PENTAGON APPOINTS 2 TRUMP ALLIES TO DEFENSE ADVISORY BOARD

The Pentagon has appointed two close allies of President Donald Trump, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, to a defense advisory board, continuing a post-election purge in the final weeks of the administration, Robert Burns reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The acting secretary of defense, Christopher Miller, who was installed by Trump on Nov. 9 after he fired then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper, said in a written statementthat nine members of the Defense Business Board had been replaced with the appointment of 11 new members.

Lewandowski and Bossie are among Trump’s most vocal supporters. The nine other appointees are Henry Dreifus, Robert McMahon, Cory Mills, Bill Bruner, Christopher Shank, Joseph Schmidt, Keary Miller, Alan Weh and Earl Matthews.

“These individuals have a proven record of achievement within their respective fields and have demonstrated leadership that will serve our department and our nation well,” Miller said. The Miller statement initially said the nine individuals removed from the board had been serving in ”expired positions,” implying they were overdue to leave. But later the Pentagon amended the statement to say some board members had been “terminated.” It gave no reason for the firings. The board’s charter says members are appointed for terms ranging from one to four years, with annual renewals.