The White House is highlighting support for Gina Haspel among former spy chiefs, particularly those opposed to President Trump, ahead of Haspel’s Senate confirmation hearing next week to be CIA director.
The strategy to woo Senate Democrats was rolled out in a Wednesday email blast, followed by a conference call. White House officials cited the backing of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former acting CIA Director Michael Morell.
“We’re not looking to only get the support of people who are complimenting the administration, we want to make sure we’re getting the support of a broader network of intelligence officials,” said Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs.
“She is someone who can uniquely unite the intelligence community behind her candidacy,” he said on the conference call.
Short read statements from the former intelligence agency leaders, noting that Clapper — a CNN pundit who Trump called a “lying machine” last week — “has certainly been a critic of this administration,” yet called Haspel “a great person.”
Haspel would be the CIA’s first female director, but her post-9/11 work at the agency is a key concern for Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
Haspel drafted instructions to delete videotapes of waterboarding sessions of al Qaeda suspects Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, preventing the more than 90 recordings from falling into the hands of congressional investigators.
Following her nomination, some records on her past have been declassified. She was exonerated of allegedly overseeing a CIA black site in Thailand during the waterboarding of Zubaydah, but reportedly was station chief during three al-Nashiri waterboarding sessions.
Haspel’s role in the destruction of tapes was clarified as taking place at the behest of her then-supervisor, CIA National Clandestine Service Director Jose Rodriguez. A recently released memo written by Morrell found “no fault with the performance of Ms. Haspel.”
Short denied selectively declassifying information on Haspel’s background, such as her role organizing a 1980s phone call between President Ronald Reagan and Mother Teresa.
Although many former officials who support Haspel face human rights allegations themselves, Short told a reporter, “When you quote the [American Civil Liberties Union] saying she was engaged in illegal activity, there is no evidence of that. And even the Democratic counsel on the [Senate Intelligence] Committee said she was acting under orders and followed those orders. I think her candidacy would not have the support of Brennan and Clapper and Morell if there was evidence otherwise.”
Republicans hold just 51 seats in the Senate. With Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., absent for brain cancer treatment and Paul intending to vote “no,” it’s likely at least some Democratic support is needed to reach the votes required for confirmation.
Short said he was hopeful that Paul would keep an open mind, given that Kentucky is Haspel’s home state.
“I think the reality is much of Gina’s confirmation will rely upon her hearing because so much of her background is not known to the American people. But I think she has been preparing aggressively for this, and I think she is ready for her opportunity next week to tell her story and the way she would lead the CIA,” Short said.
Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was sworn in Wednesday as secretary of state. He was confirmed in a 57-42 vote. Pompeo’s nomination appeared in jeopardy before he won the backing of many swing-state Democrats and Paul.
