The CIA sent an unclassified email containing a list of recently hired employees in order to comply with President Trump’s executive order to reduce the federal workforce. The list included the first names and initials of the last names of employees who are still on probation, raising concerns about the potential for America’s adversaries to exploit this information. Former intelligence officials and lawmakers worry that these employees could become targets for foreign intelligence services, particularly China, posing a significant national security risk.
Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes expressed concern over the security implications of the email, with Himes calling it an unnecessary counterintelligence risk that unnecessarily puts individuals at risk. The House Intelligence Committee plans to demand answers about the incident.
The email was sent as a response to a memo from the Office of Personnel Management requesting a list of recently hired employees on probation. The communications were sent via unclassified channels because the OPM does not have a classified network. The number of names on the list remains confidential, but the CIA has been actively recruiting individuals with Chinese language skills and has increased its focus on China-related intelligence gathering.
This incident coincides with a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce, including offering buyouts to employees to resign. The CIA and other intelligence agencies have extended similar offers to their employees, with the goal of reducing the overall workforce in response to the executive order.
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