Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been chosen by the Department of Defense to review transactions between the Pentagon and companies associated with Cerberus Capital Management, according to a US official cited by Bloomberg. The assignment is intended to go beyond existing Defense Department ethics procedures because Cerberus was founded by Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, who divested his business holdings into trusts benefiting his adult children when he entered government. Cerberus-linked companies have received Pentagon business, including a $90.8 million Stratolaunch hypersonics-testing contract in early 2025, while the more than $185 billion Golden Dome missile-defense initiative has also drawn scrutiny. Lutnick previously led Cantor Fitzgerald, which has helped Cerberus oversee investment funds since at least 2012 and remains prime broker for several Cerberus funds; the bank is now run by Lutnick's sons. Feinberg has also brought four former Cerberus executives into the Pentagon, including officials overseeing the Office of Strategic Capital and Economic Defense Unit, while the department has begun taking equity stakes and providing loans to companies considered important to national security. Former Cerberus executives George Kollitides and David Lorch hold senior Pentagon investment and procurement roles. The review could clarify or intensify concerns about conflicts involving Cerberus-related companies and Pentagon contracting.