Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said he will vote against Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director, NBC News is reporting.
Heinrich is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. His decision not to vote for Haspel came after he met with her in a secured location and reviewed classified documents. The committee has scheduled Haspel's confirmation hearing for Wednesday, according to the network news.
"This is about trust, and the public is not being afforded an open and honest debate about the nominee," Heinrich said after his meeting with Haspel. "There are questions that absolutely need to be answered publicly, and given her position, she can make the choice to do so. As the nominee, she owes that to the public.
"If these answers aren't going to be provided to the public, how can we trust that the nominee will be open to oversight and accountability?"
Haspel, currently the agency's deputy director, came under scrutiny for her role in the enhanced interrogation program that started after 9/11.
The Washington Post reported that at one point she had sought to withdraw her nomination after White House officials expressed concern that her part in the program could keep the Senate from supporting her.
Losing the support of Heinrich makes Haspel's prospects for confirmation more challenging – particularly since Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced his opposition to her nomination in March, NBC News said.
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