This has to be a case of "it's not what you know but who you know."
Maybe, maybe not. I think the $200k is a bit of an exaggeration, that's nowhere near the norm for IT people in any sector gubment or not. However I don't have salaries handy for Hawaii wasn't he working there supposedly? Cost of living might be so high out there that $200k = $70k elsewhere.
There also seems to be reports that he actually was making $122k.. And the way this has been reported is he was making a 'Rate' of $200k. In the consulting industry that's what the consulting firm (Booz Alllan) charges for your services, what you take home will typically be a lot less, could be as little as 20% however 40-70% is much more normal.
Factor in living in Hawaii. According to one site I looked at it's 88% higher than the national average..
EDIT:
http://www.costoflivingbystate.org/hawaii-cost-of-living.htmlAccording to that page you have to make $120k minimum to afford a house in Hawaii.