Demand Oversight: Undisclosed Political Influencers Working Inside the Pentagon

I am requesting an immediate congressional investigation into reports that the Department of Defense secretly appointed several conservative political influencers to civilian government positions while refusing to disclose their titles, duties, compensation, or influence over military policy. An August 30 Washington Post investigation reports that retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter, and retired Army Col. Thomas Anderson—who writes online as “Cynical Publius”—were assigned to the office of Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata. Pentagon records reportedly identified them as civilian employees, yet neither the Department nor the individuals publicly disclosed their government affiliations while they continued publishing partisan commentary, defending Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, attacking journalists and critics, and advocating the removal of allegedly “disloyal” career employees. These individuals reportedly participated in the Pentagon’s Senior Service College Task Force, which reviewed military education for supposedly “toxic” or “woke” ideology. During a visit to the Army War College, they questioned students and faculty about senior leaders and reportedly scrutinized instruction concerning military officers’ communications with Congress. Some participants feared that candid responses could expose them to retaliation. The task force has reportedly completed a report, but the Pentagon has not released it. The Department has also refused to state whether these individuals receive taxpayer-funded compensation, when they were appointed, what authority they possess, or whether their public messaging was coordinated with government officials. These circumstances raise serious questions about political influence, federal ethics requirements, the Hatch Act, conflicts of interest, government propaganda, protection of career employees, academic freedom, misuse of nonpublic information, and compliance with the statutory authorities governing Special Government Employees and Highly Qualified Experts. I urge Congress to: Require the Pentagon to disclose every individual appointed as a Special Government Employee, Highly Qualified Expert, consultant, or adviser within the Office of the Secretary of Defense since January 20, 2025, including appointment dates, duties, compensation, funding sources, reporting chains, and days worked. Obtain all appointment memoranda, position descriptions, ethics opinions, financial-disclosure certifications, conflict-of-interest waivers, timekeeping records, and security-clearance determinations concerning these individuals. Investigate whether their public articles, broadcasts, podcasts, or social-media posts were directed, encouraged, reviewed, or amplified by Pentagon officials. Determine whether they used government time, equipment, facilities, personnel, information, or taxpayer-funded travel to produce partisan content. Examine whether their outside political, media, legal, publishing, or PAC activities created conflicts of interest or violated federal ethics and political-activity restrictions. Determine whether individuals hired as experts or consultants performed managerial, supervisory, routine, or substantive policy-making work prohibited under their appointment authority. Release the Senior Service College Task Force’s membership, charter, expenditures, findings, recommendations, communications, and final report. Investigate whether students, faculty members, service members, or civilian employees were monitored, intimidated, politically screened, or threatened with retaliation based on protected speech or perceived ideology. Direct the Department of Defense Inspector General, Office of Government Ethics, and Office of Special Counsel to conduct independent reviews and report their findings to Congress and the public. Preserve all relevant emails, text messages, encrypted communications, personnel records, social-media communications, visitor records, travel documents, and task-force materials. Hiring outside experts is not inherently improper. Secretly placing partisan influencers inside the Pentagon while they publicly present themselves as independent commentators—and potentially allowing them to shape personnel policy and military education without transparency—is an entirely different matter. The American people deserve to know who is exercising government authority, who is paying them, what information they can access, and whether taxpayer resources are being used to advance partisan political messaging or target career public servants. Please demand immediate hearings, document production, and public accountability. Congress must not permit the Pentagon to operate an undisclosed political-influence network inside an institution entrusted with national security and the lives of our service members.