Officials fear the politicization of intelligence, not the unwinding of it, with President Donald Trump's nomination of Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, as the next director of national intelligence.
"Anyone who does not come with extensive intelligence experience is automatically and quickly viewed as a threat because of the risk of the politicization of intelligence," former CIA officer who has delivered presidential daily intelligence briefs David Priess told Politico.
Ratcliffe has been a vocal supporter of Trump and one of the most effective House GOP member during the impeachment inquiry.
"That's the kind of thing that could prompt resignations of senior officials within the agencies," Priess added to Politico.
The DNI manages the messaging to Congress and the $70-plus billion intelligence community budget within the administration, two things Trump critics fear might go south.
"All of the legislative affairs offices in the intelligence community coordinate with, and often work through, ODNI legislative affairs," an ex-senior intelligence official told Politico. "So, with a very partisan DNI, there could be some risk that you end up with a partisan shaping of what information goes to Congress."
Congress will have its say on Ratcliffe's nomination in a Senate hearing, although rejecting him will merely keep in place acting DNI Richard Grenell, who was also derided by Trump critics for his loyalty to the president.
"I don't think anybody changed their opinion of John Ratcliffe," Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., told Politico. "What changed was the pathway to get somebody confirmed. If Democrats want to vote against him and have Grenell stay on as acting until the end of the year, that's fine with me."
There are 17 national intelligence organizations under the DNI, so regardless who fills the role under Trump, it will be a tough task – especially in this polarized political environment and an election year.
"When ODNI was first created, some of its proponents harbored grand ambitions, believing that the DNI could forcefully herd the 17 cats that make up the modern Intelligence Community," former Assistant Attorney General David Kris told Politico.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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