The Senate Intelligence Committee is calling on the CIA Inspector General to “initiate an immediate investigation” into the agency’s alleged mishandling of sexual assault and harassment cases, according to a new letter sent to the watchdog’s office.
The letter from committee chairman Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, and vice chair Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, which has not been previously reported, was sent on Wednesday, Rubio’s office confirmed to CNN.
It says the request for an investigation by the inspector general comes after the panel was notified “of a number of allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment committed against Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers – by CIA officers – that are alleged to have been grossly mishandled by the CIA.”
“We are extremely concerned by what we have learned to-date about the nature of these allegations and CIA’s response to them. We write to request that you immediately initiate an investigation to examine CIA’s adherence to all applicable laws and Agency regulations, guidance, protocols, and practice to ensure a workplace free from sexual assault and harassment, to include the extent to which perpetrators – and not the victims – of such conduct are held to account under the law and CIA regulations,” the letter states.
“We respectfully request that you examine and investigate the roles and responsibilities of all Agency components in preventing – and responding to allegations of – sexual assault or harassment among Agency personnel,” it adds. “We further request that you consider the extent to which the law or Agency regulations, guidance, protocols, or practice present obstacles to the administration of justice under the law or in Agency personnel decisions and make recommended changes that would remove any identified barriers to achieving just results in cases…
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