Members of Congress, influential government contractors and high-ranking federal officials have a symbiotic relationship when it comes to managing the country’s nuclear weapons research and design facilities. In one case, a congresswoman from New Mexico became a consultant to two prominent defense companies running the federal labs only days after leaving office. Some experts in the industry say the revolving door provides experience; others say conflicts of interest could jeopardize independent oversight of the labs.
Explore the graphics below to learn more about their relationships.
A web of connections
Select a profile to see each individual’s affiliations:
Decades of back-and-forth
These six players in the nation’s nuclear weapons industry have worked for both defense contractors and the federal government during the course of their careers. See how their roles evolved over time.
Filter the timeline by individual:
U.S. Department of Defense
Augustine served as assistant director of defense research and engineering for the secretary of defense.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lyons worked as a top official at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
LTV Missiles and Space Co.
Augustine became vice president at defense contractor LTV Missiles and Space Co.
U.S. Department of Defense
Augustine rejoined the Defense Department and rose to acting secretary of the Army.
Martin Marietta and Sandia National Laboratories
Augustine joined defense contractor Martin Marietta Corp. and became chairman in 1988. Martin Marietta won the contract to manage Sandia National Laboratories in 1993, and it merged with Lockheed Corp. in 1995.
U.S. Air Force
Wilson served in the U.S. Air Force as a captain.
National Security Council
Wilson became director for European defense policy and arms control for the National Security Council.
Lockheed Martin
Augustine became president of Lockheed Martin Corp. with the merger of Martin Marietta and Lockheed Corp. into the largest defense contractor in the U.S. He retired as chairman and CEO.
Sandia National Laboratories
Cook was a top official at Sandia National Laboratories.
Science adviser to U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici
Lyons served as science adviser to U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.
U.S. House of Representatives
Tauscher served as a Democratic congresswoman in the Northern California district that included Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
U.S. Strategic Command
Mies served as commander in chief of the U.S. Strategic Command.
U.S. House of Representatives
Wilson became a Republican congresswoman from New Mexico. She gave up her position for an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Lyons served as commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
U.K. Atomic Weapons Establishment
Cook was the chief executive officer of the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the United Kingdom.
U.S. Senate candidate
Wilson had an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico.
Sandia and Los Alamos
Wilson received $450,000 in consulting work from federal labs including Sandia and Los Alamos.
U.S. Department of State
Tauscher served as the under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs.
National Nuclear Security Administration
Cook became deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the defense contractors running the national labs including Los Alamos and Sandia.
The Babcock & Wilcox Co. and Los Alamos National Laboratory
Mies is a member of the board of directors of defense contractor The Babcock & Wilcox Co. He also serves on the board of governors of the consortium which runs the Los Alamos lab.
U.S. Department of Energy
Lyons is assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.
U.S. Senate candidate
Wilson had a second unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico.
U.S. Department of State
From February through August 2012, Tauscher served as special envoy for strategic stability and missile defense.
Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National labs
Tauscher is a member of the board of governors of the consortiums holding the contracts to run Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National labs.
NNSA governance panel
Augustine, Tauscher, Mies and Wilson were appointed to the congressional advisory panel to study the National Nuclear Security Administration oversight of the federal labs including Sandia and Los Alamos.
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