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Senate Panel Advances Jay Clayton as Next Spy Chief on Party-Line Vote
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The Senate Intelligence Committee approved Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. intelligence community, by a 9-8 party-line vote, moving him closer to full Senate confirmation.
- Clayton is expected to replace Bill Pulte, who briefly served as acting director and pursued controversial actions including staffing cuts and declassifying election-related documents.
- Democrats view Clayton as a more acceptable candidate than Pulte but criticized his evasive responses during the confirmation hearing, particularly regarding the legitimacy of President Biden’s 2020 election victory.
- Clayton, currently U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, recently issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists over reports on security concerns about Trump’s new Air Force One jet, citing an ongoing national security investigation.
- Despite concerns, Clayton emphasized adherence to procedures protecting press freedom and denied any intent to intimidate journalists during his hearing.
