“I am troubled by the New York Times story indicating that the CIA’s leadership may be interfering with the oversight work of its own inspector general. The story raises alarming new questions about this administration’s willingness to submit to critical oversight. During this administration, we’ve seen an illegal warrantless wiretapping program, demands for dangerous new surveillance powers, and a CIA detention and interrogation program that is legally dubious and morally indefensible. Independent oversight of the intelligence community has never been more important, and inspectors general must be able to conduct their important work without interference or politicization.”

Senator Feingold is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees.