Thune Urges Trump to Name Spy Chief Before Friday Surveillance Powers Expire
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 9
Thune Urges Trump to Name Spy Chief Before Friday Surveillance Powers Expire
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 9
Summary
John Thune pressed Donald Trump to nominate a permanent national intelligence director, arguing a confirmed leader would speed Senate action before key surveillance powers lapse Friday.
Democrats have resisted renewing the broad electronic surveillance authority after Trump said Bill Pulte would serve as acting spy chief.
Pulte currently runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has opened mortgage-fraud investigations targeting perceived Trump opponents, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
That dispute has turned the intelligence post into a hurdle for extending one of US spy agencies’ most important electronic surveillance tools.