Press Releases
Himes Questions Trump Appointee on Counterintelligence Threat
Washington,
June 11, 2026
Washington, DC— Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Jim Himes today wrote to Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the presidentially-appointed member and chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, with concerns regarding the counterintelligence threat posed by his attendance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum earlier this month. “Because this conference serves as a forum to promote Russia’s economic interests and geopolitical narratives, your participation raises significant geostrategic, political, and counterintelligence concerns—the last of which is very much in my committee’s jurisdiction,” Himes wrote. “As you should be aware, Russia is subject to extensive U.S. and international sanctions in response to President Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, Russia conducts aggressive intelligence collection and malign influence operations targeting the United States and our allies. Any U.S. official traveling to Russia would undoubtedly be the target of substantial Russian intelligence interest, both overt and covert.” The letter requested a reply, no later than June 19, 2026, with answers to a series of questions regarding the nature of Mr. Cook’s attendance and whether proper counterintelligence practices were followed. Read the full letter here. |