More than 80 percent of four-star officers retiring from the U.S. armed forces go on to work in the defense industry, a new study has found, underscoring the close relationship between top U.S. brass and government-contracted companies that has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
The Quincy Institute found that patterns of post-government employment for four-star officers have evolved over time, in that retirees are often now employed with start-ups or companies that finance arms manufacturers in addition to traditional large defense contractors.Former four-stars cited in the report include Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who became a Lockheed Martin board member after stepping down as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen.
The report’s authors make their own recommendations, including a full ban on former four-stars’ employment with companies that receive $1 billion a year or more in Pentagon contracts; the expansion of required disclosures by companies that hire former officials; and expanding the definition of what activities qualify as lobbying.