Keith Alexander Continues To 'Play To The Edges' Of Propriety; NSA Now Checking Out His Partnership With Agency CTO
from the 'private-sector'-doesn't-mean-'no-rules' dept
The long-delayed release of former NSA head Keith Alexander's financial documents failed to generate much in terms of conflicted interests. There was some investment in companies with government contracts, but nothing stood out as a direct connection between Alexander's investments and his previous day job. All things considered, a rather underwhelming set of disclosures, so, of course, it made perfect sense that they had to be forced out of the NSA's hands with a lawsuit, what with their supposed national security implications and all.
No conflicts of interest within the Alexander financial disclosures, as both James Clapper and Michael Vickers attested with their signatures. The agency's official statements reflect this finding. But now the NSA may have to take another look at the recently-exited Alexander, whose entrance into the private sector has been less than graceful.
First, there were questions raised about Alexander's patents and use of "inside information" (read: "national secrets"). Now, there are unanswered questions about Alexander's use of actual insiders -- namely, NSA CTO Patrick Dowd.
The U.S. National Security Agency has launched an internal review of a senior official’s part-time work for a private venture started by former NSA director Keith Alexander that raises questions over the blurring of lines between government and business.Dowd's moonlighting gig was originally OK'd by the agency, which found it to be perfectly fine when the signatures were first applied. Now, the agency is having second thoughts. Or, perhaps, first thoughts, judging from what was actually known about this arrangement when the official OKs were first handed out.
Under the arrangement, which was confirmed by Alexander and current intelligence officials, NSA's Chief Technical Officer, Patrick Dowd, is allowed to work up to 20 hours a week at IronNet Cybersecurity Inc, the private firm led by Alexander, a retired Army general and his former boss.
The arrangement was approved by top NSA managers, current and former officials said. It does not appear to break any laws and it could not be determined whether Dowd has actually begun working for Alexander, who retired from the NSA in March.Keith Alexander has attempted to justify this unusual arrangement by saying that this was the best way for he and Dowd to have their cake and eat it, too.
Dowd, he said, wanted to join IronNet, and the deal was devised as a way to keep Dowd's technological expertise at least partly within the U.S. government, rather than losing him permanently to the private sector.So, instead of choosing either option, Alexander chose both -- something officials find highly irregular.
"I wanted Pat to stay at NSA. He wanted to come on board," Alexander said.
He acknowledged that the hybrid arrangement "is awkward," but added, "I just felt that his leaving the government was the wrong thing for NSA and our nation."
Current and former U.S. intelligence officials, some of whom requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said they could not recall a previous instance in which a high-ranking U.S. intelligence official was allowed to concurrently work for a private-sector firm.The list of officials finding this situation unusual even includes Stewart Baker.
Stewart Baker, a former NSA general counsel, said that he had never heard of an arrangement under which an NSA executive is allowed to work part time for a private company presumed to be involved in some of the same type of business as the NSA.But in typical Bakeresque fashion, even something he'd never heard of occurring previously is probably still an acceptable thing to do.
"I agree this is unusual," Baker said, adding, "It’s complex, but probably manageable."Of course, with "complex" meaning "immediately sets off ethical/conflict of interest alarms" and "manageable" meaning "never underestimate the ability of government officials to justify their own malfeasance."
That the NSA would even bother to double-check this arrangement is a positive sign. It indicates the agency is well aware that its every action is still under close scrutiny and that it will be heavily criticized should it appear to care less deeply about national security and national secrets than its ongoing defense of its own existence would indicate. You can't lock everyone out of FOIA requests, budget discussions, legislation attempts, lawsuits, etc. by loudly yelling "national security" any time someone asks for further details -- not when you're allowing a high-ranking official to take half-days at work in order to put in some more time with his buddy in the cybersecurity business.
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Filed Under: keith alexander, moonlighting, nsa, patrick dowd, surveillance
Companies: ironnet cybersecurity
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Alexander's action have been primarily tied into a fearful agency, and that agency's actions are directly contributing to a climate of fear and terror.
So the definition applies.
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This is insane
We were entry-level new college grads who in no way could influence any sort of contract award or anything like that, and she was told this wasn't appropriate. To think that the former head of the agency employing the current CTO would be "manageable" shows, once again, that the NSA is completely divorced from reality.
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Re: This is insane
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So Alexander and Dowd have breached National Security and managed to keep a mole inside the NSA officially , lets be honest here , He's doing it for the money , What else would he do for financial gain.
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That's sort of what I was thinking too. Don't people go to jail for insider trading?
The other thing I was wondering is, why isn't this a self-correcting problem? IronNet's competitors ought to be slavering at the chance to sue the pants off everyone involved. Pro bono and civil rights lawyers should be all over this.
However, this's the NSA, the former head of the NSA, and the current CTO of the NSA. In Alexander's position, he should be two winks and a nod away from damning dirt on anybody, so who'd want to go against this? J. Edgar Hoover was a piker in comparison. I can just imagine the discussion that took place when he first imagined doing this.
Sir, you can't think you'll get away with this! It's blatant!
Who's going to try to stop me?
Er, good point. Can I have a job there too?
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What's manageable
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Re: What's manageable
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Re: Re: What's manageable
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hi nixon
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At last some accountability!
Now Keith Alexander sells "cyber attack insurance" at up to a million per month, and they broke down the revolving door for Patrick Dowd in order to make a bigger office in "two companies".
What a wonderful arrangement for everyone involved. With a separate outsourced money collection company, the racket can begin. Eventually, the NSA has its own independent money sources and will no longer require taxpayer money. As the requirement for taxpayer money is faded out, so can be the lip service to the constitution, making for a much larger variety of extortion deals being possible than the ones which are being put into place right now.
That's a nice network you have there. It would be a real shame if something bad happened to it. And I happen to know just how much that would be worth to someone who does not like you very much.
Let the rubles roll!
It is a pity that Nixon did not live to see what the country has become and how today's crooks have been forking off the tongues of liars.
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rationale
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Guy had the skills, but just wanted more. he wanted his cake and wanted to eat it too. So, he outsourced.
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selling of Government secrets?
"I wanted Pat to stay at NSA. He wanted to come on board," Alexander said.
That statement right there tells you that Alexander needs someone at the NSA that can feed him information so that he can keep IronNet useful.
Even if they can have the work Dowd does completely separate from what he does at the NSA, he will still have access to information that Alexander needs to remain relevant.
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NSA gets to define its own conflict of interest
So the NSA itself gets decide if it is violating NSA conflicts of interest. The fact that the men making the "determination" if they are not already benefiting from the lack of conflicts seen in the obviously conflicted, corrupt, treasonous and dangerous breach of National security have put themselves in a perfect position to not be conflicted when they leave the NSA. Good grief, the NSA now looks exactly like the totally corrupt, totally compromised, totally ineffective and inept Treasury and SEC.(except of course for the Banks and Wall Street) Both have revolving doors the size of the East Coast.
But not to worry the foxes have declared the hen house safe.
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Re: NSA gets to define its own conflict of interest
They don't even bother masking corruption, selling of state secrets and conflict of interest with a revolving door any more.
The Mafia is more discrete than the government organized crime syndicates.
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