No one asked Trump defense secretary pick James Mattis about his Theranos ties

In his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday, retired Marine General James Mattis delivered his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mattis, Trump’s appointment for secretary of defense, faced no questions about his involvement in Theranos, the embattled biotech startup being sued for fraud by a number of its investors.

Mattis did note that he has been living in Silicon Valley (Theranos is based in Palo Alto) and expressed interest in the tech sector there. Mattis quietly served on the Theranos board from July of 2013 to December 2016. In the position, he collected $150,000 in director fees and he retains 416,667 shares of Theranos stock. After serving for three years, Mattis stepped down from his position on the board within the last month.

Mattis, who only retired from the armed forces three years ago, requires a congressional waiver to serve as defense secretary, a position that requires that a nominee be at least seven years out of active duty.