foreign governments as consultants and contractors.
The US Congress has expressed concerns over the allegation, adding that some of the foreign governments they are working with are known for human rights abuses.
The controversy arose after the Washington Post launched an investigation and published an exposé about how widespread these arrangements are.
“More than 500 retired military personnels, including scores of generals and admirals have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation,” the Post reported.
The Post also alleged that 15 retired US generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for Saudi Arabia.
The report identified these retired personnels as “retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, a National Security Adviser to President Barack Obama and retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander, who led the National Security Agency under the Obama and President George W. Bush, according to documents obtained by The Post under Freedom of Information Act Lawsuits.”
Amid the controversy, Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), during an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner claimed that it’s “extremely concerning” and that he’s “been concerned about it for a few years,” adding that the latest report on the said matter “really illustrates the breadth of the issue.”
“Everybody always thinks about weapons systems and tanks and fighter jets and technology, but the information in the heads of our warfighters, their knowledge, their skills actually is just as decisive if not more decisive on the battlefield and our technology and our hardware. And if you think about the transfer of that knowledge and know-how to governments without proper oversight … that could jeopardize our national security.” Crow added.
Moreover, Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), and Jason Crow (D-CO) also issued a letter, demanding the Defense & State Department to respond to the allegations.
Just recently, DelBene called out the agency on Twitter, lamenting on the controversy saying, “I am demanding answers from the Defense & State Departments on recently released documents showing that 500+ retired military officials took jobs paying upwards of 7 figures with foreign governments, some with known human rights abuses.”
Early December, DelBene also released a statement on the same matter, declaring that “The American people put significant trust in our military leaders and deserve to know when they take lucrative jobs advising foreign governments, especially those with known human rights abuses. Given the eye-opening reporting from The Washington Post, the administration has several questions to answer around how these waivers are approved, how potential conflicts of interest are addressed, and why enforcement is rarely undertaken.”
Meanwhile, in response to the Post’s allegations, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Sens. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called the media outlet’s claim “disturbing” and declared that they “demand explanation.”
