Mr. Thompson is the president s tomny to be the next inspector jen olof the cia. Congratulations on your nomination. Id like to start by recognizing your family you brought with you today. Welcome to both of you. Patricia, this is as much your day as it is peters and were all grateful for the support, the patience and encouragement youve now doubt provided him in helping him get to this day. This is most certainly a professional achievement you should both take pride in. Our goal in conducting this hearing is to enable this committee to have a thoughtful consideration of mr. Thompsons qualifications to be the next Inspector General of the cia. Mr. Thompson has provided written responses to questions from the committee from its members, and this morning members will be able to ask any additional questions they have and hear the answer directly from the nominee. Mr. Thompson is a double grad kwt. He spent 23 years as a prosecutor with the department of justice as a u. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of louisiana. During his time with doj peter served on special assignment with a National Security agency. Since 2011 hes been in private practice in new orleans where he he has done dozens of criminal trials and litigated at the state level as well. Teaching Trial Advocacy and giving back to his alma mater. Mr. Thompson, youve been asked to lead a statutorily created office that is responsible for independent oversight of the Central Intelligence agency. If confirmed you will conduct audits, inspections, investigations and reviews of cia programs and operations. You will play a very Important Role in ensuring the cia carries out its mandate efficiently, accountably and always according to the law. The satisfaction of this committees oversight will at time require transparency and responsiveness from you and your office. We may ask difficult questions of you and your staff and we expect honest, complete and timely answers. At the same time we will also want you to feel free to come to the committee with situations that warrant our attention and our partnership. I look forward to hearing from you today to ultimately supporting your nomination and ensuring its consideration without delay. I want to thank you for being here, for your years of service to our country and your willingness to resume that service and we all look forward to your testimony. Now i recognize the vicechairman. Well, thank you mr. Chairman, and welcome mr. Thompson. Its good to kind of see you again in this awfully large room. And let me add to the chairmans comments in terms of congratulations in your nomination to serve as Inspector General of the cia. The job of an Inspector General is critical to the effective operation of any agency. Should you be confirmed you will hold one of the most vital roles at the cia and within the whole Intelligence Community because independent independent and impartial inspectors general help to ensure theres robust oversight of an agency that by necessity undertakes its most important and Effective Work in secrecy. Now, we all know by statute the cia Inspector General is expressly mandated to report not only to the cia director but to this committee. And specifically made accountable to congress. This is necessary to ensure were able to conduct robust oversight of the cia and be made aware of any significant problems and deficiencies. This committee relies upon the inspectors general of the intelligence agencies to ensure the ic organizations are using taxpayer dollars wisely, conducting their activities within the rule and spirit of the law and supporting and protecting whistle blowers who report waste, fraud, and abuse. Unfortunately, what weve seen from this president and this administration convinces me that the independence of the Inspector Generals is under grave threat. We have seen the president attack without justification the brave men and women of the ic simply because they were doing what americans expected them to do, telling truth to power. Dni coats fired, deputy dni sue gordon fired, acting dni maguire fired, atkinson, fired. Fired for no reason other than doing his job and reporting to congress as he was legally mandated to do reporting the serious complaints of a whistleblower. Unfortunately, weve seen this administration go after other independent inspectors generals as well. At the state department, at hhs, at the Defense Department who have issued reports unwelcome in the white house or because they undertook investigations that were embarrassing to the president and his allies, but this is precisely why we have inspectors general. Not many like to be called in front of you, but your independence and doggedness are what help keep fraud, waste, abuse and malfeasance in check. So ill be looking for you today to explain why we can trust you to be independent and how youll go about your responsibilities. How you assure the men and women of the cia that if they bring forward a complaint against if they bring forward a complaint using legitimate channels they will be protected against retaliation. What are your red lines if you become aware of abuse or are asked to undertake actions that are not in keeping with what i hope will be your expectations and our expectations of you. If confirmed youll be the first Senate Confirmed i. G. At the cia in over five years. Youll have a difficult job to ensure your independence, to reassure whistleblowers and to take over an office that has been vacant for so long. Mr. Thompson, again, thank you for being here today and agreeing to serve in this Critical Role. I look forward to todays discussion. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Thompson, i understand youre going to be having two of our Senate Colleagues present introductions on your behalf. A lot of history have occurred in these halls so its appropriate that senator kennedy whose name is on the wall though its not named after him but will be one of your presenters. So welcome to your home, senator kennedy. Were always ready for you, sir. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Its an honor to be in front of the intelligence committee. Ive never been in front of the intelligence committee. Im going to assume im being bugged so ill choose my words carefully. Its a delight for me to introduce and recommend enthusiastically and unconditionally mr. Peter thompson for this important post. I agree with so much of what senator warner said. We live in cynical times. People correctly or incorrectly dont trust government. I understand that. Ive been in and out of government for, i dont know, 25, 30 years and i always tell my constituents that on occasion as bad as it looks from the outside you ought to see it from the inside. And inspectors general help balance that. Not only do they report impropriety, they address issues of the appearance of impropriety and both are important. Just recently i happened to sit on the judiciary committee, and i was very proud of the work done by Inspector General horowitz at the Justice Department. Im convinced had it not been for general horowitz we never would have known about the abuses of the fisa process at the fbi. Committed by a small group of people at the fbi. So this is an important job. Senator rubio did as usual a superb job of welcoming peter and also patricia and kaelin, his daughter. Peter brings a very unique background to this position. Right now he works at a law firm called stone pigman in new orleans. Im not going to tell you its the best law firm in louisiana. Wave got a lot of good one, but the list they dont hire dummies and the list stone bigmans on it doesnt take long to call the role. He heads the white collar criminal defense practice there, and hes also involved in Information Security practices. He has been special assistant to the chief at Dance Network operations at the National Security agency. He served for years as an assistant United States attorney. He has expertise in not just criminal defense but extradition matters. Hes assistant corporations with the foreign corrupt practices act. Hes litigated civil matters, regulatory matters and administrative case. As marco mentioned hes also been an adjunct professor for years. But let me just say a personal note before i conclude. Peter is a mature and serious person. He is hes not an especially good politician, but i dont think thats what this job requires. Hes more of an intellectual, as i think youll see this morning. He exercises power intelligently and nonemotionally. And he has extraordinarily able and good judgment, and i think thats what we want in an Inspector General particularly at the cia. So again, its my pleasure to be here today. And for what its worth mr. Thompson has my highest possible recommendation, and i appreciate your time. Thank you. And thank you for that presentation. Senator cornyn, i understand youll be presenting senator cassidys remarks. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Senator cassidy did send a letter recommending the nominee and he asked me to read it if youll indulge me for just a few minutes and then id ask consent it be made part of the record. Im writing today to express my strong support for Peter Thompson to become Inspector General of the Central Intelligence agency. Peter has a long and distinguished career in Public Service. His 23year career as a federal prosecutor in louisiana gives him deep firsthand experience rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse and wrongdoing. His peers attest to his competency and his character. On may 1, 35 of his colleagues in louisiana Law Enforcement signed a letter citing peters high ethical standards, work ethic, patriotism, legal competence, and reputation for integrity. I share their sentiment. Peters career has included overseeing the use of Government Funds which makes him well suited for the role of Inspector General. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina peter worked on the Katrina Fraud Task force. Catastrophes can bring out the best in people and i witnessed ax of courage and generosity in the midst of tragedy. However, some seek to take advantage of bad situations. Peter kept them accountable and he prosecuted the first significant public Corruption Case following the disaster. Not content to serve in government only in government peter took time to teach as well. He spent 20 years as the associate adjunct professor at two Lane University school of law where he mentored young people just starting their careers. In both his personal and professional life peter has shown us the conduct we hope to see in all our public servants. I ask for your support in the nomination of my fellow louisianan, and friend. Signed dr. Bill cassidy, United States senator. Without objection that will be in our record. Mr. Thompson, before you proceed with your statement if i could ask you to please stand and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear to give this committee the truth, the full truth so help you god. Thank you you can be seated. I want to ask you the five standard questions this committee poses to each nominee who appears before us. They can be answered with a simple yes or no if you prefer for the record. Do you agree to appear before the committee here or in other venues when invited . If confirmed do you agree to send officials from your office to appear before the committee and designated staff when invited . Do you agree to provide documents or any other materials requested by the committee in order for it to carry out its oversight and legislative responsibilities . Yes, i do, sir. Will you ensure your office and staff provide such material to the committee when requested . I do, sir. And do agree to inform and fully brief to the fullest extent possible all members of the activities and covert actions rather than the chairman and vicechairman. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. Well no proceed to your Opening Statement after which ill recognize members by seniority up to five minutes each. Mr. Thompson, the floor is yours. Thank you very much. Chairman rubio, vicechairman warner and distinguished members of the committee, i am honored to be here today as the president s nominee to be the Inspector General of the Central Intelligence agency. I would like first to thank senators bill cassidy and john kennedy for introducing me and for their kind words. I would also like to thank President Trump and cia director gena haspel for the confidence they have placed in me. Further, i appreciate and i am deeply grateful to those individuals who wrote or signed letters in support of my nomination. And last but certainly not least joining me here today are my dear wife patricia and my daughter kaelin. I wish to thank them for their patience and unwavering love and support throughout this process. Although i spent the majority of my government career in the u. S. Department of justice i have always held a deep respect and a profound admiration for the men and women of the cia and the important work they do in preempting threats to our nation. The cia has the critical responsibility of collecting, analyzing, evaluating and disseminating accurate and timely foreign intelligence to policy makers and consumers. And as you know the cia has the responsibility of conducting covert actions when necessary. I believe the officers who serve at the agency including those who serve at the office of Inspector General regardless of background, regardless of political affiliation, regardless of philosophical beliefs are united at their core by a deep love of our country and a strong desire and commitment to protect the American People. So for me it is truly a deep honor and one beyond words to be considered for such an important position within the cia. And to be given the opportunity if confirmed to lead the dedicated and patriotic officers of the office of the Inspector General. Growing up in new orleans i was blessed to have devoted and loving parents who taught me important values which are foundational requirements of an Inspector General. My mom grew up very poor, raised on a small farm on the banks of the mississippi river. She was cecilian so i grew up eating lots of italian food but also spending lots of time at the family farm which we called the country. My mom had an exceptionally strong constitution and was known to fiercely defend right in the face of wrong. She taught me the importance of family and loyalty and how to pick your friends, which had everything to do with character. And she taught me the importance of Standing Firm in ones righteous convictions. I didnt know it then but she was teaching me how to speak truth to power. And my father also grew up poor, raised by his widowed mother in new orleans. At age 21 following the attack on pearl harbor he enlisted in the u. S. Army air corpse and was train today be a heavy balm br pilot. He flew in missions, fighting the human malignant evils of his generation. After being honorably discharged he went to two lane law school with the help of a g. I. Bill. Graduated order of the coif, a high honor and became a successful attorney. My father taught and modeled the same values at my mom. My father also kindled in me an interest in law. He taught me about the rule of law and why it must be respected. And without a doubt my strong sense of patriotism derives from my fathers sacrifices during world war ii. I tell you this to offer a glimpse into my roots in order to give you and the american some insight as to how i will perform as Inspector General of the cia. If i am confirmed i feel the principles instilled in me my by parents, honesty, integrity, patriotism, speaking truth to power, the rule of law and Standing Firm in ones just convictions together with my faith will serve the cia and the intelligence oversight committees and the American Public well. It is my belief that those important principles absolutely must guide the work of the Inspector Generals office. There is another central requirement. Probably the most important requirement of Inspector Generals office. It is independence. Although the cia Inspector General reports to the cia director and reports to and is fully accountable to congress the i. G. s office must independently plan and execute all of its oversight work with regard to the agency. The cia enabling statute requires it. Independence, in my view, means that the work of the Inspector General must be performed in an unbiased and impartial manner, free of undue or inappropriate influences. By law no one can force the Inspector General to alter its work product. Should i be confirmed i can say with absolute confidence that the work that doing the work of the i. G. In an unbiased and impartial manner will be my top priority. Although independence is crucial to the proper functioning of the office and essential to its integrity the Inspector General must also strike a balance