U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King are holding out judgment on President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency a day ahead of their scheduled grilling of the nominee.
Trump nominated Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to take over the agency after he named the former director, Mike Pompeo, secretary of state. Haspel is scheduled to be interviewed Wednesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee, of which both Collins and King are members.
Haspel has come under criticism because of her involvement with the use of harsh interrogation techniques on a suspected al-Qaida official in 2002 when she was chief of a secret Thailand prison. Some lawmakers have also complained that documentation about her career in the clandestine services is not available for vetting — including some that she ordered destroyed.
King said in a written statement that he has met with Haspel and remains “very concerned about some of the issues that have been raised” but that he’ll “reserve judgment” until after Wednesday’s hearing.
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