John E. Gordon
Encyclopedia
John Edward "Ted" Gordon is a retired United States
Rear Admiral
who served as Judge Advocate General of the Navy
from 1990 until 1992, when he was forced to resign in the aftermath of the Tailhook scandal
.
and joined the United States Navy
upon his graduation in 1964. During the 1960s, he was posted on two different combatant ships, including during the Vietnam War
. He later served as a contracting officer
at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
.
Gordon then attended the Temple University School of Law, receiving his J.D.
in 1973. He then joined the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy
, in which capacity he held several military justice positions, including Deputy Officer in Charge of the Philadelphia Navy Legal Service Office and as Special Court Martial Judge
.
He next served as Deputy Navy Chief of Legislative Affairs (Senate
). In the 1980s, he served for over four years under United States Secretary of the Navy
John Lehman
as Special Assistant for Legal and Legislative Affairs.
In 1986, United States Secretary of Defense
Caspar Weinberger
named Gordon Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
, with Gordon being promoted to flag rank. In 1987, he became Commander of the Naval Security Investigative Command (NSIC). In this capacity, he oversaw the work of the Naval Investigative Service (NIS), the United States Department of the Navy
Security Program, and the Office of Naval Intelligence
(ONI). While Commander of NSIC, Gordon was concurrently Director of NIS and Assistant Director of ONI for Counterintelligence. During his time as Commander of NSIC, Gordon was responsible for the Navy's response to Operation Ill Wind
, and oversaw the prosecution of Clayton J. Lonetree
, a member of the Marine Corps Security Guard
who allowed a Soviet
spy
access to the Embassy of the United States in Moscow
.
In 1989, Gordon became Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy
and Commander of the Navy Legal Services Command. He became Judge Advocate General of the Navy in 1990.
The Tailhook scandal
broke in the wake of the 35th Annual Meeting of the Tailhook Association
, held at the Las Vegas Hilton
September 8–12, 1991. Over the course of this weekend, more than 100 U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps
aviation officers sexually assaulted
87 women, or otherwise engaged in "improper and indecent" conduct. In response to media reports about this meeting, on October 29, 1991, the Department of the Navy terminated all ties to the Tailhook Association, launching an investigation led by Rear Admiral Gordon and Rear Admiral Duvall M. Williams, Jr., director of the Naval Investigative Service. Williams' initial report blamed the incident primarily on the behavior of low-ranking enlisted men. However, when William subsequently made sexist remarks in the presence of Barbara S. Pope
, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
, Pope went to United States Secretary of the Navy
Henry L. Garrett III
and demanded that he re-open the investigation. As a result, Garrett launched re-opened the investigation under Derek J. Vander Schaaf, the Inspector General
of the United States Department of Defense
. In September 1992, Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean O'Keefe
revealed the contents of Vander Schaaf's investigation. Vander Schaaf concluded that the initial investigation had been a coverup more concerned with protecting the reputation of the Navy than with discovering the role of high-ranking officers in the scandal. Gordon tendered his resignation in response to Vander Schaaf's report, although he criticized Vander Schaaf's report as "flawed and factually incorrect" and continued to maintain that the initial investigation had been thorough.
After leaving the Navy, Gordon took a job at Litton Industries
as Vice President for Washington
Operations, overseeing the company's interactions with all branches of government. He left Litton in 2001, joining Alliant Techsystems
as Vice President (Washington Operations). He retired from Alliant in 2007.
Since 2007, he has been a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
, where he sits on the Board of Regents
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
who served as Judge Advocate General of the Navy
Judge Advocate General of the Navy
The Judge Advocate General of the Navy is the highest ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The Judge Advocate General is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on legal matters pertaining to the Navy...
from 1990 until 1992, when he was forced to resign in the aftermath of the Tailhook scandal
Tailhook scandal
The Tailhook scandal refers to a series of incidents where more than 100 U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps aviation officers were alleged to have sexually assaulted at least 87 women, or otherwise engaged in "improper and indecent" conduct at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada...
.
Biography
John E. Gordon was educated at the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
upon his graduation in 1964. During the 1960s, he was posted on two different combatant ships, including during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He later served as a contracting officer
Contracting Officer
A Contracting Officer is a person who can bind the United States government to a contract that is greater than the Micro-Purchase threshold. This is limited to the scope of authority delegated to the Contracting Officer by the head of the agency.In the Department of Defense the acronym KO is...
at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
.
Gordon then attended the Temple University School of Law, receiving his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1973. He then joined the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy
Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy
The Judge Advocate General's Corps also known as the "JAG Corps" or "JAG" is the legal arm of the United States Navy. Today, the corps consists of a worldwide organization of more than 730 Judge Advocates, 30 limited duty officers , 500 enlisted members and nearly 275 civilian personnel, serving...
, in which capacity he held several military justice positions, including Deputy Officer in Charge of the Philadelphia Navy Legal Service Office and as Special Court Martial Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
.
He next served as Deputy Navy Chief of Legislative Affairs (Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
). In the 1980s, he served for over four years under United States Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
John Lehman
John Lehman
John F. Lehman, Jr. is an American investment banker and writer who served as Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration and in 2003–04 was a member of the 9/11 Commission....
as Special Assistant for Legal and Legislative Affairs.
In 1986, United States Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Caspar Weinberger
Caspar Weinberger
Caspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after...
named Gordon Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, or ASD is the head of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, responsible for providing support to the Secretary of Defense in his/her dealings with the United States Congress...
, with Gordon being promoted to flag rank. In 1987, he became Commander of the Naval Security Investigative Command (NSIC). In this capacity, he oversaw the work of the Naval Investigative Service (NIS), the United States Department of the Navy
United States Department of the Navy
The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
Security Program, and the Office of Naval Intelligence
Office of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
(ONI). While Commander of NSIC, Gordon was concurrently Director of NIS and Assistant Director of ONI for Counterintelligence. During his time as Commander of NSIC, Gordon was responsible for the Navy's response to Operation Ill Wind
Operation Ill Wind
Operation Ill Wind was a three-year investigation launched in 1986 by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation into corruption by U.S. government and military officials and defense contractors....
, and oversaw the prosecution of Clayton J. Lonetree
Clayton J. Lonetree
Clayton J. Lonetree is a member of the Navajo Nation who served nine years in prison for espionage. During the early 1980s, Lonetree was a Marine Corps Security Guard stationed at the Embassy of the United States in Moscow....
, a member of the Marine Corps Security Guard
Marine Corps Security Guard
The Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, formerly Marine Security Guard Battalion, and also known as Marine Security Guards or Marine Embassy Guards, are members of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, a battalion-sized organization of U.S...
who allowed a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
access to the Embassy of the United States in Moscow
Embassy of the United States in Moscow
The Embassy of the United States in Moscow is the diplomatic mission of the United States to the Russian Federation. It is located in the Presnensky District in the city center of Moscow. Its address is: Bolshoy Deviatinsky Pereulok No...
.
In 1989, Gordon became Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy
Judge Advocate General of the Navy
The Judge Advocate General of the Navy is the highest ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The Judge Advocate General is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on legal matters pertaining to the Navy...
and Commander of the Navy Legal Services Command. He became Judge Advocate General of the Navy in 1990.
The Tailhook scandal
Tailhook scandal
The Tailhook scandal refers to a series of incidents where more than 100 U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps aviation officers were alleged to have sexually assaulted at least 87 women, or otherwise engaged in "improper and indecent" conduct at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada...
broke in the wake of the 35th Annual Meeting of the Tailhook Association
Tailhook Association
The Tailhook Association is a U.S.-based, fraternal, non-profit organization, supporting the interests of sea-based aviation, with emphasis on aircraft carriers...
, held at the Las Vegas Hilton
Las Vegas Hilton
The Las Vegas Hilton is a hotel, casino, and convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a joint venture between Colony Capital, which owns 60 percent, and New York City-based REIT Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, which owns the remaining 40 percent...
September 8–12, 1991. Over the course of this weekend, more than 100 U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
aviation officers sexually assaulted
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
87 women, or otherwise engaged in "improper and indecent" conduct. In response to media reports about this meeting, on October 29, 1991, the Department of the Navy terminated all ties to the Tailhook Association, launching an investigation led by Rear Admiral Gordon and Rear Admiral Duvall M. Williams, Jr., director of the Naval Investigative Service. Williams' initial report blamed the incident primarily on the behavior of low-ranking enlisted men. However, when William subsequently made sexist remarks in the presence of Barbara S. Pope
Barbara S. Pope
Barbara Spyridon Pope was United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1989 to 1993. She gained notoriety during the Tailhook scandal for her opposition to the initial investigation conducted by Rear Admiral Duvall M. Williams, Jr., which she felt was a whitewash.-Biography:Barbara S. Pope...
, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy is a civilian office in the United States Department of the Navy...
, Pope went to United States Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Henry L. Garrett III
Henry L. Garrett III
Henry Lawrence Garrett, III served as the 68th Secretary of the Navy from May 15, 1989 to June 26, 1992 in the administration of George H. W. Bush.-References:...
and demanded that he re-open the investigation. As a result, Garrett launched re-opened the investigation under Derek J. Vander Schaaf, the Inspector General
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. In September 1992, Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe is the CEO of EADS North America, a subsidiary of the European aerospace firm EADS, a former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana State University . O'Keefe is also a former member of the board of directors of DuPont...
revealed the contents of Vander Schaaf's investigation. Vander Schaaf concluded that the initial investigation had been a coverup more concerned with protecting the reputation of the Navy than with discovering the role of high-ranking officers in the scandal. Gordon tendered his resignation in response to Vander Schaaf's report, although he criticized Vander Schaaf's report as "flawed and factually incorrect" and continued to maintain that the initial investigation had been thorough.
After leaving the Navy, Gordon took a job at Litton Industries
Litton Industries
Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
as Vice President for Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Operations, overseeing the company's interactions with all branches of government. He left Litton in 2001, joining Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
as Vice President (Washington Operations). He retired from Alliant in 2007.
Since 2007, he has been a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is an independent, 501, not-for-profit public policy research institute located in Arlington, Virginia. The Institute was founded in 1994, shortly after the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment was disbanded, with the intent to assume some of the...
, where he sits on the Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...