Pulte Ousts Over 50 DNI Staff as Democrats Warn 9/11 Office Faces Deeper Cuts
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23
Pulte Ousts Over 50 DNI Staff as Democrats Warn 9/11 Office Faces Deeper Cuts
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23
Summary
More than 50 ODNI career and political staff were removed under acting director Bill Pulte, including six firings and 45 returns to home agencies, according to CBS.
CNN and ABC said the purge hit political appointees tied to former director Tulsi Gabbard and could fall especially hard on the National Counterterrorism Center.
The shake-up came less than a week after Trump installed Pulte, who had already weighed cutting hundreds of staff as part of a White House downsizing push.
James Himes and Mark Warner warned large cuts could weaken the post-9/11 office's mission, while Republican Thom Tillis called for a job review before any broader eliminations.
ODNI has not commented; the office had already been cut by 40% under Gabbard last August, leaving fresh reductions under sharper scrutiny.