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According to Pentagon records and people familiar with the matter cited in a Sunday Washington Post report, the Pentagon placed conservative veterans with large social media followings in undisclosed civilian government roles. The individuals reportedly amplified Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's positions while targeting Trump administration critics.

Dan Lamothe

According to Pentagon records and people familiar with the matter cited in a Sunday Washington Post report, the Pentagon placed conservative veterans with large social media followings in undisclosed civilian government roles. The individuals reportedly amplified Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's positions while targeting Trump administration critics.

Retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness and retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter were identified in Pentagon records as holding active government email addresses with a ".civ" suffix, placing them in the office of Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata. Maness has more than 135,000 followers on X and Schlichter nearly 620,000.

Retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness and retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter were identified in Pentagon records as holding active government email addresses with a ".civ" suffix, placing them in the office of Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata. Maness has more than 135,000 followers on X and Schlichter nearly 620,000.

The three individuals — Maness, Schlichter and retired Army Col. Thomas Anderson — appeared at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in May as part of the Pentagon's Senior Service College Task Force. The task force was established in March to assess whether military education institutions were focused on what Hegseth described as "core national security issues."

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Pete Hegseth

The three individuals — Maness, Schlichter and retired Army Col. Thomas Anderson — appeared at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in May as part of the Pentagon's Senior Service College Task Force. The task force was established in March to assess whether military education institutions were focused on what Hegseth described as "core national security issues."

Anderson, who writes under the pen name Cynical Publius and has more than 323,000 followers on X, said on social media that his role as a special government employee (SGE) ended July 26 and was "exclusively limited" to the Senior Service College Task Force. He stated he received no compensation for anything he wrote on X or in other publications.

Cynical Publius

Anderson, who writes under the pen name Cynical Publius and has more than 323,000 followers on X, said on social media that his role as a special government employee (SGE) ended July 26 and was "exclusively limited" to the Senior Service College Task Force. He stated he received no compensation for anything he wrote on X or in other publications.

Conservative influencer Jennica Pounds, who writes as DataRepublican, disclosed last week she became a Pentagon SGE in July, after previously holding a journalist credential in Hegseth's Pentagon press corps through June. Her government role became public after she accused a State Department official of attempting to entrap her into publishing government secrets.

Data Republican

Conservative influencer Jennica Pounds, who writes as DataRepublican, disclosed last week she became a Pentagon SGE in July, after previously holding a journalist credential in Hegseth's Pentagon press corps through June. Her government role became public after she accused a State Department official of attempting to entrap her into publishing government secrets.

Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez declined to comment on whether any of the individuals are receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, what roles they hold or how long the assignments are expected to last.

Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez declined to comment on whether any of the individuals are receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, what roles they hold or how long the assignments are expected to last.

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The Pentagon secretly hired conservative influencers as SGEs while they publicly posed as independent voices online, and refused to say what any of them actually do. Using taxpayer money to run a partisan influence operation through figures like DataRepublican, Rob Maness and Kurt Schlichter is a brazen abuse of public funds. The lack of disclosure makes a mockery of the administration's claims of unprecedented transparency. The public deserves answers on this.

The Pentagon secretly hired conservative influencers as SGEs while they publicly posed as independent voices online, and refused to say what any of them actually do. Using taxpayer money to run a partisan influence operation through figures like DataRepublican, Rob Maness and Kurt Schlichter is a brazen abuse of public funds. The lack of disclosure makes a mockery of the administration's claims of unprecedented transparency. The public deserves answers on this.

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Bringing in retired military veterans with real expertise to serve on a task force reviewing war college curricula is exactly the kind of outside perspective that improves national security. Thomas Anderson joined after publishing substantive policy recommendations, received no pay for his writing and served exclusively on that task force. Framing dutiful, uncompensated public service as a secret propaganda scheme distorts what these people actually did.

Bringing in retired military veterans with real expertise to serve on a task force reviewing war college curricula is exactly the kind of outside perspective that improves national security. Thomas Anderson joined after publishing substantive policy recommendations, received no pay for his writing and served exclusively on that task force. Framing dutiful, uncompensated public service as a secret propaganda scheme distorts what these people actually did.

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Report: Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

Report: Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

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The Pentagon's recruitment of these figures was not a partisan influence operation. Individuals like Thomas Anderson brought relevant expertise to a task force assessing whether war colleges remain focused on warfighting. Anderson received no pay for his writing and served exclusively on that task force, while DataRepublican served as an SGE to serve her country more directly and honor her call to duty. Framing public service as a secret propaganda scheme distorts what they actually did.

The Pentagon's recruitment of these figures was not a partisan influence operation. Individuals like Thomas Anderson brought relevant expertise to a task force assessing whether war colleges remain focused on warfighting. Anderson received no pay for his writing and served exclusively on that task force, while DataRepublican served as an SGE to serve her country more directly and honor her call to duty. Framing public service as a secret propaganda scheme distorts what they actually did.

Report: Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

Report: Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

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Report: Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

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