IU alum leads DNI; FBI director reports to him

Daniel Coats

According to the U.S. Office of Director of National Intelligence website (https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are/leadership/director-of-national-intelligence), the current director is Daniel Coats. Coats attended the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1972 and was associate editor of the Indiana Law Review.

Coats, who also served in both the U.S. House and Senate, was sworn in as the fifth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on March 16, 2017. He leads the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the President.

Wingcom Watchdog contacted Timothy Barrett, Chief of Media Relations, Public Affairs Office of the ODNI and was informed that President Trump did not consult with Director Coats before firing FBI Director Comey. Here is Coats' sworn testimony to the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on May 11 provided by Barrett:

KING: All right, thank you. Mr. Coats -- Director Coats, you're -- you're -- you lead the intelligence community. Were you consulted at all with regard to the firing of Director Comey?

COATS: I was not.

KING: So you had no -- there were no discussions with you even though the FBI's an important part of the intelligence community?

COATS: There were no discussions.

KING: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, thank you.

At press time, Barrett did not respond to additional email asking for Coats to speak to why we should have confidence in the intelligence community for this article.

Update:

“In the short time I've been on this job, I have learned that the I.C. is full of dedicated, talented, creative, patriotic men and women who are committed to keeping America safe, we must retain this posture while looking for ways to improve.” – DNI Dan Coats in testimony before Senate Select Committee on Intelligence