Holding Former Government Officials Accountable for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of Sensitive Governmental Information
Signed January 20, 2025·Donald Trump·90 FR 8343
Source
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Plain-language summary
Directs the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to immediately revoke the security clearances of 50 named former officials, including former intelligence agency leaders who signed a 2020 letter about Hunter Biden's laptop and former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who published a memoir containing sensitive information. States it is U.S. policy that the Intelligence Community avoid partisan political activity, that clearance holders not use their status to influence elections, and that classified information not be disclosed in memoirs for personal profit. Requires the Director of National Intelligence, within 90 days, to report to the President through the National Security Advisor on any further inappropriate activity related to the letter, recommendations to prevent future election-related interference by intelligence personnel, and possible disciplinary actions. States the order does not alter existing legal authorities and creates no enforceable rights against the government.
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Claimed authority
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered
Quoted from the order as written. Many orders cite nothing more specific than “the Constitution and the laws”; this reproduces what the order claims, not an assessment of whether it holds.
The order, in full
Executive Order 14152 of January 20, 2025
Holding Former Government Officials Accountable
for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of
Sensitive Governmental Information
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. In the closing weeks of the 2020
Presidential campaign, at least 51 former intelligence
officials coordinated with the Biden campaign to issue
a letter discrediting the reporting that President
Joseph R. Biden's son had abandoned his laptop at a
computer repair business. Signatories of the letter
falsely suggested that the news story was part of a
Russian disinformation campaign.
Before being issued, the letter was sent to the CIA
Prepublication Classification Review Board, the body
typically assigned to formally evaluate the sensitive
nature of documents prior to publication. Senior CIA
officials were made aware of the contents of the
letter, and multiple signatories held clearances at the
time and maintained ongoing contractual relationships
with the CIA.
Federal policymakers must be able to rely on analysis
conducted by the Intelligence Community and be
confident that it is accurate, crafted with
professionalism, and free from politically motivated
engineering to affect political outcomes in the United
States. The signatories willfully weaponized the
gravitas of the Intelligence Community to manipulate
the political process and undermine our democratic
institutions. This fabrication of the imprimatur of the
Intelligence Community to suppress information
essential to the American people during a Presidential
election is an egregious breach of trust reminiscent of
a third world country. And now the faith of Americans
in all other patriotic intelligence professionals who
are sworn to protect the Nation has been imperiled.
National security is also damaged by the publication of
classified information. Former National Security
Advisor John R. Bolton published a memoir for monetary
gain after he was terminated from his White House
position in 2019. The book was rife with sensitive
information drawn from his time in government. The
memoir's reckless treatment of sensitive information
undermined the ability of future presidents to request
and obtain candid advice on matters of national
security from their staff. Publication also created a
grave risk that classified material was publicly
exposed.
To remedy these abuses of the public trust, this Order
directs the revocation of any active or current
security clearances held by: (i) the former
intelligence officials who engaged in misleading and
inappropriate political coordination with the 2020
Biden presidential campaign; and (ii) John R. Bolton.
Sec. 2. Policy. (a) It is the policy of the United
States to ensure that the Intelligence Community not be
engaged in partisan politics or otherwise used by a
U.S. political campaign for electioneering purposes.
The term “Intelligence Community” has the meaning
given the term in section 3003 of title 50, United
States Code.
(b) It is the policy of the United States that
individuals who hold government-issued security
clearances should not use their clearance status to
influence U.S. elections.
(c) It is the policy of the United States that
classified information not be publicly disclosed in
memoirs, especially those published for personal
monetary gain.
Sec. 3. Implementation. (a) Effective immediately, the
Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with
the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall
revoke any current or active clearances held by the
following individuals:
(1) James R. Clapper Jr.
(2) Michael V. Hayden
(3) Leon E. Panetta
(4) John O. Brennan
(5) C. Thomas Fingar
(6) Richard H. Ledgett Jr.
(7) John E. McLaughlin
(8) Michael J. Morell
(9) Michael G. Vickers
(10) Douglas H. Wise
(11) Nicholas J. Rasmussen
(12) Russell E. Travers
(13) Andrew Liepman
(14) John H. Moseman
(15) Larry Pfeiffer
(16) Jeremy B. Bash
(17) Rodney Snyder
(18) Glenn S. Gerstell
(19) David B. Buckley
(20) Nada G. Bakos
(21) James B. Bruce
(22) David S. Cariens
(23) Janice Cariens
(24) Paul R. Kolbe
(25) Peter L. Corsell
(26) Roger Z. George
(27) Steven L. Hall
(28) Kent Harrington
(29) Don Hepburn
(30) Timothy D. Kilbourn
(31) Ronald A. Marks
(32) Jonna H. Mendez
(33) Emile Nakhleh
(34) Gerald A. O'Shea
(35) David Priess
(36) Pamela Purcilly
(37) Marc Polymeropoulos
(38) Chris Savos
(39) Nick Shapiro
(40) John Sipher
(41) Stephen B. Slick
(42) Cynthia Strand
(43) Greg Tarbell
(44) David Terry
(45) Gregory F. Treverton
(46) John D. Tullius
(47) David A. Vanell
(48) Winston P. Wiley
(49) Kristin Wood
(50) John R. Bolton
Two signatories, Patty Patricia A. Brandmaeir and Brett
Davis, are deceased.
(b) Within 90 days of this order, the Director of
National Intelligence, in consultation with the
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall
submit a report to the President through the National
Security Advisor that details:
(i) any additional inappropriate activity that occurred within the
Intelligence Community, by anyone contracted by the Intelligence Community
or by anyone who held a security clearance, related to the letter signed by
the 51 former intelligence officials;
(ii) recommendations to prevent the Intelligence Community or anyone who
works for or within it from inappropriately influencing domestic elections;
and
(iii) any disciplinary action--including the termination of security
clearances--that should be taken against anyone who engaged in
inappropriate conduct related to the letter signed by the 51 former
intelligence officials.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2025.Reproduced from the Federal Register plain-text record, signed January 20, 2025. Typesetting artifacts are removed; no wording is changed.