A staffer who worked under Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on the House Intelligence Committee also recently joined ODNI to serve as a deputy to the COO.
Nick Ciarlante, who interned in Nunes’ congressional office before joining the intelligence committee and working on the ODNI portfolio there, started the new job this week, two people with knowledge of the move said.
Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, also announced a series of other organizational changes on Friday, including phasing out of ODNI’s Directorate of National Security Partnerships and merging four previously separate ODNI organizations focused on cyber into a single organization dubbed “the IC Cyber Executive.”
Walsh is well-respected in the intelligence community and on Capitol Hill — she served as ODNI’s director of legislative affairs from 2014 to 2018 — and has been instrumental in helping shepherd Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) through the confirmation process to replace Grenell as permanent director, the sources said.
Ratcliffe had his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday and is expected to be confirmed.
ODNI has seen a wave of senior departures over the last year, including principal deputy director Sue Gordon; Joseph Maguire, Grenell’s predecessor as acting director; principal executive Andrew Hallman; general counsel Jason Klitenic; chief of staff Viraj Mirani; and Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who was fired by the president.
ODNI’s chief information officer, John Sherman, is leaving in June for a new role at the Pentagon, he announced last month.
Source: politico.com
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