A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has demanded answers from former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regarding his swift transition into private consulting, accusing him of violating ethics pledges and posing serious national security risks, Breitbart reported.
Austin is under fresh scrutiny for founding a Washington, D.C., consulting firm just months after leaving his post under the Trump administration. Republican and Democrat lawmakers say the move betrays public trust and raises grave ethical and national security concerns.
In a joint letter to Austin, Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., criticized his decision to launch Clarion Strategies, a "strategic advisory firm" staffed by former high-ranking defense and national security officials from the Trump administration. The senators accused him of "cashing in on your public service."
Clarion Strategies promotes itself as "led by a distinguished team — including a former Secretary of Defense…[that] bring[s] unmatched expertise in defense, diplomacy, and international security." Austin's biography on the firm's website touts how he "led the Pentagon through unprecedented modernization and maturation… created pathways to drive private capital to national security priorities… [and] draw[s] on more than 40 years in the U.S. Army."
Scott and Warren wrote that Austin broke a pledge he made during his 2021 confirmation hearing, when he told Warren, "If I'm privileged enough to be confirmed, I can pledge to you that I'll be mindful, not only of the legal requirements that govern my conduct but also of the appearances to ensure that the public has no reason to question my impartiality."
Austin added, "I have no intent to be a lobbyist," adding that public service "is and will remain a public trust."
"Finding a loophole to serve as an 'adviser' rather than a registered lobbyist undermines the very purpose of the promise that you made to the American people," the letter says.
The senators requested transparency about his new role, including whether he will register as a lobbyist, work for foreign governments or companies, retain his security clearance, or communicate with former Pentagon colleagues.
They posed nine specific questions and set a July 14 deadline for response.
Austin is not alone in capitalizing on government service. Scott and Warren cited former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley's move to a senior adviser role at JPMorgan Chase, faculty posts at Princeton and Georgetown, and a lucrative speaking tour.
"When our highest-ranking government officials and military officers treat their positions as stepping stones to personal enrichment, they corrupt the very institution they swore to defend," they wrote.
Their bipartisan rebuke follows a 2023 effort by Warren and Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., to reintroduce the Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, aiming to curb contractor influence, block foreign entanglements, and increase transparency around military leadership. "When former senior military officials are willing to sell their credentials to the highest bidder, our national security is put at risk," Warren warned.
Austin's latest career move comes after a tenure marked by controversy. A report released earlier this year by the Defense Department Inspector General found that he had violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act four times by failing to notify the White House and Congress when incapacitated.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.