In yet another example of how Washington elites operate without fear of accountability, General Dynamics recently engaged the services of Clarion Strategies, a consulting firm founded by Julianne Smith and Lloyd Austin, the former Defense Secretary under Biden. Strangely, General Dynamics’ senior leadership informed Laura Loomer that, upon seeing her exclusive report on the matter, they have terminated their contract with Clarion Strategies. During his 2021 confirmation hearing, Austin explicitly told Senator Elizabeth Warren that he had no intention of pursuing roles as a lobbyist or board member for defense contractors after his service, how is this not perjury? It’s also worth noting that newly declassified documents reveal Julianne Smith’s central role in the 2016 Russia collusion hoax orchestrated by Hillary Clinton.
The decision to terminate their contract with Clarion Strategies was made less than three hours after Laura Loomer’s exclusive report highlighted the newly signed agreement between General Dynamics and Clarion Strategies. The report reached the attention of General Dynamics CEO Phebe Novakovic, and sources indicate that the defense contractor is preparing to issue an official statement on the matter in the near future.
Perjury in High Places: Austin’s Broken Vows to Warren
In his January 2021 Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Lloyd Austin addressed concerns from Senator Elizabeth Warren regarding potential conflicts of interest stemming from his prior affiliation with Raytheon. Austin committed to extending his recusal from joining defense contractor boards after his service ended. “I do not intend to seek employment as a lobbyist or sit on the board of a defense contractor after my service,” he affirmed, adding, “Quite frankly, I’ll be too old to sit on a board of a defense contractor after my service, but I—I have no intent to be a lobbyist as well.” However, Austin’s current position at Clarion Strategies, now aligned with General Dynamics, a firm deeply involved in DOD contracts, calls into question the consistency of those statements.
Senator Warren claims to champion rigorously scrutinizing this exact kind of deceit, but her response to this situation remains notably absent. In January 2025, during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation process for Defense Secretary in the Trump administration, Warren expressed vehement opposition, citing unsubstantiated personal allegations as disqualifying factors for national security roles. This led to a confrontation between Loomer Unleashed and Warren, where she could be heard screaming down the United States Senate hallways about how Pete Hegseth was “unqualified” to be Secretary of Defense.
Collusion Shadows: Julianne Smith’s 2016 Russia Hoax Role and Clarion Strategies’ Swift Alliance with General Dynamics
Julianne Smith’s Clarion Strategies, established in July 2025 as announced on her LinkedIn profile, presents itself as a strategic advisory firm focused on global risk anticipation, alliance strengthening, and resilient decision-making for leaders and organizations. Smith highlighted the firm’s launch and Austin’s position as cofounder. The company’s website showcases Austin’s Pentagon “achievements” in modernization and AI-driven systems as key assets for clients pursuing national security objectives.
Julianne Smith’s involvement in the 2016 Clinton campaign’s efforts to propagate fake Russia-Trump collusion claims makes this whole affair all the more nefarious. Serving as Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy advisor during that period, Smith devised a scheme in July 2016 to emphasize Vladimir Putin’s supposed support for Donald Trump, aiming to divert attention from Clinton’s email scandal by equating Russian “influence efforts.”
Many would argue General Dynamics was wise to cancel their contract with Clarion Strategies as General Dynamics stands to gain substantially from U.S. government defense contracts in 2025. A newly awarded $18.4 billion Navy submarine contract according to an April 2025 press release by United States Senator Jack Reed is just one example of what they could gain by tightening their ships after the exposè by Laura Loomer.
Lloyd Austin’s divergence from his congressional testimony exemplifies the privileges afforded to certain political elites in Washington. If he gets away with this, we perpetuate a system where accountability is unevenly applied. Can the average person perjure themselves without fear of consequences? Without universal accountability, the revolving door will continue while public trust and national interests continue to suffer.
