The Cycle Continues: Former DEA Second-in-Command Rejoins Consulting Firm with Big Pharma Ties

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This week witnessed another instance of Washington’s “revolving door” in action as the recently resigned deputy director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) returned to his former role at a prominent consulting firm. Louis Milione had previously consulted for Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical distributors engaged in legal battles over questionable shipments of opioid painkillers.

Milione retired for the second time from the DEA this summer, following reports by The Big Big News that highlighted potential conflicts of interest due to his earlier consulting engagements with the pharmaceutical sector. Within three months, Milione resecured a position at Guidepost Solutions, a New York-based consulting firm that has been hired by some of the very corporations he was responsible for overseeing during his 2021 tenure as the top deputy to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

Before his latest stint at the DEA, Milione had worked at Guidepost for four years, capitalizing on the network and expertise he had amassed over a 21-year career at the DEA.

This week, Guidepost announced Milione’s return as the President of Global Investigations and Regulatory Compliance, using social media to ask rhetorically, “Should we say Welcome Back?”

Previous Reporting

Former DEA Deputy Director Exits Amid Questions Over Prior Consultancy with Pharmaceutical Industry

Milione is the highest-ranking among a series of DEA officials who have transitioned from law enforcement to consulting roles—12 of them at Guidepost alone. His career is particularly noteworthy for his multiple transitions between public service and private industry, eliciting concerns about the potential consequences on the DEA’s mandate to regulate pharmaceutical companies implicated in the American opioid crisis.

Jeff Hauser, the Executive Director of the Revolving Door Project, a watchdog organization focused on corporate influence in government, commented, “Once a public servant demonstrates a willingness to monetize their expertise in the private sector, it’s reasonable to expect a repeat performance. Given the lucrative nature of consultancy in the pharmaceutical industry, one must question whether Milione could ever truly be impartial during his DEA tenure.”

While the timeline for Milione’s decision to return to Guidepost is not clear, any negotiations for employment with a firm that has pending matters before the DEA would necessitate an ethics disclosure. Both Milione and Guidepost have opted not to comment on the new appointment. Neither the DEA nor the Justice Department have responded to inquiries.

Milione, who is 60 years old, is perhaps most prominently known within the DEA for leading the 2008 sting operation against Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. He also served a two-year term overseeing the division responsible for regulating the sale of highly addictive drugs.

His prior consultancies included Purdue Pharma, for which he served as a $600-per-hour expert, and Morris & Dickson Co., the nation’s fourth-largest wholesale drug distributor, which was seeking to avert DEA sanctions for numerous suspicious, high-volume orders. The DEA allowed the company to continue operations for nearly four years after a judicial recommendation to revoke its license for failure to adhere to anti-diversion protocols. It was only when press inquiries were initiated this year that the DEA finally took action against the company.

Milione, after his most recent return to the DEA, recused himself from agency matters involving Morris & Dickson and other firms he had consulted for. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram expressed faith in the Department of Justice’s recusal and ethics procedures when queried by members of Congress.

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For further information, contact AP’s global investigative team at [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Revolving door phenomenon

More about Revolving door phenomenon

• DEA Official Website
• The Big Big News Coverage on Louis Milione
• Guidepost Solutions Official Website
• Department of Justice Ethics Guidelines
• Purdue Pharma Legal Battles
• Revolving Door Project Official Website
• Congressional Oversight Hearing Records
• Morris & Dickson Co. Case Details