CIA officials are worried Mike Pompeo would warn Trump about 'dicey' developments in the Russia investigation
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Current and former CIA officials are concerned that if "something dicey" turns up in the ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, then CIA Director Mike Pompeo "would go to the White House with it," The Washington Post reports.
Pompeo has arranged for the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him, a decision that a former CIA official said was a "real concern for interference and politicization." "Pompeo has attributed his direct supervision of the counterintelligence center to a desire to place a greater emphasis on preventing leaks and protecting classified secrets," The Washington Post writes, adding that both are "core missions of the center that are also top priorities for Trump."
But some critics are nervous, especially since many believe Pompeo has downplayed the seriousness of the Russia investigation: "Of course" Russia meddled in the 2016 election, Pompeo told attendees of the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, before adding, "and the one before that, and the one before that."
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Read more about concerns within the department at The Washington Post.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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