Spy Academies Worldwide Adopt US Election-Interference Controversy as Training Case
A 2021 watchdog report on politicized intelligence regarding Russian and Chinese election meddling is now used as a textbook example in spy schools across several countries.
Former intelligence ombudsman Barry Zulauf explained that his 2021 report, which found senior officials reshaping assessments of Russian and Chinese election meddling to align with their views on President Donald Trump, is now a core case study in spy training programs in Italy, Canada, Israel and other nations. In the United States, the intelligence community has incorporated new instruction on politicization into the ODNI’s Analysis 101 orientation and conducted a seminar on analytic objectivity.
The report details how then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, now CIA director, endorsed the view that China had attempted to influence the election, yet career analysts resisted highlighting Chinese activity. It also implicates Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner and notes her earlier involvement in declassifying a contested 2017 assessment. Declassified emails released by a Government Transparency Task Force reveal senior officials delaying a 2018 NSA report on Chinese interference, fueling claims of a “Deep State” cover-up.
Why it matters
It shows how political bias can shape intelligence analysis and how agencies are trying to teach future officers to avoid such distortions.
In this story
