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Advocacy Group releases DOD database on defense industry post employment

“The Pentagon’s revolving door is still spinning, according to information from a Department of Defense (DoD) database released to CREW in the wake of a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The database includes information about ethics opinions sought by senior defense officials between January 2012 and May 2013, including the names of the companies and organizations where they are considering taking jobs. An overwhelming majority of the employees seeking opinions—84 percent—had at least one specific company or organization in mind, and defense companies dominated the list of prospective employers. Last year, CREW released Strategic Maneuvers, a report revealing the extent to which retired high-ranking generals and admirals cash in on their years of military experience by taking lucrative jobs with the defense industry. CREW found that at least nine of the top-level generals and admirals who retired between 2009 and 2011 took positions with the five largest defense companies contracting with the government: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman. In the new data released to CREW, 13 people listed Lockheed Martin as a possible employer, seven listed Boeing, eight listed General Dynamics, 10 listed Raytheon, and 13 listed Northrop Grumman. Defense contractors SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton, and BAE were also listed by multiple people.”

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