Top House Democrat puts defense contractors on notice

Rep. Himes pointed to how several major defense and intelligence contractors made donations to the new White House ballroom.

A top House Democrat is putting defense contractors on notice potential investigations into unusual dealings with the Trump administration. House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said he’s concerned that the administration has inappropriately fused contracting processes with the extraction of political or private favors. In a letter to the National Defense Industrial Association on Monday, Himes said the intelligence committee may seek documents, testimony and other information on potential conflicts of interest. He points to how several major defense and intelligence contractors made donations to the new White House ballroom. ( Himes letter to the National Defense Industrial Association - House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence)

A new watchdog report found U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowed 14 employees who didn’t meet key security and suitability standards to work in sensitive national security positions. The Department of Homeland Security inspector general found one of those employees worked in a sensitive position for more than 12 years. The IG found 13 employees remained working at USCIS even after background investigations turned up derogatory information like marriage fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. USCIS responded to the IG report, arguing it is missing important context and relevant details. ( USCIS allowed employees who did not meet security and suitability requirements to occupy national security positions - Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Defense Department will use “advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to identify, disrupt and neutralize foreign interference” in the upcoming elections. Hegseth directed the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to collect information on foreign threats and tasked U.S. Cyber Command and the Department of Homeland Security with “countering potential cyber threats from foreign actors targeting our elections.” While foreign interference in U.S. elections has long been a concern, the new effort will rely on more advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to respond to those threats. ( Hegseth orders DoD to use advanced intelligence, cyber capabilities to counter foreign election threats - Associated Press)

A new Pentagon team will look to cut wasteful spending and shake up inefficient offices. The Force Agility and Streamlining Team, or FAST, was created in August to better align the military's resources with its mission. The group will look for programs that duplicate effort, outdated org charts and unnecessary administrative processes, and suggest changing them or cutting them altogether. That includes removing some regulations related to classified work, one project manager said. Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst, who oversees FAST, said the goal is to put every dollar toward making the military stronger, more ready and more lethal. ( Pentagon launches team to find waste, shift spending - Federal News Network)

More than three million people with military ties were affected by a Pentagon data breach that lasted nearly a year. The department said a security vulnerability in a file-sharing system allowed a small number of unauthorized users to access personal data that was unencrypted. That includes information like names, birth dates and Social Security numbers. Military personnel data like troops' job specialties was also revealed. A Pentagon official said the issue was discovered in July and promptly fixed. The department said there's no sign the data was misused. ( More than 3 million people affected by military data breach - Federal News Network)

Andrew Bailey, one of the FBI’s two deputy directors, said he's leaving the position after just over a year on the job. Bailey says he'll be returning to Missouri to spend time with his family. Bailey was named co-deputy director in August 2025 to serve alongside Dan Bongino at a time of high tensions between FBI and Justice Department leadership. The appointment was unusual because the FBI for years has only had one person at a time in the deputy director position, the bureau’s number two job. ( Andrew Bailey stepping down from FBI co-deputy director position - Associated Press)

Major League Baseball is considering holding a game in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. A league official confirmed Monday that the idea was being discussed. It quickly faced opposition from environmental groups. MLB has hosted games in unique locations before, like the Iowa cornfields from "Field of Dreams." A White House official said MLB asked the administration if hosting a game at a national park would be possible but emphasized it was not a presidential directive and was not driven by the administration. ( Major League Baseball considers holding a game in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming - Associated Press)

From fiscal 2024 through fiscal 2026, the Defense Department planned to spend $10.3 billion on 18 major IT business programs. Several programs, however, reported cost increases and schedule delays. And while the Defense Department has gotten better at performance reporting, a government watchdog found that some programs did not report required categories of performance and most programs reported mixed progress when it comes to achieving performance goals. The Government Accountability Office also found gaps in fraud risk awareness, with seven of the 18 programs reporting that staff were either unaware of or did not receive training on how to recognize and report signs of fraud or tampering in IT systems. Six programs also lacked plans to implement zero trust by the department’s 2027 deadline, while three did not have an approved cybersecurity strategy. ( GAO flags increased fraud risks, cybersecurity gaps in DoD IT programs - Government Accountability Office)

Michele Sandiford is a Federal Drive producer at Federal News Network.