Pollock’s report, based on his interviews with former officials at Mount Weather, contains astounding information on the base’s personnel. The underground city contains a parallel government-in-waiting: “High-level Governmental sources, speaking in the promise of strictest anonymity, told me [Pollock] that each of the Federal departments represented at Mount Weather is headed by a single person on whom is conferred the rank of a Cabinet-level official.
Protocol even demands that subordinates address them as ‘Mr. Secretary.’ Each of the Mount Weather ‘Cabinet members’ is apparently appointed by the White House and serves an indefinite term … many through several Administrations…. The facility attempts to duplicate the vital functions of the Executive branch of the Administration.”
Nine Federal departments are replicated within Mount Weather
(Agriculture; Commerce; Health, Education & Welfare; Housing & Urban Development; Interior; Labor; State; Transportation; and Treasury)
as well as at least five Federal agencies
(Federal Communications Commission, Selective Service, Federal Power Commission, Civil Service Commission, and the Veterans Administration).
The Federal Reserve and the U.S. Post Office, both private corporations, also have offices in Mount Weather. Pollock writes that the “cabinet members” are “apparently” appointed by the White House and serve an indefinite term, but that information cannot be confirmed, raising the further question of who holds the reins on this “back-up government.”
Furthermore, appointed Mount Weather officials hold their positions through several elected administrations, transcending the time their appointers spend in office. Unlike other presidential nominees, these appointments are made without the public advice or consent of the Senate. Is there an alternative President and Vice President as well? If so, who appoints them?
Pollock says only this: “As might be expected, there is also an Office of the Presidency at Mount Weather.
The Federal Preparedness Agency (precursor to FEMA) apparently appoints a special staff to the Presidential section, which regularly receives top secret national security estimates and raw data from each of the Federal departments and agencies.
