Bill Pulte Begins Cutting ODNI Jobs After Acting DNI Takeover
Bill Pulte has started making personnel cuts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to a CNN report that said the move began just days into his time as acting DNI.
A source told CNN on Monday, “The deep state firings have begun.”
How many people have been let go is still unclear. The report said officials have not given a number.
One account said Pulte showed up to work a day early last Thursday and asked for a list of all employees before deciding who would be fired. CNN also reported that Pulte met with lawyers later that evening.
Pulte officially started the acting DNI job last Friday.
The shakeup comes as President Trump has already signaled that he wants to trim the size of federal intelligence agencies. Trump has also nominated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to take over as Director of National Intelligence, but that confirmation has been delayed for now.
The delay gives Pulte more time in the acting role. And that means more room for changes inside the intel bureaucracy.
Earlier this month, three Republican senators joined Democrats in voting to block Pulte from serving as acting DNI. Senators Cassidy, Collins, and Murkowski backed a Democrat-sponsored amendment that would have stopped a Senate-confirmed department head from serving in the acting intelligence post.
Senator Mark Warner introduced the amendment. It failed in a 49-49 vote.
“The deep state firings have begun,” the source said, declining to give details on how many jobs had been cut.
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