Intelligence Community Presidentially
Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
During the Administrations of Presidents
George W. Bush, Barack H. Obama, and
Donald J. Trump: In Brief
May 24, 2021
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R46798
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1
Methodology .................................................................................................................. 2
Tables
Table 1. George W. Bush Administration-era Nominees for IC PAS Positions ........................... 2
Table 2. Obama Administration-era Nominees for IC PAS Positions ....................................... 5
Table 3. Trump Administration Nominees for IC PAS Positions.............................................. 7
Contacts
Author Information ....................................................................................................... 10
Congressional Research Service
Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Introduction
This report provides three tables that list the names of those who have served in presidential y
appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS) positions in the Intel igence Community (IC) during the last
twenty years. It provides a comparative perspective of both those holding IC PAS positions who
have been confirmed by the Senate and those serving in in these positions in an acting capacity
during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Senate confirmation of nominees for specified senior positions, which is provided for in Section 2
of Article II of the Constitution, is an important means by which Congress conducts oversight of
the Executive Branch. Oversight of the IC can be particularly important because the classified
nature of intel igence operations and analysis restricts the ability to monitor U.S. intel igence to
three bodies: Congress, independent inspectors general of the IC and IC agencies, and the Privacy
and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). Experts argue that, of the three, congressional
oversight enables the greatest degree of public transparency into the activities of the eighteen
separate IC elements. They note that these activities cost taxpayers approximately 85 bil ion
dollars annual y1and congressional oversight helps to ensure that U.S. intel igence activities are
effective, responsive to identifiable national security objectives, independent of politics, and
operate within the law.
Historical y, officials have either served in an acting capacity near the end of a presidential term
after Senate confirmed officials resign, or upon an unforeseen resignation of a Senate-confirmed
official. The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-277, the Vacancies Act) general y
governs acting service in Senate-confirmed positions. Although most officials serving in an acting
capacity do so for a relatively short time, some have done so for longer. The Vacancies Act
usual y al ows acting officials to serve for an initial period of 210 days, and potential y much
longer if the President submits a nomination to the Senate. Specifical y, the Vacancies Act
authorizes acting service during the time a nomination is pending in the Senate. If the Senate
rejects the nomination, or if it is withdrawn or returned, a second period of 210 days for acting
service can ensue. If the President submits a second nomination for the office, then acting
officials may continue to serve during the pendency of that nomination. If the second nomination
is rejected, withdrawn, or returned, that triggers a final period authorizing acting service for 210
days.2
The tables below show that the Trump Administration relied on senior officials serving in an
acting capacity in IC PAS positions more often than the Obama and George W. Bush
Administrations. Some have suggested the Trump Administration’s more frequent dependence
upon political y loyal officials serving in an acting capacity impeded congressional oversight by
circumventing Senate confirmation, and made the IC less transparent about the nature of threats
to national security. Those with this point of view assert that the appointment of acting officials
was part of a broader effort by the Trump Administration to subvert the independent analysis of
the IC. Others have defended Trump Administration intel igence appointments as appropriate for
introducing different perspectives to an entrenched, insular bureaucracy, and making intel igence
more responsive to the priorities of the President.
1 For fiscal year 2021 $85B were requested for the two programs comprising the IC budget, $61.9B for the National
Intelligence Program (NIP), and $23.1B for the Military Intelligence Program (MIP). See: T he U.S. Intelligence
Community Budget, at https://www.dni.gov/index.php/what -we-do/ic-budget.
2 For more on the Vacancies Act, see CRS Report R44997,
The Vacancies Act: A Legal Overview, by Valerie C.
Brannon.
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Methodology
CRS has derived the information in the tables from the public domain. In a number of instances,
the end dates of service could not be determined. The notes below each table provide context to
the service of each listed official.
The table does not include information on the Director of the Defense Intel igence Agency (DIA)
or the heads of the Service intel igence elements within the Department of Defense (DOD). The
Director of DIA is a position held by a three-star military officer and rotates between Army, Navy,
Air Force, and Marines approximately every three years. While the position of DIA Director is
not Senate confirmed, as a general officer serving as DIA Director, this individual is appointed by
the President and confirmed by the Senate in accordance with 10 U.S.C.§601. Similarly, the
heads of the DOD Service intel igence elements are not Senate confirmed per their intel igence
position but as general or flag officers in accordance with 10 U.S.C.§601.
Table 1. George W. Bush Administration-era Nominees for IC PAS Positions
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Director, Central Intel igence
a
George J. Tene
tb
Continued (07/1997 – 07/2004)
John E. McLaughlin
Acting (07/2004 – 09/2004)
Porter J. Goss
Confirmed (9/2004 – 04/2005)
Deputy Director of Central
John E. McLaughli
nb
Confirmed (10/2000 – 11/2004)
Intel igence
Deputy Director of Central
Larry C. Kindsvater
Confirmed (07/2004 –
Intel igence for Community
undetermined)
Management
d
Director, CIA
Porter J. Goss
Position established (04/2005 –
05/2006)
Gen Michael V. Hayden
Confirmed (05/2006 – 02/2009)
General Counsel, CIA
John A. Rizz
oe
Acting (11/2001 – 10/2002)
Scott W. Mul er
Confirmed (10/2002 – 07/2004)
John A. Rizzo
Acting (08/2004 – 06/2009)
Inspector General, CIA
Rebecca Donegan
Acting (01/2001 – undetermined)
George Clark
Acting Deputy IG (01/2002 –
undetermined)
John L. Helgerson
Confirmed (04/2002 – 03/2009)
Under Secretary of Defense for
Stephen Cambone
Confirmed (03/2003 – 12/2006)
Intel igence, DOD
f
James R. Clapper
Confirmed (04/2007 – 08/2010)
Under Secretary for Information
Frank Libutt
i g
Confirmed (06/2003 – 01/2005)
Analysis and Infrastructure
Protection, DHS
Director of National Intel igence
John Negroponte
Confirmed (04/2005 – 02/2007)
J. Michael McConnel
Confirmed (02/2007 – 01/2009)
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Principal Deputy Director of
Lt Gen Michael V. Hayden
Confirmed (04/2005 – 05/2006)
National Intel igence
h
Ronald L. Burgess Jr.
Acting (05/2006 – 10/2007)
Donald Kerr
Confirmed (10/2007 – 01/2009)
Chief Information Officer, Office of
Dale W. Meyerrose
i
Confirmed (12/2005 – 09/2008)
the Director of National
Intel igence
General Counsel for the
Benjamin A. Powel
Confirmed (04/2006 – 02/2009)
Intel igence Community
j
Director, National
John S. Redd
Confirmed (07/2005 – 11/2007)
Counterterrorism Center
k
Michael E. Leiter
Acting (11/2007 – 06/2008)
Michael E. Leiter
Confirmed (06/2008 – 07/2011)
Director, National Geospatial-
VADM Robert B. Murret
t l
Confirmed (sworn in 07/2006 –
Intel igence Agency
08/2010)
Assistant Attorney General for
Kenneth L. Wainstein
Confirmed (09/2006 – 03/2008)
National Security, Justice
Department.
m
J. Patrick Rowan
Confirmed (09/2008 – 01/2009)
Assistant Secretary of State for
Carl W. Ford Jr.
Confirmed (entry on duty 06/2001
Intel igence and Research, State
– 10/2003)
Department.
Thomas Fingar
Acting (2003 – 2004)
Thomas Fingar
Confirmed (07/2004 – 06/2005)
Carol A. Rodley
Acting (06/2005 – 12/2005)
Randal M. Fort
Confirmed (entry on duty 11/2006
– 01/2009)
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Janice B. Gardner
Confirmed (sworn in 09/2005 –
for Intel igence and Analysis,
undetermined)
Treasury Department.
n
Source: Created by CRS, using data from Congress.gov nomination records, government websites, and news
sources.
Notes: Cont. is continued service from prior administration. For al confirmed positions, beginning date of
service is the date confirmed, unless stated otherwise. For those serving in an acting capacity, beginning dates of
service are the dates sworn into office. CIA is Central Intel igence Agency; DOD is Department of Defense;
DHS is Department of Homeland Security; and NSA is National Security Agency. GEN is an Army General. Gen
is an Air Force General and Lt Gen is an Air Force Lieutenant General, VADM is a Vice Admiral.
a. Enacted in the wake of the 9/11 Commission Report, the Intel igence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act
(IRTPA) of 2004 (P.L. 108-458) established in 2005 the position of Director of National Intel igence (DNI)
and abolished the position of Director of Central Intel igence (DCI). The Director of the Central
Intel igence Agency (D/CIA) had served concurrently as DCI. From September 2004 until April 2005, Porter
J. Goss served as the last D/CIA to be dual hatted as DCI. In April 2005, he retained his position as D/CIA,
becoming the first Director of the agency who did not also represent the entire Intel igence Community.
Goss received Senate confirmation for the position of DCI and did not have to be confirmed again when he
relinquished DCI duties. John Negroponte became the first DNI.
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
b. George Tenet resigned as D/CIA voluntarily, though at a time of intense scrutiny of the agency and the
Intel igence Community general y, in the aftermath of the attacks of 9/11, faulty intel igence on weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq, and CIA’s use of “enhanced interrogation methods” on detainees during the War
on Terror. John McLaughlin served as acting D/CIA for several months under the Federal Vacancies Reform
Act until Porter Goss was sworn in as D/CIA on September 24, 2005.
c. Ending date is the date that John McLaughlin announced his resignation. It may not be his last day in office.
d. The Deputy Director of Central Intel igence for Community Management was the senior official in the
Office of Central Intel igence after the Deputy Director of Central Intel igence.
e. In March 2006, President Bush nominated John A. Rizzo to be General Counsel of the Central Intel igence
Agency. The nomination was withdrawn in September 2007.
f.
The position of Under Secretary of Defense for Intel igence (USD(I)) was created by the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003.
g. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Information Analysis was original y established by
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 as the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure
Protection. Frank Libutti became the first and only Senate-confirmed Under Secretary for Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland Security. He announced his resignation in
December 2004, to be effective in January/February 2005.
h. After passage of the IRTPA of 2004, President Bush nominated John D. Negroponte as the first DNI and
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden as the first Principal Deputy DNI, promoting him to General. On
April 21, 2005, Negroponte and Hayden were sworn in and the Office of the DNI began operations the
next day.
i.
The Intel igence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 established the position of the Director of
National Intel igence and the supporting Office of the DNI. Fol owing that, the Intel igence Community
Chief Information Officer position was established through the Intel igence Authorization Act of 2005. Dr.
Dale W. Meyerrose was the first presidential y appointed, Senate-confirmed Chief Information Officer for
ODNI.
j.
Enacted in the wake of the 9/11 Commission Report, the IRTPA of 2004 (P.L. 108-458) established the
Office of the Director of National Intel igence (ODNI), which also includes the Office of the General
Counsel. Benjamin A. Powel was confirmed by the Senate as the first General Counsel of ODNI.
k. The IRTPA of 2004 renamed the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) as the National
Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) under the DNI. In 2005, John S. Redd became the first Senate-confirmed
NCTC director.
l.
An individual nominated for director of the National Geospatial-Intel igence Agency (NGA), is presidential y
appointed if a civilian; is presidential y appointed, Senate confirmed if active duty military by virtue of his or
her military rank. Prior to VADM Murrett, Retired Lt.Gen. James R. Clapper served as Director of the
NGA from 2001–2006 as a civilian.
m. The National Security Division (NSD) was created in March 2006 by the USA PATRIOT Reauthorization
and Improvement Act (P.L. 109-177). The NSD commenced operations upon the swearing in of the first
Assistant Attorney General for National Security.
n. The Intel igence Authorization Act (IAA) of 2004 established the Department of the Treasury’s Office of
Intel igence and Analysis (OIA). Janice B. Gardner was Senate-confirmed as the first Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury for Intel igence and Analysis in 2005.
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Table 2. Obama Administration-era Nominees for IC PAS Positions
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Director, CIA
Leon E. Panetta
Confirmed (02/2009 – 06/2011)
Michael Morel
Acting (07/2011 – 09/2011)
David Petraeu
sa
Confirmed (sworn in 09/2011 –
11/2012)
Michael Morel
Acting (11/2012 – 03/2013)
John O. Brennan
Confirmed (03/2013 – 01/2017)
General Counsel, CIA
John A. Rizzo
Cont. Acting (2004 – 06/2009)
Stephen W. Preston
Confirmed (sworn in 07/2009 –
10/2013)
Robert J. Eatinger
Acting (10/2013 – 03/2014)
Caroline Diane Krass
Confirmed (03/2014 – 05/2017)
Inspector General, CIA
John L. Helgerson
Cont. (04/26/2002 – 03/2009)
Patricia Lewis
Acting (04/2009 – 10/2010)
David B. Buckley
Confirmed (sworn in 10/2010 –
01/2015)
Christopher R. Sharpley
Acting (02/2015 – 08/2018)
Under Secretary of Defense for
James R. Clapper
Cont. (04/2007 – 08/2010)
Intel igence, DOD
Michael G. Vickers
Acting (01/2011– 03/2011)
Michael G. Vickers
Confirmed (03/2011 – 04/2015)
Marcel Lettre
Acting (05/2015 – 12/2015)
Marcel Lettre
Confirmed (12/2015 – 01/2017)
Under Secretary for Intel igence &
Bart R. Johnson
Acting (05/2009 – 02/2010)
Analysis, DHS
b
Caryn A. Wagner
Confirmed (02/2010 – 12/2012)
Wil iam E. Tarry Jr.
Acting (2013 – 2013)
John D. Cohen
Acting (2013 – 2014)
Francis X. Taylor
Confirmed (04/2014 – 01/2017)
Director of National Intel igence
Dennis C. Blair
c
Confirmed (01/2009 – 05/2010)
David C. Gompert
Acting (05/2010 – 08/2010)
James R. Clapper
Confirmed (08/2010 – 1/2017)
Principal Deputy Director of
Ronald L. Burgess Jr.
Acting (01/2009 – 02/2009)
National Intel igence
LTG John F. Kimmons
Acting (02/2009 – undetermined)
David C. Gompert
Confirmed (11/2009 – 08/2010)
Stephanie O'Sul ivan
Confirmed (02/2011 – 01/2017)
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Chief Information Officer, Office of
Dale W. Meyerrose
Cont. (12/2005 – 09/2008)
the Director of National
Intel igence
Priscil a E. Guthrie
d
Confirmed (05/2009 – 11/2010)
Inspector General, Intel igence
I. Charles McCul ough III
Confirmed (11/2011 – 03/2017)
Community
e
General Counsel for the
Benjamin A. Powel
Cont. (04/2006 – 02/2009)
Intel igence Community
Corin R. Stone
Acting (02/2009 – undetermined)
Robert S. Litt
Confirmed (06/2009 – 01/2017)
Director, National
Matthew G. Olsen
f
Confirmed (08/2011 – 07/2014)
Counterterrorism Center
Nicholas J. Rasmussen
Confirmed (12/2014 – 12/2017)
Inspector General, NR
Og
Susan S. Gibson
Confirmed (09/2016 – present)
Director, National Geospatial-
VADM Robert B. Murrett
Cont. (sworn in 07/07/2006 –
Intel igence Agency
h
07/2010)
Assistant Attorney General for
Matthew G. Olsen
Acting (01/2009 – 03/2009)
National Security, Justice
Department
David S. Kris
Confirmed (03/2009 – 03/2011)
Lisa O. Monaco
Confirmed (06/2011 – 03/2013)
John P. Carlin
Confirmed (04/2014 – 10/2016)
Mary B. McCord
Acting (2016 – 2017)
Assistant Secretary of State
John Dinger
Acting (2009 – 02/2010)
(Intel igence and Research), State
Department
Philip S. Goldberg
Confirmed (02/2010 – 11/2013)
Daniel B. Smith
Confirmed (02/2014 – 10/2018)
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
S. Leslie Ireland
Confirmed (06/2010 – 11/2016 )
for Intel igence and Analysis,
Treasury Department
Source: Created by CRS, using data from Congress.gov nomination records, government websites, and news
sources.
Notes: Cont. is continued service from the prior administration. For al confirmed positions, beginning date of
service is the date confirmed, unless stated otherwise. For those serving in an acting capacity the beginning dates
of service is the date of being sworn into office. CIA is the Central Intel igence Agency; DIA is Defense
Intel igence Agency; DOD is Department of Defense; DHS is Department of Homeland Security; and NSA is
National Security Agency. GEN is an Army General; LTG is an Army Lieutenant General; VADM is Vice Admiral,
and ADM is Admiral.
a. David Petraeus resigned as Director, CIA, in the aftermath of media revelations of an extra-marital affair.
b. Charles E. Al en served as Under Secretary for Intel igence and Analysis from late 2007 to January 20, 2009,
during the time when the DHS’ Office of Intel igence and Analysis was renamed. However, the position at
the time was not a Senate-confirmed position. President Obama nominated Philip Mudd for Under
Secretary for Intel igence and Analysis, Department of Homeland Security on May 4, 2009 . The White
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
House withdrew the nomination on July 6, 2009. Caryn Wagner was then nominated on October 26, 2009,
and confirmed by the Senate on February 11, 2010.
c. Dennis Blair resigned as DNI at the request of President Obama. Media reporting cites a number of factors
including issues related to the sharing of intel igence and DNI authority over the Chiefs of Station that may
have led to the President’s loss of confidence in Blair. President Obama nominated General James Clapper
as DNI on June 5, 2010. For more information, see https://www.washingtonian.com/2010/05/21/scrap-the-
intel igence-chief/.
d. Priscil a E. Guthrie is the last person who was Senate-confirmed for the position of Chief Information
Officer, ODNI. Section 404 of the FY2010 Intel igence Authorization Act (P.L. 111-259) eliminated the
requirement that the IC CIO be confirmed by the Senate while retaining the requirement that the IC CIO
be appointed by the President. The FY2020 NDAA (P.L. 116-92) required the IC CIO to be appointed by
the Director of ODNI (i.e., no longer by the President).
e. The Intel igence Authorization Act (IAA) for fiscal year 2010 created the Office of the Inspector General of
the Intel igence Community (ICIG) within the ODNI in October 2010. Irvin Charles McCul ough III was the
first Senate-confirmed ICIG.
f.
Ending date is the date that Matthew G. Olsen submitted his resignation. It may not indicate his last day of
service.
g. The positions of Director and Inspector General of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the positions
of Director and Inspector General of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) became appointments
requiring Senate confirmation under the IAA for FY2014 (P.L. 113-126). As incumbents, ADM Michael S.
Rogers (Director, NSA from 2014–2018) and Betty Sapp (Director, NRO from 2012–2019) continued to
serve without Senate confirmation. The Senate confirmation process occurred when their successors were
nominated.
h. For the director of the National Geospatial-Intel igence Agency (NGA): If the individual is a civilian, he or
she is presidential y appointed; if active duty military, the individual is presidential y appointed, Senate
confirmed by virtue of his or her military rank. Fol owing VADM Murrett, Letitia Long served as Director
from 2010–2014 and Robert Cardil o as Director from 2014–2019, both served as civilians, presidential y
appointed.
Table 3. Trump Administration Nominees for IC PAS Positions
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Director, CIA
Mike Pompeo
Confirmed (01/2017 – 04/2018)
Gina Haspel
Acting (04/2018 – 05/2018)
Confirmed (05/2018 – 1/2021)
General Counsel, CIA
Caroline Diane Krass
Cont. (03/2014 – 05/2017)
Courtney S. Elwood
Confirmed (06/2017 – 01/2021)
Inspector General, CIA
Christopher R. Sharpley
Cont. Acting (02/2015 – 08/2018)
Christine Ruppert
Acting (08/2018 –present )
Under Secretary of Defense for
Todd Lowery
Acting (01/2017 – 06/2017)
Intel igence, DO
Da
Kari A. Bingen
Acting (06/2017 – 11/2017)
Joseph D. Kernan
b
Confirmed (11/2017 – 11/2020)
Ezra Cohen-Watnick
Acting (11/2020 – 1/2021)
Under Secretary for Intel igence &
David J. Glawe
Acting (01/2017 – 03/2017)
Analysis, DHS
Patricia F.S. Cogswel
Acting (03/2017 – 08/2017)
David J. Glawe
Confirmed (08/2017 – 05/2020)
Brian Murph
y c
Acting (05/2020 – 8/2020)
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Joseph B. Mahe
r d
Acting (08/2020 – 01/2021)
Director of National Intel igence
Mike Dempsey
Acting (01/2017 – 03/2017)
Daniel Coat
s e
Confirmed (03/2017 – 08/2019)
Joseph Maguir
e f
Acting (08/2019 – 02/2020)
Richard Grenel
Acting (02/2020 – 05/2020)
John L. Ratcliffe
Confirmed (05/2020 – 01/2021)
Principal Deputy Director of
Susan M. Gordon
g
Confirmed (08/2017 – 08/2019)
National Intel igence
Andrew P. Hal man
h
Acting (10/2019 – 02/2020)
Neil Wiley
h
Acting (05/2020 – 02/2021)
Inspector General, Intel igence
I. Charles McCul ough III
Cont. (11/2011 – 03/2017)
Community
Wayne Stone
Acting (03/2017 – 05/2018)
Michael K. Atkinson
Confirmed (05/2018 – 05/2020, on
leave: 04/2020 – 05/2020)
Thomas Monhei
m j
Acting (04/2020 – present)
General Counsel for the
Bradley Brooker
Acting (01/2017 – 08/2018)
Intel igence Community
Jason Klitenic
Confirmed (08/01/2018 – 03/2020)
Bradley Brooker
Acting (03/03/2020 – present)
Director, National
Nicholas J. Rasmussen
Cont. (12/16/2014 – 12/2017)
Counterterrorism Center
Russel Travers
Acting (12/2017 – 12/2018)
Joseph Maguire
Confirmed (12/2018 – 08/2019)
Russel Travers
k
Acting (08/2019 – 03/2020)
Lora Shiao
Acting (04/2020 – 08/2020)
Christopher C. Mil er
l
Confirmed (08/2020 – 11/2020)
Steve Vanech
Acting (11/2020 – present)
Director, National
Wil iam R. Evanin
a m
Confirmed (05/2020 – 01/2021)
Counterintel igence and Security
Center
Director, NSA
LTG Paul M. Nakason
e n
Confirmed (sworn in 05/2018 –
present)
Inspector General, NSA
Robert P. Storch
o
Confirmed (sworn in 01/2018 –
present)
Director, NRO
Christopher Scolese
n
Confirmed (sworn in 08/2019 –
present)
Inspector General, NRO
Susan S. Gibson
n
Cont. (09/2016 – present)
Director, National Geospatial-
VADM Robert D. Sharp
p
Confirmed (sworn in 02/2019 –
Intel igence Agency
present)
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Confirmed or Acting
Position Title
Name
(Time in Service)
Assistant Attorney General for
Mary B. McCord
Acting (2016 – 2017)
National Security, Justice
Department
John C. Demers
Confirmed (02/2018 – present)
Assistant Secretary of State for
Daniel B. Smith
Cont. (02/2014 – 10/2018)
Intel igence and Research, State
Department
El en E. McCarthy
Confirmed (01/2019 – 01/2021)
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Isabel Marie Keenan Patelunas
Confirmed (sworn in 09/2018 –
for Intel igence and Analysis,
01/2021)
Treasury Department
Source: Created by CRS, using data from Congress.gov nomination records, government websites, and news
sources.
Notes: For al confirmed positions, beginning date of service is the date confirmed, unless stated otherwise.
Cont. means person continued in the role from the prior administration. CIA is Central Intel igence Agency; DIA
is Defense Intel igence Agency; DOD is Department of Defense; DHS is Department of Homeland Security; and
NSA is National Security Agency. GEN is an Army General, VADM is Vice Admiral, and ADM is Admiral.
a. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020 (P.L. 116-92) redesignated the position as Under
Secretary of Defense for Intel igence and Security (USD(I&S)), codified under 10 U.S.C. 137 note.
b. Ending date is the date that Joseph Kernan submitted his resignation and may not be his last day in office.
Joseph Kernan submitted his resignation letter on November 10, 2020.
c. Brian Murphy was reassigned after it was reported that the DHS Office of Intel igence and Analysis had
col ected information involving members of the press. For more information, see
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/us/politics/brian-murphy-homeland-security-protesters.html.
d. During this period, Joseph Maher’s position was cal ed the Principal Deputy General Counsel and Senior
Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for the Office of Intel igence and Analysis.
e. Dan Coats’ resignation reportedly was precipitated by President Trump’s widely publicized disagreements
over Intel igence Community assessments, particularly those related to Russia’s interference in the 2016
presidential election, North Korea’s resolve to continue its nuclear program, and Iran’s compliance (at the
time) with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). For more information, see
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-dan-coates-resignation-20190728-
uph43bb2cvaxrkapqosbpnjdym-story.html.
f.
Joseph Maguire served as acting DNI during the time beginning when President Trump first nominated
Representative John Ratcliffe for the position on July 28, 2019 through his withdrawal of Ratcliffe’s
nomination on August 4, 2019. Joseph Maguire was serving under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998
(the Vacancies Act), which authorizes acting service for up to 210 days after the occurrence of the vacancy,
and longer if the President submits a nomination. President Trump reportedly removed Maguire after
learning that the acting DNI’s Election Threats Executive had briefed, without President Trump’s
knowledge, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intel igence on IC assessments of Russia’s
objectives in interfering in the 2020 presidential election. After Maguire’s resignation on February 19, 2020,
after serving for 188 days, President Trump named Richard Grenel as acting DNI on February 20, 2020.
Grenel was apparently serving under the Vacancies Act, which authorized acting service for the rest of the
210 day period, as wel as the period from the time President Trump renominated John Ratcliffe for the
position of DNI on February 28, 2020 until Ratcliffe’s May 21, 2020 Senate confirmation and swearing in on
May 26, 2020, a total of 105 days. The total number of days of service for the two acting DNIs was 293
days. For more information on Maguire’s resignation, see https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/21/politics/joseph-
maguire-director-of-national-intel igence/index.html. For more on the Vacancies Act, see CRS Report
R44997,
The Vacancies Act: A Legal Overview, by Valerie C. Brannon.
g. Susan Gordon tendered her resignation as PDDNI after President Trump decided against naming her as
acting DNI upon the resignation of Daniel Coats as DNI. Instead, President Trump chose NCTC director
Joseph Maguire as acting DNI, and appointed a Principal Executive to carry out the duties and
responsibilities of the PDDNI upon Gordon’s departure.
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h. Andrew P. Hal man and Neil Wiley were named Principal Executive at the Office of the Director of
National Intel igence (ODNI), assuming the duties and responsibilities of the Principal Deputy Director of
National Intel igence (PDDNI). CRS found no statutory provision for the position of Principal Executive at
the Office of the Director of National Intel igence, nor could CRS find a statutory provision requiring
Senate confirmation for the position.
i.
President Trump removed Atkinson on April 3, 2020 over his disagreement with how Atkinson handled the
whistleblower complaint that led to the first impeachment of President Trump. For more information, see
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52164706.
j.
President Trump had nominated Al en Souza as Inspector General of the Intel igence Community on
September 23, 2020. The nomination was returned on January 3, 2021 with th e start of the 117th Congress.
k. Russel Travers was reportedly removed by acting Director of National Intel igence Richard Grenel .
Reports indicate that he may have been offered a reassignment to another agency, but he chose to retire.
For more information, see https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/09/travers-terrorism-warning-355734.
l.
Mil er departed NCTC in November 2020 to serve as acting Secretary of Defense after President Trump
removed Mark Esper as Secretary of Defense, reportedly over his public opposition to invoking the
Insurrection Act of 1807 in response to the summer 2020 protests over the death of George Floyd. For
more information, see https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-defense-secretary-mark-esper-
20201109-op4ri6c5qvbvdfasyyia7bs57q-story.html.
m. Wil iam R. Evanina had served as the Director of NCSC within the ODNI since June 2, 2014. He became
the first Senate-confirmed NCSC director in 2020, after Congress had made the position subject to Senate
confirmation as of 2015. In February 2018, President Trump formal y nominated Evanina to the directorship
of the NCSC and on May 6, 2020, the Senate confirmed his nomination.
n. The positions of Director and Inspector General of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the positions
of Director and Inspector General of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) became appointments
requiring the advice and consent of the Senate under the FY2014 National Intel igence Authorization Act
(P.L. 113-126). As incumbents, ADM Michael S. Rogers (Director, NSA from 2014 – 2018) and Betty Sapp
(Director, NRO from 2012 – 2019) continued to serve and the Senate confirmation process occurred only
when a new civilian nominee was named as Director of NRO.
o. Robert Storch serves as the first presidential y appointed, Senate-confirmed Inspector General at the
National Security Agency. President Obama nominated him in November 2016 and in January 2017 to
become Inspector General of NSA. President Trump re-nominated him for the position on June 19, 2017.
The Senate confirmed Storch as IG on December 21, 2017.
p. For the director of the National Geospatial-Intel igence Agency (NGA): If the individual is a civilian, he or
she is presidential y appointed; if active duty military, the individual is presidential y appointed, Senate
confirmed by virtue of his or her military rank. Letitia Long served as Director from 2010-2014 and Robert
Cardil o as Director from 2014-2019, both served as presidential y appointed civilians.
Author Information
Michael E. DeVine
Sofia Plagakis
Analyst in Intelligence and National Security
Research Librarian
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Intelligence Community Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Officials (PAS)
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
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