Documents detail Mattis' speaking engagements, financial ties to defense contractors - U.S. - Stripes: Retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, nominated to be the next secretary of defense, has received millions of dollars of income since leaving the military, including through lucrative speaking engagements with companies such as Goldman Sachs and Northrop Grumman and paid positions with Theranos, Stanford University and General Dynamics.
The details were disclosed in part through records newly released by the Office of Government Ethics. Mattis, who retired as chief of U.S. Central Command (Centcom) in 2013, said in a memo to the Pentagon dated Jan. 5 that he will not participate "personally and substantially" in any matters in which he knows he has a financial interest without seeking a legal waiver.
The financial documents were first reported on by Politico.
The general's financial moves since retirement are not uncommon among his peers, who often make far more after leaving the military than they did while serving. But the newly released documents provide a window into the financial opportunities for a retired senior military leader and present a complication as he is considered by the Senate to be the Pentagon's senior civilian leader.
Mattis's most significant forms of income since retiring include salary of $419,359 as a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution and fees of $242,000 as a member of the board of directors at the defense contractor General Dynamics, according to the documents.
