October 2022, old news, but I missed it!
Jake Johnson, Common Dreams
October 18, 2022 12:46PM ET
A sweeping investigation published by The Washington Post on Tuesday after years of digging and legal battles with the U.S. government shows that at least 15 retired American generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for Saudi Arabia’s ministry of defense since 2016.
“Saudi Arabia’s paid advisers have included retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, a national security adviser to President Barack Obama, and retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander, who led the National Security Agency under Obama and President George W. Bush,” the Post reported, citing more than 4,000 pages documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) filings.
The Post noted that it “sued the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the State Department in federal court” in pursuit of the documents, which the outlet finally obtained after a protracted legal fight.
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“Congress permits retired troops as well as reservists to work for foreign governments if they first obtain approval from their branch of the armed forces and the State Department,” the newspaper pointed out. “But the U.S. government has fought to keep the hirings secret. For years, it withheld virtually all information about the practice, including which countries employ the most retired U.S. service members and how much money is at stake.”
In total, the Post found that “more than 500 retired U.S. military personnel—including scores of generals and admirals—have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments” such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Turkey, and Kuwait, mostly with the official approval of U.S. military branches.
“Records show they rarely reject a job request,” the Post found.
The Post did highlight some cases of ex-military officials taking “foreign jobs or gifts without notifying the U.S. government at all,” citing the prominent example of retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a Trump loyalist and fascist who raked in nearly $450,000 in payments from Turkey and Russia in 2015 without receiving clearance from U.S. officials.
Other ex-servicemembers named in the Post story as paid consultants to the Saudi defense ministry include retired Air Force Brig. Gen. John Doucette and retired Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry.
Kate Kizer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Center for International Policy, wrote on Twitter that the reporting provides further evidence that “war and crimes against humanity” are “big business for U.S. military leaders after their service.”
https://www.rawstory.com/defying-pentagon-secrecy-reporting-exposes-retired-us-generals-on-saudi-payroll/
Since 1987, Trump has been in business with Saudi Arabia, see Forbes article 14 Nov 2025:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2025/11/14/how-trumps-finances-got-tangled-up-with-saudi-arabia/
Also see a 1986 article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/06/05/big-money-and-the-saudi-vote/34736634-e05f-4b87-a070-4aaa0ef61164/
So Trump and Epstein have been associated with Saudi Arabia since the 1980s:
Jeffrey Epstein’s Ties to Saudi Arabia
Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Saudi Arabia have long fueled speculation about his international influence, potential intelligence links, and unexplained wealth. These ties, documented through court records, flight logs, and media investigations, span decades and involve travel, forged documents, and associations with Saudi royalty. While no direct evidence ties Epstein’s sex-trafficking crimes to Saudi figures, his interactions with the kingdom highlight a pattern of elite networking in the Middle East. Below is a breakdown of the key elements, drawn from unsealed documents and reporting.
. The Fake Austrian Passport with Saudi Residence
- In 2019, during the FBI raid on Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, agents discovered an expired 1980s Austrian passport inside a locked safe, alongside $70,000 in cash and 48 loose diamonds.
The passport bore Epstein’s photo but a false name (“Alberto Engel de S.”) and listed his residence as Saudi Arabia.
- Prosecutors revealed it was used for international travel in the 1980s, with stamps showing entries to Saudi Arabia, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Epstein’s lawyers claimed it was for “personal protection” due to risks as a wealthy Jewish traveler in the Middle East, but federal investigators viewed it as evidence of his flight risk and ability to evade scrutiny.
- Recent 2024 State Department records obtained by ABC News further show Epstein repeatedly requested second U.S. passports to “avoid conflicting visa stamps” for trips to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, underscoring his frequent Middle East travel.
2. Travel to Saudi Arabia
- Epstein’s private jet, dubbed the “Lolita Express,” made notable trips to the kingdom. Flight data analyzed by aviation trackers shows it landed at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on November 7, 2016—the eve of the U.S. presidential election.
The jet had departed from the U.S. and briefly appeared over southern Jordan before entering Saudi airspace, marking one of the clearest documented links to the region.
- Earlier travels in the 1980s, facilitated by the fake passport, suggest Epstein visited Saudi Arabia multiple times, though exact purposes remain unclear.
Associates reported he traveled solo to the kingdom more than to other Middle Eastern destinations, where visas were notoriously restrictive for unmarried women until recently.
Associations with Saudi Royalty and Elites
- Epstein openly boasted of close ties to Saudi leaders, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). In 2018— a year before his death—he claimed frequent conversations with MBS, though without verifiable evidence.
A framed photo of MBS hung in Epstein’s Manhattan mansion alongside images of Bill Clinton and Woody Allen.
- Epstein’s infamous “black book” of contacts, seized by the FBI, listed MBS and other Saudi royals, alongside figures like Israeli PM Ehud Barak and UK PM Tony Blair.
- As recently as November 18, 2025, leaked documents reported by Observer Diplomat allege MBS sent Epstein luxurious gifts, including a tent and carpets, hinting at a deeper “hidden elite network” of influence involving global power dynamics.
This aligns with broader probes into Epstein’s role in international dealings, including potential Saudi investments in his ventures (e.g., unconfirmed links to Tesla’s $2 billion Saudi funding).
- Steve Bannon, who befriended Epstein in 2018, later described him as having “close relations with the Saudi government” and speculated Epstein might have been paid for undisclosed work there.
4. Speculation on Intelligence and Financial Links
- Epstein’s Saudi connections have sparked theories of intelligence involvement, given the kingdom’s history of covert operations. The 2016 Riyadh trip, timed amid U.S. election tensions, raised questions about his role in geopolitical maneuvering.
Some reports link it to broader Epstein-Middle East ties, including unproven blackmail schemes involving Saudi interests (e.g., the 2019 Jeff Bezos hack allegations).
- In the context of recent Epstein file declassifications (as of November 2025), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna cited witness statements implicating Saudi Arabia in an “international trafficking network” alongside Russia and Israel.
https://www.michaelrcronin.com/post/jeffrey-epstein-s-ties-to-saudi-arabia
Wajeeh Lion reckons around 500 US officials are currently funded by Saudi Arabia, see his Substack May 3 2026.
Foreign governments have funneled over $2.6 billion into U.S. politics through advocacy groups, often using loopholes that allow them to influence policy without direct donations to political campaigns. This raises concerns about foreign influence in American political processes. Fox News The White House
Tracking AIPAC:
https://www.trackaipac.com/congress
borderslynn 
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