Crow questioned whether Parlatore traveled with the Secretary, sat in meetings, maintained office access at the Pentagon, and whether he had gone through standard vetting or security clearance procedures before serving in an advisory role.

The exchange grew sharper when Crow asked whether Parlatore had an active security clearance at the time of his appointment. The Secretary pushed back, accusing Crow of playing a “gotcha game,” while Crow insisted he was asking a direct question about access, vetting, and accountability.

The most striking moment came near the end, when Crow suggested the line of questioning was leading somewhere bigger — then asked whether Parlatore’s private law practice included representation of foreign governments.

The hearing raised broader questions about who gets access to senior defense leadership, what vetting process applies, and how much transparency Congress should expect when private attorneys or outside advisors are involved.