With hearings on Gina Haspel’s nomination to lead the CIA fast approaching, Senate Democrats are ramping up pressure on the spy agency, demanding the declassification of documents related to her controversial history and involvement in Bush-era interrogation tactics.
The CIA has offered to let senators see classified material about Haspel in a secure setting, saying the safety and security of officers requires keeping the documents sealed.
Haspel served undercover for the majority of her 33-year career at the CIA, and much of her record remains classified.
But the agency is “prepared to make classified background materials available in the Office of Senate Security for review by Senators considering her nomination,” said Jamie Cheshire, director of congressional affairs for the CIA.
“CIA welcomes this transparency, not only to provide greater fidelity on Deputy Director Haspel’s experience but also to correct inaccuracies in the public discourse,” Cheshire said in a letter to Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Three Democrats on the committee — Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and Ron Wyden of Oregon — called the CIA’s offer “wholly inadequate.”
The trio have repeatedly urged the agency to declassify more material on Haspel’s role in the cruel interrogation techniques tantamount to torture used during the Bush administration and her possible involvement in the destruction of tapes documenting the cruel treatment of detainees at “black site” prison in Thailand.
“Ms. Haspel is not an undercover operative, she’s the deputy CIA director seeking a Cabinet-level position. It’s unacceptable for the CIA to hide her behind a wall of secrecy, particularly when such secrecy is unnecessary to protect national security,” the senators said in a joint statement.
The Democrats have accused the CIA of selectively leaking positive reports on Haspel rather than a full picture of her background.
“We believe senators and the American public have the need to know whether or not the nominee before us was a senior manager for a program that has been shown to be deeply flawed, as well as a number of other disturbing facts about her record,” the lawmakers said.
Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who also sit on the committee, support the efforts by their colleagues and also want to see more declassified documents on Haspel, according to their offices.
Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the committee, is requesting a copy of a 2010 Justice Department report on an investigation into the destruction of videotapes showing two harsh CIA interrogations. In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Virginia Democrat requested the report be released to the committee, which is capable of handling the classified material.
“I believe the Durham Report would be helpful to understand Ms. Haspel’s role,” Warner wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Named after the special prosecutor assigned to the investigation, the report didn’t recommend charges for Haspel. But Haspel’s involvement in the incident has resurfaced as senators weigh her confirmation to lead the CIA.
Haspel’s nomination hearing before the committee is set for May 9. She currently serves as deputy director of the agency.
