Former Trump campaign manager Cory Lewandowski and loyalist David Bossie were among those installed on the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board on Friday after an abrupt firing of 9 board members.
Politico reports: “The firings marked the latest effort by the Trump administration to clean out the Defense Department in the final weeks of the president’s term. … The firings came as a shock to the board members, who had not received any negative feedback or warning prior to their termination. One former board member lamented the move, noting that the board ‘has never been political, ever.'”
Board chair Michael Bayer and members Arnold Punaro, Atul Vashistha, John O’Connor, David Venlet, Paul Dolan, Scott Dorn, David Walker and David Van Slyke were fired amid the purge.
In related news, “The Trump administration has refused to allow members of President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team to meet with officials at U.S. intelligence agencies that are controlled by the Pentagon, undermining prospects for a smooth transfer of power, current and former U.S. officials said.”
