Amid calls for impeachment, a spy chief is caught between the president and Congress by SeanDNaylor & JennaMC_Laugh
The man who stands at the center of a controversy over an intelligence community whistleblower’s complaint is hardly a deep-state bureaucrat or shadowy spy. Rather, Joseph Maguire, a retired Navy SEAL vice admiral and now the acting intelligence chief, is described by friends and colleagues as a politically astute extrovert with a renowned sense of humor.
The law requires the director of national intelligence to immediately share with Congress whistleblower complaints deemed an “urgent” concern. But acting on the advice of lawyers from his own office and from the Department of Justice, Maguire for days refused to do so on the grounds that the complaint was not directly related to intelligence matters. On Wednesday afternoon, the complaint was finally delivered to Congress, where House and Senate Intelligence Committee members are reviewing it.
“I feel so bad for Joe,” Coats told the Economic Club of Indiana on Tuesday, according to the Indianapolis Star. “He is caught in a squeeze here and the lawyers are divided.” “In light of recent reporting on the whistleblower complaint, I want to make clear that I have upheld my responsibility to follow the law every step of the way,” he said. “I am committed to protecting whistleblowers and ensuring every complaint is handled appropriately.”
Nonetheless, those who know Maguire from the military say they trust him to adhere to principle and the law. Officers for whom Maguire worked early in his career said there was little doubt that he was destined for a long career and high rank. “I remember writing his fitness report,” said retired Navy Capt. Rick Woolard, who commanded Maguire twice when Maguire was a junior officer. “I said, ‘This man is destined to be a flag officer … He’s just good at everything.’”
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