Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin fired every member of the Pentagon’s advisory board in a comprehensive move fueled by concerns that the Trump administration was rushed by a series of last-minute appointments, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.
The move involves several hundred board members sitting on about 40 advisory boards, including dozens of people nominated in the final days of former President Donald Trump’s term.
Among the dismissals are highly partisan figures such as Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s presidential champion manager in 2016, David Bossie, a former deputy campaign manager of Trump, the former speaker of the Republican House Newt Gingrich and retired brig. Genl Anthony Tata. But instead of singleing out Trump nominees, the move applies to all board members, including those appointed before the Trump presidency.
“I recommend the immediate suspension of all advisory committees until the investigation is completed, unless otherwise directed by me or the Deputy Secretary of Defense,” Austin said in a memorandum.
The advisory boards provide guidance to the Pentagon on policy, science, business and numerous other topics and members are not paid. To make way for new appointments, the Trump White House has in some cases removed a number of longtime board members and replaced them with pro-Trump loyalists.
“There is no doubt that the frenetic activity that took place in the composition of so many boards, only during the period from November to January, the Secretary was deeply concerned and certainly helped to drive him to this decision,” the Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters. .
Austin decides that the dismissal of all members of the advisory boards and the complete review of their activities is the fairest and most effective way to address the matter, two Defense officials told reporters in an earlier briefing.
In addition to ordering all board members to resign by February 16, Austin temporarily suspended the activities of the boards and ordered an extensive review of all the advisory boards of the Department of Defense to investigate the role, usefulness, and composition of the panels. according to a memorandum released. by the Pentagon.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the decision.