Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
It was the Reagan era director of the FBIand later the CIA, are asking the Senate to reject two of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for top law enforcement and intelligence posts.
In a letter to senators published Thursday by Politico, former FBI and CIA director William Webster wrote that Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard are not qualified to be FBI director and director of national intelligence, respectively.
Webster, who is 100 years old, is the only person to have led both the FBI and the CIA. He warned senators that Patel’s personal loyalty to Trump could conflict with the FBI’s duty to uphold the rule of law.
“His record of carrying out the president’s directives suggest (sic) a loyalty to people rather than the rule of law, a dangerous precedent for an agency charged with carrying out impartial justice,” he wrote, according to politician
Portrait of William H. Webster from the 1980s. William Hedgcock Webster (1924- ) is a former director of the FBI and the CIA, the only man to have held both positions. (Universal History Archive/Universal Image Group via Getty Images)
As for GabbardWebster criticized his “profound lack” of intelligence experience and said an experienced leader is needed for the DNI post.
“Effective management of our intelligence community requires unmatched expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the confidence of allied nations,” he wrote. “Without this trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is greatly reduced.”
Former FBI and CIA Director Judge William Webster looks on before a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 7, 2018 in Washington, DC (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Trump’s transition team defended the president-elect’s selection of Patel to lead the FBI.
“Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution. He has worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles,” said Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for Trump’s transition team.
Another transition official, Alexa Henning, noted that Webster had supported President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump.
“Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active-duty member of the military and has served in the military for more than two decades and in Congress. As someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, even during times of war , recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe,” Henning said.
Patel and Gabbard have proven to be two of Trump’s most controversial nominees for key positions in his next administration.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ sparks backlash to claim TULSI GABBARD IS A Russian asset
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI director. (Getty Images)
Patel was the chief investigator of the congressional investigation alleged collusion between Trump and Russiauncovering the abuse of government surveillance that led to the appointment of two special counsels who determined that there was never any collusion and that the premise of the original FBI investigation was false. He has drawn concern among top law enforcement professionals for his outspoken criticism of the FBI and Justice Department, accusing them of partisanship.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military officer from Hawaii, is also under scrutiny after she met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, who has been accused of using chemical weapons on his own citizens during the country’s civil war . Gabbard refused to call him a war criminal during her 2020 presidential campaign and said she was skeptical that her government had carried out a chemical weapons attack earlier this year that killed dozens of Syrians. However, he later said that Assad was a brutal dictator.
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, arrives to meet with several Republican senators Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jack Gruber/USA Today Network via Image Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Webster was appointed to lead the FBI by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and remained head of the bureau during President Ronald Reagan’s two terms. In 1988, Webster became director of the CIA under President George HW Bush and served until 1991.
“I urge you to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and expertise,” Webster wrote. “The safety of the American people, and your own families, depends on it.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
