A group of Republican senators is expressing concern over why the Biden administration “suddenly” reassigned a director of the Department of Energy.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and other Republican lawmakers wanted an answer as to why Steven Black, the director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence intelligence (DOE-IN), had been moved to a “senior adviser” position at the Department of Energy on Oct. 17, with no apparent explanation.
Lawmakers are “alarming” with Granholm “about a troubling report on the state of the counterintelligence firm at the Department and questioning whether that report played a role in the reassignment of Steven Black,” a Risch press release . web site reads.
“Black was reassigned to a new position in the Department after leading the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DOE-IN) for eleven years. The senators are asking that until questions about counterintelligence are answered… intelligence to the Department, Black is not assigned to any Department of Energy office with a national security mission,” the statement added.
If Director Black chaired DOE-IN while there were serious counterintelligence deficiencies, he should not be reassigned to any Department office with a national security mission. We need answers.
— Jim Risch (@SenatorRisch) November 21, 2023
“We are writing seeking answers to pressing questions raised by a recent personnel decision at the Department of Energy,” he said letter to Granholm he said, wanting to know why Black was “suddenly and without explanation reassigned.”
“We are told that he will take up a new role as a ‘Senior Advisor’ in the Department, they added.
“We are also aware that a study by an outside contractor, which the Department has had since April, describes disturbing findings about the state of counterintelligence across the Department, to include national laboratories,” the senators wrote.
They reiterated the importance of the DOE and its research, “especially at national laboratories,” which is “among the most important national security work done by this country.” Lawmakers said the study’s findings “are deeply troubling.”
“If Director Black chaired DOE-IN for a period of time when there were serious deficiencies with regard to counterintelligence, he should not be reassigned to any office within the Department that has a national security mission. We urge to refrain from reassigning Director Black to any Department office until we receive answers to these questions,” they continued.
Risch was joined on the letter by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark. ), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and James Lankford (R-Okla.)
The senators listed questions they wanted answered, including why Black was reassigned after 11 years in office.
“Did the findings outlined in the contractor’s study factor into your decision to reassign him?” they asked Granholm.
“In what part of the Department will he act as ‘senior advisor’?” added the lawmakers, who asked when the department became aware of the study from April, as well as whether it agreed with the findings.
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