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James Woolsey, Embattled C.I.A. Director Under Clinton, Dies at 84

The New York Times • July 22, 2026 • general

Key Points:

R. James Woolsey, former director of central intelligence under President Bill Clinton and a lawyer and arms control negotiator, died at age 84 from a stroke at his Washington home.
Woolsey was an Oklahoma-born conservative Democrat with prestigious academic credentials and served in various government roles across multiple administrations, including as under secretary of the Navy under Jimmy Carter and ambassador for arms control talks under George H.W. Bush.
Appointed by Clinton in 1993 as CIA director, Woolsey’s tenure was brief and marked by a distant relationship with the president, with limited private meetings and differing expectations about the role.
Woolsey was known as a “Defense Democrat” and later shifted politically to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

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