Cmte Intelligence (D) RSS Articles

Ranking Members Himes, Raskin Urge Kash Patel to Abandon Russia Trip Hosted By Putin’s Security Service Amid Espionage Concerns

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. (October 9, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Jim Himes, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, are urging Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel to cancel his reported trip to Russia next month, raising urgent national security concerns about his plans to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg as the FBI expands cooperation with Russian and Chinese law enforcement agencies. Patel will reportedly be hosted by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, which has a documented history of conducting espionage operations against American officials and personnel.

“Winston Churchill described Russia as ‘a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.’ Now, we have a puzzle buried in a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside that enigma: Why is the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) visiting a hostile foreign power that has been committing war crimes, conducting influence operations against U.S. elections, conducting malicious cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure, and helping our adversaries target and kill American soldiers?” wrote the Ranking Members. “In the interest of national security, we ask you to reconsider. Call off this trip.”

The trip comes amid reports that Patel is personally leading an initiative to forge closer ties between the FBI and Russian and Chinese law enforcement agencies, including personnel exchanges and intelligence sharing. While the Administration strikes a big anti-China pose, Patel has reportedly already provided Chinese officials unprecedented access to American intelligence personnel, diplomatic personnel, government facilities and contractors, despite longstanding warnings that foreign intelligence services will exploit such access to conduct espionage.

The timing raises additional concerns. In the last two weeks, President Trump signed sweeping sanctions targeting Russia’s economy over its war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia continues to conduct espionage and cyberattacks against the United States and its allies, and has reportedly provided Iran with intelligence to help refine aerial attacks on American troops in the Middle East. DOJ also recently revealed a Russian intelligence-linked murder-for-hire plot targeting a prominent Russian dissident in Washington, D.C.

Patel’s hosts are no ordinary law enforcement partners. Russia’s FSB has a documented history of surveilling American officials, planting recording devices and conducting honey trap operations targeting U.S. personnel. Compounding these concerns, Patel received $25,000 for participating in a documentary produced by a filmmaker with Kremlin ties, in which he openly dismissed U.S. intelligence assessments of Russian election interference and claimed Moscow was not among America’s “true enemies.”

The Ranking Members are calling on Patel to cancel his trip and, if he insists on proceeding, are requesting a closed-door briefing on the FBI’s expanding cooperation with foreign adversaries and the security precautions surrounding his odd visit. The briefing must address the FBI’s efforts to increase cooperation with Russia, China and other designated foreign entities; any internal concerns or objections to those efforts; who proposed the trip and why; Patel’s complete itinerary, planned meetings and traveling companions; and precautions to protect against Russian espionage, including technological safeguards, and additional counterintelligence measures.

Click here to read the letter.

Himes, Warner Push for Transparency on Election Security

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote to Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton regarding the upcoming midterm election, urging transparency to Congress and the public around possible foreign threats to the midterms.

“Career intelligence community (IC) analysts recently briefed the House Committee about the latest assessments regarding foreign threats to the upcoming midterms,” the lawmakers wrote. “These briefings, as well as additional briefings given to staff of both committees, provided valuable insight into how our intelligence professionals are monitoring potential attempts by our adversaries to influence or interfere in U.S. elections, and how such foreign malign activity compares to prior cycles. Between now and Election Day, it is critical the IC continue to inform policymakers, state and local election administrators, and the American people about threats to our elections.”

They continued, “While we have received the first in a series of statutorily required reports about foreign adversaries targeting this election, there are still several outstanding statutorily required products owed to the Committees. It is essential that the IC complete production of its remaining assessments in a timely manner, so that policymakers remain up-to-date regarding any emerging intelligence or shifts in the analytic line before the midterm elections. This process should include the declassification and public issuance of the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) about foreign threats to the 2024 presidential election. The lack of a public ICA contravenes the law and undercuts needed transparency about IC efforts to keep our elections secure from outside interference.”

In addition to these statutory requirements, the lawmakers requested a full interagency classified update for members before the election, a commitment to provide real-time notification about emerging threats to elections, and the responsible release of unclassified election assessments to keep the public informed about possible threats and other relevant context.

“A statement noting the absence of indications of significant foreign interference efforts is just as important as a statement exposing any such activities. Regardless, the American people should receive as much information as we can responsibly provide prior to the election,” they concluded.

Read the full letter here.

HPSCI ‘Very Likely’ to Investigate Corrupt Dealings with Private Sector

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Jim Himes, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today wrote to the National Defense Industrial Association, which represents hundreds of companies with contracts with the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense, with reminder that its members are subject to congressional oversight. The letter follows news that several NDIA companies contributed funding to the White House ballroom project.

“I am concerned that the current Administration has departed from decades of precedent in favor of unethical or even nakedly corrupt dealings with the private sector,” wrote Himes. “At times, the Administration has appeared to inappropriately fuse the government contracting process with the attempted extraction of political or private favors.”

The letter continued, “For example, on July 31, 2025, President Trump announced plans to build a new ballroom on the White House grounds where the East Wing of the White House once stood. The White House said the project would be paid for with private contributions rather than congressionally appropriated funds. Some of the companies publicly identified as having contributed funding to this effort are members of the NDIA and, according to reporting, have significant contracts with the Intelligence Community.

“Going forward, the Committee may seek information in the form of documents, communications, transcribed testimony, and otherwise to understand how corporate contributions to this project were solicited and made, who was involved in those discussions, and whether contributions were related in any way to the goal of obtaining or maintaining government contracts, access to the President or Administration officials, or other benefits. The Committee may also consider whether contributions of this kind create actual or apparent conflicts of interest and national security risks, and whether additional disclosure requirements or other safeguards should be put in place via federal legislation. Finally, the Committee may seek documents and other information to understand other unusual dealings between the White House, senior Administration officials, and NDIA members.”

The full letter is available here.

Top Intel Democrat Probes Counterintelligence Threat from Trump Family Ties to Kremlin

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Jim Himes, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel regarding public reporting that a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin paid for significant portions of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration in May 2026.

“As you know, the FBI has primary responsibility for counterintelligence within the United States,” wrote Himes, “including identifying and mitigating efforts by foreign intelligence services and their proxies to gain access to Americans in positions of power. Although Mr. Trump Jr. is not a public official, as the son of the President and as someone with access to senior policymakers, he would be a natural target for foreign espionage and influence operations.”

The letter continued, “As noted by former FBI counterintelligence officials quoted in the ProPublica reporting, foreign intelligence operatives seek ties with U.S. officials and their relatives and may use financial inducements to gain access. In this case, it appears a Kremlin-connected individual provided substantial undisclosed financial benefits to a close family member and political adviser of the President. These facts warrant careful counterintelligence review to identify and mitigate risks to national security—whether or not a crime was committed. And, as you know, in the counterintelligence context the FBI regularly opens investigations on the basis of a threat to national security alone.”

The letter included a series of questions regarding the counterintelligence concerns with a deadline of September 30^th for response.

The full letter is available here.

Ranking Members Himes, Meeks, Smith, and Thompson Introduce War Powers Resolution to End Trump’s Illegal Boat Strikes

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC–Marking one year since the Trump administration’s first boat strike, U.S. Representatives Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee; and Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced a War Powers Resolution today to block the administration from continuing to use U.S. Armed Forces to conduct strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

“One year ago today, the Trump administration launched a campaign of extrajudicial killings, using the U.S. military and taxpayer dollars toexecuteat least 227 individuals without due process or a credible national-security justification.The administration calls this counternarcotics.However, it remains unclear whether these operations have made any real difference in stemmingthe flow ofillegaldrugs into the United States, and they werenever authorized by Congress. A year later, the administration has little to show for this lawless campaign except a mounting body count, a massive price tag, and a stain on the American conscience.

“The lack of transparency on behalf of this administration and DoD to not meaningfully inform Congress of the use of lethal military force is staggering. It is especially troubling given the strong bipartisan agreement that the flow of illegal narcotics into the U.S. poses a serious risk to the health and well-being of Americans that demands government action. But that action should be taken legally with law enforcement in the lead.

“Time and again, this administration has refused to use the military responsibly or consult with Congress, even though the American people have made clear they do not want their tax dollars being spent on more endless military campaigns. It’s time for this failed campaign to end. The War Powers Resolution we’ve introduced today would end the Trump administration’s unauthorized military campaign, check the president’s overreach, and reclaim Congress’s constitutional authority over the use of military force.”

Himes Statement on Senate Confirmation of Jay Clayton

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Jim Himes (CT-04) released the following statement:

“Bill Pulte’s tenure as an unqualified and illegally appointed Acting Director of National Intelligence has thankfully ended. His short time in the post coincided with publicly announced cuts to the ODNI workforce that have not been adequately briefed to the Intelligence Committees, as well as the farcical attempt by the President to call into question the results of the 2020 election. I have known Jay Clayton for many years, and in all of our interactions he struck me as a serious person with integrity. That said, I have been disappointed in Mr. Clayton's recent actions, including his role in a now quashed subpoena of New York Times reporters and his unwillingness to clearly state the results of the 2020 election at his confirmation hearing. I hope that Mr. Clayton understands that the highest demand of the ODNI is to provide apolitical intelligence to policymakers, and that politicization of that process will only endanger our national security. I am committed to providing rigorous oversight of the ODNI and the broader intelligence community to ensure they adhere to that mission and to the law.”

House Intelligence Committee Advances Election Security Amendments

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Following Donald Trump’s conspiracy-ridden diatribe about the 2020 election, the House Intelligence Committee advanced, on a bipartisan basis, three amendments offered by Committee Democrats intended to strengthen election security efforts across the Intelligence Community. The amendments were agreed to by voice vote and included in the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 as reported by the Committee.

“The surest way to combat disinformation is by increasing transparency,” said Rep. Himes, “so I’m glad that today we were able to advance three amendments to ensure that Congress and the American public have access to the most accurate and relevant information on foreign interference in our elections. If passed into law, these amendments will mandate reports—several of which are already statutorily required— to set the record straight on the election threat landscape both past and present, ensure analysts can produce objective products without fear of retribution, and prevent this Administration from weaponizing the intelligence community to further the President’s agenda.

“I am grateful to my colleagues Reps. Houlahan and Crow for offering these amendments and look forward to working with all Members of the Committee to ensure our elections remain fair and free from interference.”

The amendments adopted are:

An amendment, offered by Ranking Member Jim Himes (CT-04), to require the intelligence community to release an unclassified assessment of foreign election threats before the November 2026 election. This report would provide transparency to both Congress and the American people ahead of the midterms.

An amendment, offered by Congressman Jason Crow (CO-08), to partially withhold funding for ODNI until Congress receives overdue statutorily required reports on the 2024 and 2026 elections. House Intelligence Committee Democrats recently wrote to Acting Director Pulte regarding his obligation to provide these legally required reports which cover recent elections as well as the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

An amendment, offered by Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), to protect analysts from retribution by IC leadership for working on intelligence products related to foreign influence in US elections. The reported firings of employees assigned to election interference and other politically sensitive cases have chilled the workforce’s capacity to produce objective, apolitical reporting. This amendment would ensure that analysts are able to perform their jobs without fear of reprisal simply for producing accurate intelligence reporting.

House Intelligence Democrats Call on IC Leadership to Rebut Trump’s Election Lies

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC— Ranking Member Jim Himes (CT-04) today led Democratic Members of the House Intelligence Committee in a letter to Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel, and Director of the National Security Agency Joshua Rudd, calling on them to protect the integrity of their agencies against Trump’s election conspiracies. The letter comes ahead of a speech by the President, in which he reportedly plans to reveal foreign plans to interfere in the 2020 election.

“It is concerning that at a time when the Intelligence Community is not complying with its legal responsibilities to protect our upcoming elections, it appears focused instead on discrediting past elections without evidence,” the Members wrote. “The facts of the 2020 election have long been settled. The Intelligence Community assessed in a declassified Intelligence Community Assessment from 2021 that, ‘We have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to interfere in the 2020 US elections by altering any technical aspect of the voting process.’ No intelligence to the contrary has ever been provided to the Committee, despite repeated requests for updates. This declassified finding is backed by detailed intelligence in a classified version of the same assessment, including a version that remains restricted to the Gang of 8. Notably, this Intelligence Community Assessment was prepared during President Trump’s first term in office and coordinated by then-Director of National Intelligence Ratcliffe.”

The Members continued: “The President is within his authority to declassify intelligence, but if he does so in a way that is intended to mislead Americans about the most basic foundation of our democracy and that may compromise sources and methods, it is incumbent on you to stand up for the agencies you lead. Before any intelligence is publicly disclosed, it should be coordinated with all relevant Intelligence Community elements, reviewed under applicable analytic tradecraft standards, and provided to the congressional intelligence committees.”

“We remind you that you are statutorily obligated to keep the Committee fully and currently informed, a requirement that should include notification of new intelligence related to election influence or interference as well as any significant declassification. A reckless effort to weaponize intelligence to support false claims about election security will have a lasting and destructive impact on the relationship between the Intelligence Community and its oversight committees, as well as on the trust of the American people. We sincerely hope you do not go down that road,” they concluded.

The full letter is available here.

House Intelligence Committee Democrats Call for Transparency on Election Security

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC— Ranking Member Jim Himes (CT-04) today led Democratic Members of the House Intelligence Committee in a letter to Acting Director Bill Pulte regarding recent, alarming reporting about the White House’s efforts to validate their election conspiracies through the declassification of sensitive information, and to demand overdue statutorily required reports on election security.

“We are deeply disturbed by public reporting describing a White House-led initiative to declassify intelligence information in what appears to be a transparently partisan political exercise to validate debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election,” the Members wrote. “Any such weaponization of the intelligence community is gravely damaging to both faith in the electoral process and to the intelligence community’s critical national security work.”

They continued: “As recently as 2024, the IC has assessed that “[s]ince at least January 2017...the Federal Government has seen no evidence that a foreign actor has impacted voter data integrity, the ability to vote, the tabulation of votes, or the timely transmission of election results” – a core, undisputed finding consistent with IC-wide analysis from both the 2022 and 2020 cycles. Further, absolutely no intelligence or credible information shared with the Committee casts doubt on those assessments, and numerous briefers have testified to the Committee that there is no credible information indicating foreign intent or capability to impact the integrity of election infrastructure.”

“As for the 2026 midterms, which are now four months away, we write to remind you that the intelligence community is currently in violation of multiple statutes designed to ensure that Congress understands the full scope of foreign adversary plans and intentions this cycle, and the IC’s efforts to mitigate them. Specifically, 50 U.S.C. 3371a(b) requires submission of a report identifying election security vulnerabilities and assessing foreign intelligence threats to federal elections no later than 180 days before a regularly scheduled federal election. That deadline passed on May 7, 2026, and to date it has not been provided. This assessment baselines IC observations of foreign capability and intent to meddle in our elections, and it is critical that Committee and policymakers throughout government receive this coordinated analysis,” concluded the lawmakers.

In addition to Ranking Member Himes, the letter was signed by Representatives André Carson (IN-07), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jason Crow (CO-06), Ami Bera (CA-06), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Steve Cohen (TN-09).

Read the full letter here.

Himes, Warner Warn Pulte Against Illegal or Reckless Actions at ODNI

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote to Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte regarding his intentions for his tenure, the protection of the ODNI workforce and safeguarding of classified materials, and his legal obligation to preserve all records of the actions he takes in an acting capacity.

The lawmakers wrote, “We are concerned that your record as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency demonstrates a willingness to misuse your position, including your access to sensitive information, to pursue President Trump’s perceived political enemies and further his retributive political agenda. Given the extremely sensitive nature of intelligence, we expect that you will not declassify properly classified information that would compromise intelligence sources and methods, or weaponize the declassification process for partisan political purposes, and that any declassification effort you undertake will follow all established policies and practices, including by obtaining substantive input from career intelligence officials regarding the national security risks posed by declassification.

“Additionally, we are concerned by reports that you intend to fire or place on leave hundreds of Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) officers as soon as this week. While there is room to consider responsible reductions to ODNI’s workforce, any large cuts would follow on a substantial downsizing that has already occurred in 2025 and risk jeopardizing the mission of an organization explicitly created after 9/11 to prevent any future such terrorist attack. Given your lack of experience within the Intelligence Community, it is difficult to imagine that in such a short amount of time you have already developed fully-informed views as to how to shrink ODNI without incurring risks to national security. Making significant structural changes to ODNI, to include a reduction in force, is not an appropriate course of action for anyone in an acting capacity, let alone without consultation with Congress, and you should refrain from doing so.

“Finally, we write to remind you of your obligation to preserve all records and materials related to actions you take while serving as the Acting Director of National Intelligence, including, but not limited to, any actions regarding declassification, publication, or release of classified materials, as well as any personnel actions. Preserving federal records and safeguarding information critical to congressional oversight is a legal obligation that you and all employees of the ODNI are required to meet.^[1^] This includes electronic messages sent using both official and personal accounts or devices and records created using text messages, phone-based message applications, or encryption software.”

The full letter is available here.

Impeachment Inquiry: Ms. Cooper & Mr. Hale

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 19:30:00 GMT

Impeachment Inquiry: Ambassador Sondland

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Impeachment Inquiry: Ambassador Volker & Mr. Morrison

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 19:30:00 GMT

Impeachment Inquiry: Ms. Williams & Lt. Col. Vindman

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Impeachment Inquiry: Dr. Hill

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Full Committee Open Hearing

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 15:00:00 GMT

Full Committee Open Hearing

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 15:00:00 GMT

Full Committee Hearing: Whistleblower Disclosure

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 13:00:00 GMT

Full Committee Witness Interview (Closed)

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 13:30:00 GMT

U.S.-Saudi Security Relationship

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 13:30:00 GMT