Former Deputy CIA Director David Cohen is Joe Biden’s top choice to oversee the spy agency.
The New York Times reported no final decision has been made and one is not expected to be announced until at least next week.
But Biden is said to favor Cohen, who served as CIA deputy director during the Obama administration. The Times attributed the information to multiple people familiar with the process of filling the post. Ultimately, Biden’s pick for the CIA job depends, in part, on the mix of people he wants to lead the Pentagon and other agencies.
Avril Haines, Biden’s pick to serve as director of national intelligence, is also in favor of Cohen, who had succeeded her as deputy CIA chief, the Times noted.
Cohen, while at the CIA, had helped set up a combined operation among the agency, the FBI, and the National Security Agency that examined Russian interference in the 2016 election.
He had also worked at the Treasury Department, where he oversaw financial sanctions against Russia, Iran, and terrorist groups He is now a partner at the WilmerHale law firm, according to the Times.
A spokesman for the Biden’s transition team declined comment on the Times report.
Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell had been one of the leading candidates to head the agency, but could have faced opposition from Democrats for being an outspoken defender of the agency’s interrogation program, including torture.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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