The CIA is investigating an unclassified email sent to the White House that risked exposing the identity of undercover officers. Responding to a request to identify all recent recruits and probationary employees for possible termination, this dangerous and careless email exposed identities of operatives to foreign hacking, putting lives at risk and damaging national security interests. Whistleblower Aid’s Chief Legal Counsel, Andrew Bakaj, a former CIA and DoD attorney and investigator, issued the following statement:

“The reckless exposure of thousands of CIA officers under the guise of downsizing is an unprecedented self-own by the Trump administration,” Bakaj says. “The Agency is conducting a damage assessment to determine the likelihood Agency officers, operatives, and operations were or may be burned. Moreover, it’s very likely a large number of these “probationary” employees include Intelligence Community veterans who are not recent recruits, but only recently brought on to CIA from other intelligence agencies. This is a direct threat to our national security and critical relationships with allies and their intelligence agencies around the world. Americans need to know that this isn’t just heavy-handed HR – it is a direct threat to our national security.”