May 9, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging President Donald Trump to withdraw the nomination of Gina Haspel for CIA Director after she testified that “I support the higher moral standard this country has decided to hold itself to. I would never, ever take CIA back to an interrogation program. First of all, CIA follows the law… My moral compass is strong, I would not allow CIA to undertake activity that I thought was immoral, even if it was technically legal. I absolutely would not permit it”:
“The CIA Director has the right to resign, when given a direct, lawful order by the elected President of the United States that she morally disagrees with, but she doesn’t have the right to disobey said order. This new concept that the FBI and intelligence community somehow has a higher moral compass than the elected President is proven wrong every day as we continue to learn more and more about their domestic spying and attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election. Now, nominee Haspel has testified under oath that she will disobey lawful orders.
“While she may have honorably served under now Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Haspel’s testimony putting her judgment about legal orders above that of the Commander and Chief makes her unfit to serve as CIA Director, and President Trump should do the nation a service and withdraw her, already controversial nomination from further consideration.”
Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.
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