Ellis, who served as a lawyer for Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, was selected for the position in November by the Pentagon general council. He served as a lawyer for the National Security Council and, more recently, as a senior director of intelligence.
He was also one of two White House advisers who in 2017 helped Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), One of President Donald Trump’s most ferocious Capitol allies, to gain access to highly confidential intelligence reports.
His choice to be the NSA’s general counsel sparked protests from national security experts and Congressional Democrats, who saw this as an effort to “dig in,” or convert a political appointee into a career position, in the country’s largest spy agency. . Biden will take office on Wednesday.
Right after the announcement, Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) And Jack Reed (DR.I.) – who this week will become the chairmen of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, respectively – asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ellis’ selection.
His installation was contested by Nakasone, who hoped to postpone it as long as possible, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ellis’ performance creates a new headache for the Biden administration. Although the new administration can begin the process of removing Ellis on the first day, it is unlikely that he can be replaced immediately.
As general counsel, Ellis will be one of the senior leaders, in terms of seniority, in the NSA.
But the regulations surrounding the electronic spy agency put it several steps down the chain of command.