Pentagon advisory board member resigns over recent firings
Steve Blank resigned from the Pentagon advisory board and said his service was to country rather than party
A Pentagon advisory board member isn’t sticking around for President Donald Trump’s abrupt firings.
On Friday, the White House gave nine members of Defense Business Board the boot and replaced them with Trump allies. Now one Defense Business Board member has decided to resign.
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“The abrupt termination of more than half of the Defense Business Board and their replacement with political partisans has now put the nation’s safety and security at risk,” wrote Steve Blank in his resignation letter per CNN.
“My service to the Department of Defense was a service to the country, not to a party. I hereby tender my resignation,” added Blank in the letter to Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Members of the advisory board are nonpartisan and usually remain as presidential administrations turnover.
According to Politico, board members received an email saying, “if you are receiving this e-mail, your membership on the Defense Business Board has expired or is coming to an end,” from Joshua Whitehouse, White House liaison to the Department of Defense.
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“A number of board members have been terminated with a form letter,” said Michael Bayer about the firings. Bayer served as board chair and recently told Politico his thoughts on the matter.
“In my experience, I was very surprised that the White House would, at the eleventh hour, adjust an advisory board that for 19 years has had a record of nonpartisan support with the department.”
He added, “This kind of a move really will weigh heavily on people in the future and their willingness to serve on these outside advisory boards if they’re going to be subjected to political loyalty tests. It’s unprecedented. I’m just saddened.”
Trump allies Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie have been added to the board.
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