Vindman accuses Trump administration of 'burrowing' into intelligence community
The Washington Post reported earlier this week that the Pentagon general counsel has selected Michael Ellis, a White House official and former chief counsel to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), to serve as the top lawyer at the National Security Agency, and Susan Hennessey writes at Lawfare that "there is a lot that stinks" about the choice.
In a breakdown of the complex situation, Hennessey explains that the NSA general counsel is a career position that doesn't require Senate confirmation, although the selection process is supposed to remain free from political interference and is supposedly based purely on the candidate's qualifications. But, in this case, there is speculation that the White House pushed for Ellis' appointment, especially because Ellis' resume appears lacking compared to other top candidates for the job including the agency's acting General Counsel Teisha Anthony, Hennessey argues.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified during Trump's impeachment trial that Ellis was the individual who first proposed moving a memo of the president's phone call with Ukrainian President Alexander Vindman to a highly classified server, agrees with his new colleague, Hennessey. Read more at Lawfare. Tim O'Donnell
-
Are AI bots conspiring against us?Talking Point Moltbook, the AI social network where humans are banned, may be the tip of the iceberg
-
5 calamitous cartoons about the Washington Post layoffsCartoons Artists take on a new chapter in journalism, democracy in darkness, and more
-
Political cartoons for February 14Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include a Valentine's grift, Hillary on the hook, and more
-
Key Bangladesh election returns old guard to powerSpeed Read The Bangladesh Nationalist Party claimed a decisive victory
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
