Last month
Fortune published
an article detailing government contractors that were poised to benefit from US military engagement with ISIS. General Dynamics was among those mentioned and added to
our map of "winners":
It is the munitions makers, however, who stand to reap the biggest windfall, especially in the short term. Topping that list is Lockheed Martin, producer of the Hellfire missile, a precision weapon that can be launched from multiple platforms, including Predator drones. Raytheon, which makes the Tomahawk, a long-range missile launched from the sea, and General Dynamics, which also has a munitions business, are also well-positioned, analysts say.
Today General Dynamics announced that Rudy deLeon was elected to its board of directors. deLeon is
Senior Vice President for National Security & International Policy at the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining CAP deLeon served various roles in the federal government for 25 years and as a Senior Vice President for government liaison operations (Read: lobbyist) for Boeing for 5 years.
Now it seems that deLeon has returned to the revolving door, serving a key role at an ostensibly progressive think tank, where he regularly issues reports and statements on military strategy, while also serving as a Director of a for-profit defense contractor. From CNBC:
"Rudy brings a wealth of experience and his insights on defense policy make him a valuable addition to our board," said Phebe N. Novakovic, chairman and chief executive officer of General Dynamics.
This isn't CAP's only connection to the defense industry. Last year The Nation investigated CAP’s Business Alliance and revealed a previously undisclosed network of corporate donors. Among these donors were two of the biggest names in the defense industry, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
In our 2013 report "Conflicts of Interest in the Syria Debate," we outlined several defense industry connections to CAP fellows and trustees:
CAP senior fellow Scott Lilly was a lobbyist for Lockheed Martin. Several senior staff at the Albright Stonebridge Group, a commercial diplomacy firm, have ties to CAP, including Madeleine Albright and Carol Browner, both board members, and Brian Katulis and Richard Verma, both senior fellows with a national security focus. Former Raytheon and SAIC director John Deutch is a CAP trustee.
Given the
recent attention paid to the relationship between think tanks and their funders, deepening connections between CAP and the defense industry warrant a raised eyebrow.