Director of National Intelligence Ends Reform Task Force
Washington, D.C. – Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has announced the end of a task force created to reform the U.S. intelligence community. The task force, which began its work in April, aimed to address issues such as the politicization of intelligence gathering.
Gabbard stated that the task force was always intended to be a temporary measure. Its goals included finding ways to make intelligence operations more efficient and determining if certain reports, like those about COVID-19, could be made public.
“In less than one year, we’ve brought a historic level of transparency to the intelligence community,” Gabbard said. She emphasized her ongoing commitment to honesty and preventing political bias within the intelligence community.
The members of the task force, whose identities are kept secret, will return to their original intelligence agencies. There, they will continue the work started by the group.
When the task force was first created, it faced criticism from some Democrats and intelligence officials. They worried that it might be used to undermine the intelligence agencies and give President Trump too much control.
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, had described the task force as a “witch hunt” aimed at intelligence officers who were not seen as loyal to Trump.
Since taking office, Gabbard has made changes to the intelligence community, including efforts to support President Trump’s claims about possible election interference in 2016 and 2020. She has also reduced the budget and staff of her office.
Critics have also pointed to the revoking of security clearances of some former officials, suggesting these actions were politically motivated against those who opposed President Trump.
