US President-elect Trump has chosen Nunes, CEO of the social network Truth Social, which he owns, as chairman of the White House intelligence advisory council.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be appointing Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes to be the Director of the Presidential Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). This board will be made up of talented citizens who do not work for the federal government,” US President-elect Donald Trump announced on social media on December 14.
PIAB was established in the mid-20th century with the mission of independently advising on the performance of the US intelligence community and how it collects data.
Mr. Trump said Nunes will continue to serve as CEO of Truth Social, a social network operated by Trump Media & Technology, in parallel with his new role.
“Devin will draw on his experience as a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, as well as his significant role in exposing the Russia hoax, to provide me with an independent assessment of the effectiveness and soundness of the U.S. intelligence community’s operations,” President-elect Trump added, referring to investigations into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election during his first term.
Mr. Nunes at an event in Bakersfield, California in February 2020. Photo: AFP
Nunes, 51, is a former Republican congressman from California who headed the House Intelligence Committee early in Trump’s first term.
While in office in 2018, Nunes released a controversial memo that said the FBI colluded against Trump when investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Nunes also accused the FBI of abusing its powers to spy on an official in Mr Trump’s election campaign, who was believed to have many connections to Russia.
Truth Social CEO was nominated to join the intelligence advisory group after Mr. Trump selected loyal ally Kash Patel to be FBI director to replace current leader Christopher Wray.
Patel is a former Pentagon official and adviser known for his views on the existence of a “deep state” within the US government. Nunes said Patel assisted him in writing a memo criticizing the FBI in 2018.
FBI Director Wray announced on December 11 that he will leave his position before Mr. Trump takes office on January 20 next year.
