A National Security Council staffer made the jump over to the intelligence community, according to multiple reports.
Kash Patel, who previously served as an aid to the House Intelligence Committee’s Devin Nunes, was appointed to be a senior adviser to new acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell.
A source told CBS News that there is a new mandate to clean house, including a “top to bottom” review of ODNI operations that have expanded since 2005.
President Trump announced on Wednesday that Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist, would replace Joseph Maguire as acting DNI.
Democrats raised concerns about Grenell being a political appointee without sufficient background in intelligence. Grenell said he won’t be nominated to take on the spy chief role permanently.
Americans at July 4th celebrations warned of lone wolf terrorist threat
Family of victim in Bryan Kohberger case say they were sent into ‘panic mode’ after plea deal
Trump’s achievements embolden him to be even more aggressive
Republicans scrap deal in ‘big, beautiful bill’ to lower restrictions on states’ AI regulations
Trump warns of ‘whopping 68% tax increase’ if Senate fails to pass historic bill
East Coast flyers face travel nightmare after weather sparks delays ahead of holiday weekend
Elon Musk says US is ruled by ‘Porky Pig Party’ as Trump defends his vision against former ally’s criticism
Kansas City Chiefs fans’ deaths: Prosecutors seek tougher charges
Dozens arrested at Capitol while protesting Republican tax and spending cut bill
Jennings Sets the Record Straight, Berates CNN Analyst for Whitewashing Mamdani’s Overt Anti-White Racism
Judge says Abrego Garcia will remain jailed, citing deportation concerns
Bryan Kohberger accepts plea deal in murder of four Idaho college students
Wild Wind Turbine Mishap Snarls Interstate Traffic in Both Directions
Portland Resident Screamed at, Threatened Antifa in Viral Video with Over 6 Million Views
Senate Parliamentarian Helps Dems Keep Medicaid for Illegal Aliens, Thwarts Big Beautiful Bill Provision
As a staff member on the House Intelligence Committee, Patel was a primary author of a Republican memo released in early 2018 on alleged Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses against Carter Page, a member of the Trump 2016 campaign. The Justice Department inspector general conducted an investigation, and in a report released in December said there were at least 17 “significant errors or omissions” in the Page FISA applications. The Justice Department determined that at least two of the four orders targeting Page were not valid.
Patel later became the senior counterterrorism director for the National Security Council and late last year got wrapped up into the House Democrats’ impeachment investigation. He denied being a back channel to Trump on Ukraine, as one witness suggested, and filed a $25 million libel lawsuit against Politico over reporting that claimed he was feeding Trump information about Ukraine.
Patel also targeted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, tying him to the leaks from the closed-door hearings during the impeachment investigation into Trump. The lawsuit claimed Politico tried to “destroy Kash’s reputation” to perpetuate “Schiff’s baseless Ukrainian quid pro quo hoax.”
Story cited here.
