Acting Intel Director Grenell Starts Hiring Freeze

Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, has placed a temporary hold on hiring new employees until a review has been completed, CNN reports.

"Since assuming his new role on Feb. 20, Acting DNI Grenell and the [Office of the Director of National Intelligence] ODNI leadership team have embarked on a careful review of these studies completed prior to his arrival, with an eye to implementing key recommendations," agency spokeswoman Amanda Schoch said in a statement to CNN and The New York Times on Friday.

"While the review is underway, Ambassador Grenell has asked for a temporary, short-term pause in external hiring. A similar hiring pause was implemented in 2018 as part of ODNI's first Transformation effort,” the statement continued.

President Donald Trump’s administration has recently dismissed several intelligence officials, including former acting DNI Joseph Maguire and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Axios reported in February that Trump has instructed his head of presidential personnel to assemble a list of anti-Trump administration officials.

Schoch added that, "Acting DNI Grenell has emphasized with ODNI leadership this review is not an effort to purge, as some have erroneously suggested. The goal is to make sure scarce Intelligence Community resources are used in the best way possible.”

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