National Security Leaders for America Calls on Congress to Investigate Firing of National Intelligence Council Officials
May 15, 2025
Washington, DC, May 15, 2025, National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is deeply alarmed by reports that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials at the National Intelligence Council following their resistance to politicized intelligence regarding Venezuela. NSL4A is calling on Congress to reassert its oversight authority to prevent the politicization of intelligence.
These dismissals—reportedly triggered by the Council’s refusal to support unverified claims about the transnational gang Tren de Aragua—raise serious concerns about the integrity of U.S. intelligence assessments and the independence of those tasked with producing them.
NSL4A urges the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to investigate these firings and demand that the administration justify its actions. This is not a partisan issue and requires the traditional bipartisan leadership that the intelligence committees in both chambers have historically demonstrated in overseeing our national security.
“Efforts to pressure career intelligence professionals to align their analyses to political narratives, rather than objective evidence, undermine the credibility of the Intelligence Community and place national security at risk,” said retired Rear Admiral Mike Smith, NSL4A President and Founder, adding “the National Intelligence Council’s role is to deliver unvarnished, expert assessments to policymakers. Firing its leadership for fulfilling that duty sets a dangerous precedent and erodes public trust in the nation’s ability to make informed strategic decisions.”
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