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Ratcliffe Declassifies CIA Review Revealing Flaws in 2016 Russia Interference Assessment

Findings prompt sweeping measures to shield CIA analyses from political influence.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe departs a classified briefing for senators at the Capitol on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
A voter casts his ballot behind a ballot booth during the U.S. presidential election at a polling station in the Bronx Borough of New York, U.S. on November 8, 2016. REUTERS/Saul Martinez
John Brennan swore in as CIA director
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Overview

  • The lessons-learned report identifies procedural anomalies in the 2016 assessment, including a compressed timeline and uneven access to compartmented information.
  • CIA leadership sidelined the National Intelligence Council and involved senior officials excessively, departing from standard analytic practices.
  • Leaked reports in the Washington Post and the New York Times are cited as creating an anchoring bias before the assessment was completed.
  • The assessment omitted credible reporting that suggested Vladimir Putin was ambivalent about which 2016 candidate he preferred.
  • Ratcliffe criticized John Brennan’s push to include the unverified Steele dossier, vowing reforms to ensure future analyses remain independent of political influence.