DNI's expected counterterrorism chief choice eases fears over politicization of intelligence community

(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

published 21 March 2020

Career U.S. intelligence officer Lora Shiao won't lead the United States' National Counterterrorism Center permanently, but the announcement that she's filling the role of acting director sure sounds like it's welcome news for those in the intelligence community, Bloomberg reports.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell is expected to make the announcement Monday, with Shiao starting the job on April 3. She'll remain in the position until President Trump's nominee for the full-time position, Christopher Miller, is confirmed. It's unclear how long that will take given the prioritization of the coronavirus pandemic at the moment, but the mere fact that Shiao was chosen should allow the intelligence community to exhale, at least for a bit.

There were fears when Trump appointed Grenell acting DNI — considering he lacked experience in the area and was widely viewed as a staunch Trump loyalist — that intelligence agencies were on a path of politicization, especially amid rumors Grenell had forced out Shiao's predecessor, veteran counterterrorism officer Russell Travers. A person familiar with the situation said that wasn't the case, and Shiao's expected appointment bolsters the hope that no purge is coming.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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