Pentagon Flack Leaves as Investigation Continues [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
Allison Barber [3], the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense who launched the America Supports You [4] (ASY) program and was also heavily involved in the Pentagon pundit [5] program, is resigning. Barber leaves as the Pentagon's inspector general continues to investigate ASY's financial practices and the pundit program [6] (which is also being investigated by the Government Accountability Office [7] and the Federal Communications Commission [8]). Her boss, Robert Hastings, says Barber's resignation has nothing to do with the ASY investigation. "She and I have been discussing the timing of her departure since early summer," Hastings told Stars and Stripes. "I asked her to stay until DMA was launched," he said, referring to the Defense Media Activity, which has consolidated the Pentagon's media operations. The Pentagon announced [9] DMA's "activation" on October 20. According to military support blogs [10], Barber sent a farewell to ASY groups saying, "Our troops deserve this type of support and together, we have made it happen." Neither the Pentagon public affairs office nor Barber herself responded to the Center for Media and Democracy's request for comment.