The CIA sent an unclassified email containing a list of all employees recently hired to comply with President Trump’s executive order to reduce the federal workforce. The list includes the first names and first initials of the last names of employees who are still on probation, which could potentially be exploited by foreign intelligence services to identify and target them. Lawmakers and former intelligence officials have raised concerns about the security risks posed by this email, with Senator Mark Warner warning that exposing the identities of these officials could put them in danger, especially from China.
The House Intelligence Committee has not been briefed on the incident but will demand answers, as Representative Jim Himes criticized the unnecessary security risk created by the unclassified email. Despite the potential dangers, the CIA stated that they were complying with the executive order.
The list was requested by the Office of Personnel Management, which does not have a classified communications network, prompting the CIA to send the information in an unclassified email. The number of names on the list is undisclosed, but the CIA has been focusing on recruiting employees with Chinese language skills and increasing its intelligence collection and analysis related to China.
The email incident occurred amidst the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce through buyout offers, with the CIA and other intelligence agencies also extending deferred resignation offers to employees. The Biden administration has continued to prioritize intelligence efforts related to China, reflecting the ongoing security concerns and priorities of the U.S. intelligence community.
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