Democrats preparing investigations into Trump's handling of US spy agencies

Democrats in the US House of Representatives are preparing investigations into President Donald Trump's handling of US spy agencies, alleging politicization and retaliatory firings. Representative Jim Himes, set to chair the House intelligence committee in January, cited evidence of analyst self-censorship and morale decline. The probes follow a Republican-controlled Congress that conducted little oversight during Trump's second term.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives are preparing investigations into what they describe as President Donald Trump's politicization and gutting of US spy agencies. Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat who will become chairman of the House intelligence committee in January, told Reuters on Tuesday that there is evidence analysts are hesitant to write on controversial topics and that morale has declined due to pressure. The investigations follow two years of Republican-controlled Congress that conducted little oversight of the intelligence community. Himes said one focus would be retaliatory firings, stating, 'We're going to tell the story of the patriots who were fired because they said something that was inconsistent with what the president wanted to be true.' The article notes that former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard cut her agency's staff by about 40%, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe pledged to reduce his workforce by over 1,000 positions. At least two fired analysts were involved in an assessment that contradicted White House policy on Venezuela. Himes also plans to probe the administration's relationships with defense contractors and US covert efforts overseas.