Lobbying rules strict enough, says controller.

• Author: Fein, Geoff S.
• Position: Washington Pulse

Despite inspector general investigations and allegations of unethical behavior in the defense industry, it would be unwise for the Pentagon to change currant conflict-of-interest policies, said Dov Zakheim, controller and undersecretary of defense.

The Pentagon is "pretty strict about this," Zakheim said in an interview with defense reporters. Responding to questions about the Boeing-related investigations and whether they should lead to tighter scrutiny of the industry, Zakheim cautioned that people may be overreacting to recent events and neglecting to see the big picture.

Defense Department employees who are hired by defense contractors are barred from dealing with the Pentagon for a year, and they cannot do business with the department for two years in any area they specifically oversaw. Zakheim believes this policy is stringent enough.

If the policies were made tougher, they would have a chilling effect that may deter the most competent and ambitious people from serving in the government, he said. "One of the difficulties that increasing strictness raises is how you get good people."

If the Pentagon hired people who have no knowledge of the...