Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had scheduled a classified, on-site meeting at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Springfield, Virginia, to meet nonpartisan career intelligence professionals and constituents. Warner previously held more than a dozen similar private sessions under both Democratic and Republican presidents. Conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer discovered the unpublicized visit and launched attacks on Warner and NGA Director Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth. Political appointees canceled the visit in response. The cancellation was characterized as politically motivated, undermining nonpartisan NGA staff and threatening civilian congressional oversight, while noting Loomer's history of extreme views and harassment campaigns.
Weeks ago, I arranged an on-site meeting this coming Friday at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's headquarters in Springfield, Va., to connect with the nonpartisan career intelligence professionals who serve our country every day. These are Virginians my constituents and I have held more than a dozen similar private listening sessions with NGA and other intelligence agencies in Virginia under both Democratic and Republican presidents, including during President Trump's first term.
Engagements such as these are a core part of my responsibility to provide oversight and support to our intelligence community and hear from Americans who live in Virginia, and they have never been questioned or politicized, until now. Over the weekend, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer discovered the unpublicized, classified visit and launched a campaign of baseless attacks against both me and NGA Director Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth for hosting what has always been considered a routine oversight meeting.
In response to Loomer's criticism, political appointees canceled the visit, just the latest example of an administration seemingly desperate to please Loomer, a figure with a long history of extreme and outlandish fringe views, including 9/11 denialism, anti-Muslim harassment campaigns, and associations with white supremacists. This nakedly political decision undermines the dedicated, nonpartisan staff at NGA and threatens the principle of civilian oversight that protects our national security.
#laura-loomer #mark-warner #national-geospatial-intelligence-agency #civilian-oversight #politicization
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