{"id":56319,"date":"2019-07-26T11:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T11:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/26\/in-praise-of-the-revolving-door\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:23:15","slug":"in-praise-of-the-revolving-door","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2019\/07\/26\/in-praise-of-the-revolving-door\/","title":{"rendered":"In praise of the revolving door"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In questioning Mark Esper last week over his nomination as U.S. defense secretary, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. D-Mass., roundly criticized<\/a> his past service at Raytheon. Warren specifically complained that in declining to recuse himself from all decisions involving his former employer, the serving Army secretary was clearly “not willing to make a commitment that he will not engage in conflicts of interest for the company for which he was a lobbyist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esper views that past work as valuable experience in the business of defense. The secretary has more than a point, and that is why Sen. Warren\u2019s views on the so-called revolving door<\/a> are quite dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The criticism was clearly designed to echo a legislative initiative. Last month, Warren and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., introduced a bill they have termed the \u201cDepartment of Defense Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act\u201d (S 1503). Whatever she claimed of Esper, Warren acknowledges that \u201cthere are talented and patriotic Americans who work in the defense industry\u201d and that \u201cthere\u2019s no question that public and private collaboration has helped produce real advances in new technology.\u201d Her effort with Speier, however, nonetheless aims (as goes the title of Warren\u2019s missive on Medium<\/a>) \u201cTo Reduce Corporate Influence at the Pentagon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t