Defying congressional oversight concerns, US President Donald Trump’s acting director of national intelligence on Friday unveiled organizational changes to his agency.
Richard Grenell, who is expected to be replaced in coming months by Trump's full-time nominee, said the changes were the result of a lengthy review and would make more efficient use of funds and enhance intelligence support for the Pentagon.
Grenell, a Trump loyalist who also serves as US ambassador to Germany, proceeded with the reorganization after rebuffing a request last month for details of changes he planned from the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam Schiff.
Schiff said it would be inappropriate for an acting overseer of the 17 US intelligence agencies to make leadership, staffing or bureaucratic changes.
A Senate Intelligence Committee official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Republican chairman, Richard Burr, and his Democratic vice chairman, Mark Warner, called on Grenell in a March 19 letter not to proceed with organizational changes without consulting Congress.
The letter came after the acting head of the National Counter-Terrorism Center – which reports to Grenell - and his acting deputy were reported by media to have been fired. In March, Trump removed Grenell’s acting predecessor.
Both intelligence committees asked that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) consult them “before making any significant organizational changes,” said a House Intelligence panel official on condition of anonymity.