"Defense Policy Board Profiteers" This cartoon is a rather strong expression of my suspicion that the conflict of interest involving Richard Perle was not only real, but unaddressed by officials such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Perle led the Defense Policy Board, a nonpaid advisory group to the Pentagon, while simultaneously advising companies with current and/or potential business before the government and, more specifically, the Defense Dept. It's a very complicated issue, but I find it no mere coincidence that shortly after this story broke Perle resigned as chairman of the DPB (however, Rumsfeld let him remain on as a member).