FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Confirmation Hearing for CIA General Counsel Nominee Courtney Simmons Elwood

Original title: HEARING TO CONSIDER THE NOMINATION OF COURTNEY SIMMONS ELWOOD TO BE GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

January 1, 2018

CIA nomination intelligence legal oversight Senate Intelligence Committee

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The Frame

What this does

The of the CIA serves as the agency's chief legal officer, responsible for ensuring that all intelligence operations comply with federal law and ethical standards.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Courtney Simmons Elwood

The nominee is seeking confirmation for a federal appointment.

Central Intelligence Agency

The agency is undergoing a leadership appointment for its chief legal officer.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing on April 26, 2017, to evaluate the nomination of Courtney Simmons Elwood for the position of of the Central Intelligence Agency. The session included opening statements from committee leadership and an introduction of the nominee's professional background.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on April 26, 2017, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Courtney Simmons Elwood was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as General Counsel of the CIA.
The nominee previously served as Associate Counsel to the President, Deputy Counsel to the Vice President, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General.
The nominee is a graduate of Yale Law School (1994) and a former clerk for the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
The nominee provided written responses to over 90 questions from the committee prior to the hearing.
The General Counsel is responsible for legal oversight, compliance, and providing legal advice to the CIA Director.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of the CIA General Counsel?

The acts as the chief legal officer for the CIA, providing legal advice to the Director and ensuring the agency operates within the bounds of the law and ethical standards.

What was the purpose of this specific hearing?

The hearing was held to allow the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to evaluate the qualifications of Courtney Simmons Elwood for the position of CIA .

Why It Matters

The of the CIA serves as the agency's chief legal officer, responsible for ensuring that all intelligence operations comply with federal law and ethical standards.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Post-9/11 Legal Experience

The nominee's experience in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 was highlighted as a key qualification for navigating complex intelligence legal authorities.

Courtney Simmons Elwood

Connected Entities

personMark R. Warner“Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence”Map →

personTim Kaine“U.S. Senator from Virginia who participated in the hearing”Map →

organizationCentral Intelligence Agency“The federal agency for which the nominee is being considered”Map →

personRichard Burr“Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence”Map →

personCourtney Simmons Elwood“Nominee for General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency”Map →

personMike Pompeo“Director of the Central Intelligence Agency at the time of the hearing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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