Senator blocks Pentagon nominations

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., is blocking all civilian Pentagon nominations until the Defense Department makes it easier for members of the military serving overseas to vote.

Included among those blocked is David H. Laufman slated for the Inspector General post of the Department of Defense.

The DOD IG is responsible for investigation/oversight of DOD activities, generally. For instance, investigation into the military's use of torture, the whereabouts of the trillions missing from the DOD, and other indiscretions. Problematically, Laufman was one of the "cleaners" who as part of the House Task Force investigating the 1980 October Surprise, where American hostages in Iran were witheld until Reagan's swearing-in, ignored pertinent information that Republicans (George H.W. Bush was an involved participant) held illegal, back door meetings with the Iranians in Paris to secure Reagan's victory in the presidential election by keeping the Americans away from an early (read: Carter) release.

PDF of Laufman's written answers to advance questions provided him by the Senate Armed Services Committee.