The president’s pick to lead a Department of Homeland Security team that helps root out domestic extremism faces calls to salvage the office after a series of high-profile missteps.
DHS leadership failed to issue threat assessments ahead of January 6 despite receiving intelligence warnings
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing Tuesday concerning the failure of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to warn law enforcement agencies and Congress of the impending attack on the Capitol January 6.
The hearing demonstrated that I&A was receiving ample evidence of the plans to attack the Capitol in order to stop the congressional certification of the Electoral College votes and keep Trump in office as president. But none of the officials of the I&A and their supervisors in the DHS leadership were actually summoned to be questioned, rendering the entire hearing an exercise in futility.
May 18, 2021
Lawmakers are hearing from former Homeland Security officials about the role intelligence played leading up to the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chair Gary Peters said the DHS intelligence office downplayed potential threats and censored information under pressure from former President Trump.
Former DHS Undersecretary Francis Taylor said the intelligence office must work on restoring trust after controversy has undermined its reputation.
Former DHS Deputy Patricia Cogswell said the department needs to focus on depoliticizing products and career staff.
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