No More Anonymous Leaks From The CIA

Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) testifies before a Senate Intelligence hearing on his nomination to head the CIA on Capitol Hill in Washington January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Washington Post: At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president’s ardent ally

As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him.

Officials at the center have, in turn, kept a watchful eye on Pompeo, who has repeatedly played down Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and demonstrated a willingness to engage in political skirmishes for President Trump.

Current and former officials said that the arrangement has been a source of apprehension among the CIA’s upper ranks and that they could not recall a time in the agency’s history when a director faced a comparable conflict.

“Pompeo is in a delicate situation unlike any other director has faced, certainly in my memory,” said Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a CIA official for 23 years who served in Russia and held high-level positions at headquarters, “because of his duty to protect and provide the truth to an independent investigation while maintaining his role with the president.”

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WNU Editor: CIA Director Mike Pompeo is doing what any senior manager would be doing in a large organisation .... he is managing it. Since his appointment as CIA Director .... leaks from his department have all but disappeared. Is this the reason why the Washington Post is critical of the CIA Director .... the impression that I am getting from the Washington Post is that the answer is a big yes.