The Department of Defense Inspector General is looking into allegations that a Biden nominee tapped to be the Pentagon’s chief acquisitions officer circumvented federal hiring regulations during his tenure at a DOD technology incubator.
Michael Brown was nominated April 2 by the White House to be the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. Since 2018, Brown has led the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, a Silicon Valley-headquartered agency that former Defense Secretary Ash Carter established in 2015 during the Obama administration to speed innovations from the private tech sector to DOD.
In a formal complaint to the Pentagon’s inspector general, Bob Ingegneri, who resigned as DIU’s chief financial officer in May 2020, identified a half-dozen employees, including himself, who he said had received special treatment, such as having job descriptions specifically tailored to their skillset to eliminate other applicants.
A defense official familiar with the matter said Wednesday the IG is investigating the complaint but had not yet decided to launch a formal investigation.
Ingegneri also alleges other potential violations, including that DIU leadership was “continually adding funds to a firm-fixed-price contract” in order to direct raises to specific employees at private companies working with the office.
In interviews with Defense One, Ingegneri explained what motivated him to file a complaint that put his own hiring into question.
“At the time of my hire I didn’t know I was receiving special treatment,” Ingegneri said on Wednesday. “DIU always tries to get around government rules and regulations instead of operating within them. I believe in duty, honor, country and integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. I believe these are lacking in DIU.”
Since it was established with just a handful of employees, ..
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