[Washington Examiner] Jim Mattis, the retired Marine general who served as President Trump's first defense secretary, is joining the board of contractor General Dynamics just as the 2020 campaign heightens scrutiny into corporate recruitment of senior government officials.The General Dynamics position, which Mattis stepped into on Aug. 7, carries an annual retainer of $85,000, plus meeting attendance fees of at least $2,000, and an annual stock award of about $150,000, according to a regulatory filing. In 2018, independent directors ‐ those not serving in a management role at the Navy shipbuilder ‐ who held their roles a full year earned at least $297,000.
"Jim is a thoughtful, deliberate and principled leader with a proven track record of selfless service to our nation," CEO Phebe Novakovic said in a statement. "We are honored to have him on our board."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat among the top three candidates seeking to unseat Trump, has sponsored a bill requiring a four-year waiting period between government roles and corporate jobs and, in June, asked detention center operator Caliburn International to justify its hiring of John Kelly, the former chief of staff tasked with carrying out Trump's illegal immigration policies.