House Intelligence: CIA Mishandled Sexual Assault Cases
The Facts
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had reportedly failed to properly respond to reports of sexual assault and harassment, according to a report by the House Intelligence Committee.
In a report obtained by Politico on Monday night, lawmakers claim that there were “long-standing issues with the internal reporting structure at CIA” relating to sexual misconduct, adding that the process of reporting assaults or harassment was confusing and disorderly.
The Spin
The fact that Congress is publicly investigating and scolding the CIA shows just how poorly the agency managed claims of sexual assault by female employees. In addition to fostering an environment that allowed male officers to harass and assault female colleagues, the CIA doubled down by intimidating women who sought to report their trauma. On top of that, the agency fired the female victim while neglecting to punish her abuser. The CIA’s actions are disturbing and abhorrent on so many levels, so, unfortuna
As the nation’s top intelligence agency, the CIA is committed to transparency and an unrelenting pursuit to improve. While the agency may have failed to properly handle sexual assault and harassment allegations in the past, it is taking every step possible to ensure that these issues never happen again. By establishing a new office to for sexual assault response and prevention, the agency is working with outside directors to improve its processes. The past cannot be undone, but the CIA will get this right f
