March 29, 2017
Chairman John McCain
Ranking Member Jack Reed
Senate Committee on Armed Services
SR228
Washington, DC 20510
Re: Nomination of Heather Wilson as Secretary of the Air Force
Dear Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Reed:
As leading organizations promoting ethics and accountability, we strongly urge
you to vote against the nomination of Heather Wilson to be Secretary of the Air Force.
Recently published articles by Patrick Malone of the Center for Public Integrity
and others have underscored the questionable actions of former Rep. Heather Wilson in
connection with the activities of her firm, Heather Wilson LLC, in its work for Lockheed
subsidiary Sandia Corp.
A Politico article of last month noted: “Records show how Air Force nominee
skirted lobbying restrictions” and details how emails and other materials show Wilson
was deeply involved in the strategic plan to “help the Sandia Corp win a noncompetitive
contract for continued nuclear weapons work…”1
The article went on to note that Lockheed does “more business with the Air Force
than any other contractor…”
Politico cites Gordon Adams, professor emeritus at American University and
former associate director for national security at Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) as stating Wilson has an “appearance of conflict of interest, and appearances
matter.” Dr. Gordon stated “She should probably recuse herself from anything involving
Lockheed.”
Even worse for Wilson, “The Energy Department’s inspector general ruled in
2013 that the contracts she signed with Sandia Corp. and other contractors were overly
vague and violated governmental rules.” “As a result, the contractors were forced to give
back the federal money they collected to pay her fees.”
Wilson’s questionable actions on behalf of the largest contractor for the Air
Force, as detailed in two inspector general reports, make a compelling case for not
approving her nomination to be Secretary of the Air Force.
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  

1 
  Patrick 
  Malone, 
  “Records 
  show 
  how 
  Air 
  Force 
  nominee 
  skirted 
  lobbying 
  restrictions,” 
  Politico 
  (Feb. 
  

8, 
  2017), 
  available 
  at: 
  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/records-­‐show-­‐how-­‐air-­‐force-­‐
nominee-­‐skirted-­‐lobbying-­‐restrictions-­‐234780 
   
  

 Sincerely,
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
National Legal & Policy Center
Public Citizen