Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan has apologized to senators after hearing the results of the Inspector General's report on the agency's alleged snooping on Senate computers.
The Senate Intelligence Committee headed by Senator Diane Fenstein had started investigating the CIA's interrogation program which was shut down in 2009 by President Barack Obama, concluding that the program was not able to produce vital intelligence. The investigation took five years, particularly questioning agency activities during Bush administration. The CIA disputes the findings of the investigation.
In November 2013, the Senate committee requested the CIA to make an internal agency report tracking the investigation. In January 2014, the CIA started their investigation as requested. Brennan, however, had sent instructions in mid-January halting the investigation of Senate computers after speaking with Fenstein and Senator Saxby Chambliss. In this meeting, Brennan presented agency findings that some committee aides may have obtained a CIA report tracking a Senate investigation improperly. A full security review began after the meeting but was stopped two days later when Feinstein asked Brennan to do so.
The CIA Office of Security, however, was unaware that instructions to stop investigating Senate computers had been sent and so continued with their tasks. The investigation employed a keyword search through all emails used by Democratic aides on a special system as well as a review of some emails.
Feinstein took to the floor in March condemning the search, demanding an apology. Brennan dismissed the demand at the time, saying she has no basis, but his apology on Thursday shows otherwise. "The investigation confirmed what I said on the Senate floor in March-CIA personnel inappropriately searched Senate Intelligence Committee computers in violation of an agreement we had reached, and I believe in violation of the constitutional separation of powers," Fenstein said in a statement.
Senator Mark Udall called for Brennan's resignation. "This grave misconduct not only is illegal but it violates the U.S. Constitution's requirement of separation of powers. These offenses, along with other errors in judgment by some at the C.I.A., demonstrate a tremendous failure of leadership, and there must be consequences," he adds.
The CIA declined to comment on resignation demands but Brennan has started an accountability board to take a further look into the issue. Former Senator Evan Bayh will be heading the board.
Josh Earnest, White House press secretary, said Brennan's apology did not tarnish the CIA director's credibility. Brennan refers to simply doing what is needed to get to the bottom of things as "proactive leadership that the president would expect."
