Overview

• An ODNI memo dated Monday orders immediate termination of classified access, government contracts or employment, and the surrender of credentials for those named.
• The list includes figures involved with the 2017 intelligence assessment on Russian election interference, including Vinh Nguyen, as well as former senior officials across the CIA, NSA, State Department and the National Security Council.
• The document alleges politicization or weaponization of intelligence and violations of tradecraft, but it does not present specific evidence against individual officials, according to CNN.
• Critics, including national security attorney Mark Zaid, denounced the step as unlawful and politically driven, warning of a chilling effect on professional dissent inside the intelligence community.
• The action follows Gabbard’s recent declassifications and criminal referrals challenging aspects of the 2017 assessment, part of an administration effort to scrutinize past Russia-related intelligence work.