The former Reagan-era FBI director and later CIA director is asking the Senate to reject two of President-elect Trump’s picks for top law enforcement and intelligence posts.
In a letter to senators reported Thursday by Politico, former FBI Director and CIA Director William H. I wrote that I don’t have the qualifications to become one.
Mr. Webster is 100 years old and is the only person to have led both the FBI and the CIA. He warned senators that Patel’s personal loyalty to Trump could conflict with the FBI’s duty to uphold the rule of law.
“His record of carrying out the president’s directives suggests that…” [sic] “Personal loyalty over the rule of law is a dangerous precedent for an institution whose mission is the impartial administration of justice,” he wrote, according to Politico.
Trump FBI Director Kash Patel ‘contributed’ to uncovering Russian collusion hoax, former chairman says
William H. Webster, former director of the FBI and CIA, is the only person to have held both positions. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group, via Getty Images)
As for Gabbard, Webster criticized her “conspicuous lack” of intelligence experience and said the DNI post needs an experienced leader.
“Effectively managing our nation’s intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise in navigating the complexities of global threats and maintaining the trust of our allies,” he wrote. “Without that trust, our ability to protect sensitive secrets and cooperate internationally is greatly diminished.”
‘Warriors who can’t buy votes’: Hundreds of veterans pour in to support DNI’s Tulsi Gabbard
Judge William Webster (former FBI and CIA director) looks on before the Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals game at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, on August 7, 2018. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) )
Trump’s transition team defended the president-elect’s choice of Patel to head the FBI.
“Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution and has served in important national security roles under Presidents Obama and Trump,” said Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for the Trump transition team.
Alexa Henning, another transition official, said Webster had supported President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris against President Trump.
“Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active-duty Army member and has served in the military and Congress for over 20 years. As someone who has consumed the highest levels of intelligence, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies. “To ensure close coordination to protect the safety of the American people,” Henning said.
Ms. Patel and Ms. Gabbard have proven to be two of the more controversial candidates for key positions in President Trump’s incoming administration.
Wasserman Schultz sparks backlash by claiming Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset
President-elect Trump nominated Kash Patel to head the FBI. (Getty Images)
Patel was the lead investigator in the Congressional investigation into alleged collusion between President Trump and Russia, which revealed government surveillance abuses, determined that there was no collusion and that the FBI’s original premise of the investigation was false. This led to the appointment of a special prosecutor. He has been an outspoken critic of the FBI and Justice Department as partisan, raising concerns among law enforcement leaders.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military officer from Hawaii, also met in 2017 with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who was accused of using chemical weapons against his own people during the civil war and later ousted. , are also under intense surveillance. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Gabbard refused to call her a war criminal and said she was skeptical that her government had carried out a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of Syrians earlier that year. Ta. However, she later called Assad a brutal dictator.
Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, arrived at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on December 16th to meet with several Republican senators. (Jack Gruber/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Webster was appointed FBI director by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 and remained the top director during President Ronald Reagan’s two terms. In 1988, Webster became director of the CIA under President George H.W. Bush, a position he held until 1991.
“I urge you to consider the critical importance of bipartisan leadership and experience,” Webster wrote. “The safety of the American people and your own families depends on it.”
FOX News’ Brooke Singman and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send your tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow us on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
Source link
