Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered hundreds of members of the Pentagon’s advisory board to resign this month as part of a comprehensive panel review, essentially eliminating several dozen last-minute appointments under the Trump administration.
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered hundreds of members of the Pentagon’s advisory board to resign this month as part of a broad panel review, essentially eliminating several dozen last-minute appointments under the Trump administration.
During the last two months of his term, incumbent former Defense Secretary Christopher Miller removed several longtime members of various defense policy, health, science and business councils and replaced many with supporters of former President Donald Trump. More than 30 of these replacements will now be forced to resign, including former Republican Party president Newt Gingrich, retired Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
“I am ordering the immediate suspension of all operations of the advisory committee until the review is completed, unless otherwise instructed by me or the Deputy Defense Secretary,” Austin said in a memo released Tuesday. And he ordered all committee members appointed by the defense secretary to resign by February 16.
Tata, a former Fox News commentator, was unable to obtain confirmation from the Senate because of offensive comments he made, including on Islam. He was appointed undersecretary of interim defense for policies in November, just days after Trump sacked Pentagon chief Mark Esper and put Miller in charge. Miller appointed Tata to the Defense Policy Council on January 19, his last full day at work. Gingrich was appointed to the same council. Lewandowski was appointed to the Defense Business Council.
A senior defense official said Austin’s decision was driven by Miller’s frantic activity to remove dozens of board members and replace them in such a short period between Trump’s electoral defeat and President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that Austin believes that interrupting the activity of all boards and making a more intense review was the most fair and consistent process.
Officials said the review will look at whether councils have overlapping jurisdictions and whether they should be realigned or whether it is possible to save money by reducing some of them. It will also make recommendations on the number of members, size and mission of all councils.