Wyden Speaks on Senate Floor About CIA Inspector General Investigation
Wyden: "The ball is now in Admiral McConnell's court."
Mr. President, there was discussion on the floor this morning about intelligence matters and I wanted to come and spend just a few minutes to discuss a matter of bipartisan concern here in the senate. And what I am talking about is the very troubling development that came to light last week indicating that the head of the C.I.A., General Hayden, has decided to launch an investigation into the Agency's Inspector General. I and others, and I particularly want to commend Senator Bond, our Vice Chairman of the Committee, for his excellent statement on this matter, are very concerned about this new development.
It is particularly important that the Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency function with independence. Because our work, by its very nature -- entrusted with those secrets essential to protect our country's security -- has to be done in private and is classified, you need an independent Inspector General to ensure accountability. And because of a development like this, I think this can have a chilling effect on the independence of the Inspector General at the Central Intelligence Agency.
The Congress created these Inspector General positions for a reason and that is to ensure accountability, to ensure government inefficiency -- to ensure government efficiency. Virtually all of the agencies have these key positions and, of course, it is their job to report findings to the congress.
Now, perhaps General Hayden is concerned about the work of Mr. Helgerson, the Inspector General for the agency. Well, there is an appropriate process for bringing up those concerns. If the head of the Central Intelligence Agency is concerned about how the C.I.A. Inspector General is doing his job, he ought to bring them to the President's council on integrity and effectiveness. It's my view that that particular body has been handling complaints against Inspector Generals, and it's my view that it is doing their job well and appropriately. But to have an investigation like this in my view is really going to interfere with the Inspector General's independence.
If the director of the C.I.A. is ordering investigations into the Inspector General's activities and plans to -- quote -- "suggest improvements for the inspector general to consider," my view is that can undermine the Inspector General's independence. Mr. President, I do not want to see Inspector Generals intimidated. That's the bottom line here. And I don't want the Director of the C.I.A. interfering with the extraordinarily important activities of the Inspector General at the Agency.
Let me also state that my concern is part of a view that there has been a pattern at the Agency of being less than transparent. I and, again, senior members of this body, particularly Senator Bond and Senator Roberts, have worked very closely and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the Inspector General's report on the role of the Agency in the run-up to 9/11 was going to be made public. I can tell you that unfortunately, General Hayden fought that bipartisan effort every step of the way. And the fact of the matter is that it was a balanced effort, the particular recommendations of the Inspector General were modest in nature. It didn't require that anybody be fired or cavalierly dismissed. It called for what is known as an accountability board, something, again, to ensure that the watchdogs are in place to protect this country's security and do it in a fashion that is committed to the American principles of transparency and openness.
I have written, Mr. President, Admiral McConnell, who, of course, is the head of the National Intelligence Community and asked him to direct General Hayden to cease and cease immediately the investigation that is now going on into the work of the Inspector General at the Central Intelligence Agency. It's my view that people who know they're doing the right thing are not afraid of oversight. I think it is time for the head of the Intelligence Community, Admiral McConnell, to put an end -- and an immediate end -- to General Hayden's attempt to muzzle the C.I.A.'s Inspector General.
I want to wrap up by saying, again, we're not talking about a matter that is partisan. I think particularly Senator Bond, who has been so cooperative with me on these matters relating to accountability and transparency, has said it very well. Senator Bond said that the Inspector General had done great work. And in his statement on this matter, Senator Bond noted that the agency regrettably has a track record of resisting accountability. So that's what this is all about.
The ball is now in Admiral McConnell's court.
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