Gates Sets Limits for Military 'Mentors'April 08, 2010

 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week ordered an overhaul of the Pentagon's mentor program, which taps retired senior officials for advice on improving military training, decision-making and war fighting exercises but has been fraught with conflict of interest issues.

The issue that most worried Gates was uncovered by a USA Today investigation. The report found that many of these senior mentors were paid by U.S. taxpayers but had strong business ties to defense contractors. Because they had been hired as contractors, none of the ethics rules that oversee government employees applied, according to the investigation. The new policy is intended balance the desire to tap the wisdom of retired officers with promoting public trust and confidence, USA Today noted, quoting a fact sheet that Congress received.

The fact sheet also outlines others limits, including prohibiting retired officers from the following:

  • participating in matters in which they have a conflict of interest, defined in federal law as taking official action that has "a direct and predictable effect" on their personal interests;
  • divulging non-public information to defense contractors and other outside entities;
  • representing a private client on matters in which they participated personally and substantially while serving as an adviser to the military.

The policy is driven by revelations from the USA Today investigations, including the instances of retired generals and admirals receiving hundreds of dollars per hour in taxpayer money for advice on military services while being in the pay of defense companies hoping to win contracts for related services.

One of the main changes is that mentors will no longer be hired as contractors, USA Today reported. Instead, they will be hired as temporary government employees designated as "highly qualified experts." This level of employment will require them to disclose business ties. Any mentor working for more than 60 days in a year and earning $199,554 or more will have their forms disclosed to the public and the press, according to the article.

If they are employed for more than 60 days, mentors will be not be allowed to represent clients' services to the military branch they are advising. If they serve for more than 60 days per year and earn more than $155,440, mentors will be prohibited from representing clients to the military service for a full year.

The article noted that Gates supports the idea of retired military leaders as advisors to the services, but objected to the potential for unregulated conflicts of interest.