Brig. Gen. Spalding's last day in the White House was January 31st, or 3 days after the memo surfaced at Axios. He wasn't officially punished, according to the tipster, so he's free to take whatever job he's qualified to handle.

The general isn't known to be responsible for the leak, but that apparently didn't matter. Reportedly, officials had already been worried that he was "too aggressive" in promoting the idea, distributing it widely and effectively circumventing the deliberative process. Supposedly, some officials indirectly blame him for the leak because of that circulation.

This is water under the bridge when the White House has shelved the idea, and the FCC's chairman has rejected the concept. You could argue that it was a bad idea from the outset, for that matter -- private carriers already have a head start and would likely sue the FCC to either block the plan or insist on playing a part. Even so, the departure sends a strong signal to anyone who would bring up a similar plan in the future.