{"id":115495,"date":"2021-02-02T07:16:47","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T12:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=115495"},"modified":"2021-02-02T08:15:06","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T13:15:06","slug":"kevin-mccarthy-calls-on-pentagon-to-restore-nsa-general-counsel-michael-ellis-to-active-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kevin-mccarthy-calls-on-pentagon-to-restore-nsa-general-counsel-michael-ellis-to-active-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin McCarthy Calls on Pentagon to Restore NSA General Counsel Michael Ellis to Active Service"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkevin-mccarthy-calls-on-pentagon-to-restore-nsa-general-counsel-michael-ellis-to-active-service%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=115495&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has urged U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to restore attorney Michael Ellis to active service as the National Security Agency general counsel after reports that Ellis was placed on administrative leave, with McCarthy arguing that Ellis&#8217;s sidelining &#8220;appears to have been the result of undue political influence.&#8221; &#8220;I urge you to reconsider and reverse the recent decision by the National Security Agency (NSA) to place its General Counsel, a career employee selected through the merit system process, on administrative leave,&#8221; McCarthy wrote in his letter to Austin.\u00a0McCarthy also took aim at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi<\/p>\n<p>House Minority Leader\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-kevin-mccarthy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kevin McCarthy<\/a>\u00a0(R-Calif.) has urged U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to restore attorney Michael Ellis to active service as the National Security Agency general counsel after reports that Ellis was placed on administrative leave, with McCarthy arguing that Ellis\u2019s sidelining \u201cappears to have been the result of undue political influence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI urge you to reconsider and reverse the recent decision by the National Security Agency (NSA) to place its General Counsel, a career employee selected through the merit system process, on administrative leave,\u201d McCarthy wrote in his\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GOPLeader\/status\/1356397633993109504?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter to Austin<\/a>.\u00a0McCarthy also took aim at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), alleging that she \u201cpoliticized an Intelligence Community position by demanding the removal of a national security professional to satisfy her vendetta against the Trump administration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is hardly the message of unity that President Biden called for in his Inaugural Address,\u201d McCarthy added.<\/p>\n<p>Ellis\u2019s appointment came on the eve of President Joe Biden\u2019s inauguration and after Pelosi\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.speaker.gov\/newsroom\/11821-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sent a letter<\/a>\u00a0to then acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller demanding that he \u201cimmediately cease\u201d his plans to install Ellis, calling the move \u201chighly suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPublic reporting indicates that Mr. Ellis, a relatively recent law school graduate with a limited resume, was selected due to interference by the White House, and was chosen over much more qualified candidates,\u201d Pelosi wrote.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3659192\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy size-large wp-image-3659192 ll-init ll-loadstarted ll-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2021\/01\/16\/pelosi-with-butterfly-mask-1200x823.jpg\" alt=\"Nancy Pelosi\" width=\"640\" height=\"439\" data-src=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2021\/01\/16\/pelosi-with-butterfly-mask-1200x823.jpg\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters in Washington on Jan. 15, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite\/AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"inside_ad_336x280_1\" data-google-query-id=\"CJqP1Yeky-4CFZNU1QodStEA3g\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/5965368\/EET_article_inside_336x280_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The NSA\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/pelosi-urges-pentagon-head-to-halt-installing-new-nsa-general-counsel_3662128.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told several news outlets<\/a>\u00a0on Jan. 17 that it is moving forward with Ellis\u2019s placement, while the Pentagon noted in a statement that not proceeding with a merit-based appointment was unjustified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce a candidate is selected through the merit system, given an offer, and meets the requirements to be entered into the position, if that entry does not happen, it exposes the department, agency, and senior leadership to claims for a violation of the merit system principles and processes that are designed to protect the participants in such selections,\u201d the Pentagon stated.<\/p>\n<p>Ellis joined the White House in 2017 and later became an attorney for the National Security Council in 2019. Some news outlets described him as a \u201cloyalist\u201d to former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy defended Ellis as a \u201chighly qualified applicant,\u201d who served as a naval intelligence officer for over a decade, while characterizing calls for Ellis\u2019s removal as part of a \u201cpersonal and partisan attack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he opposes the NSA\u2019s hiring of Ellis as its top lawyer, telling CBS News on Jan. 17 that the move is part of the Trump administration\u2019s \u201ceffort to embed people in the civil service who are political and partisan actors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pelosi echoed Schiff\u2019s allegation in her letter, characterizing the staffing move as part of a long-standing practice called \u201cburrowing,\u201d in which an outgoing administration transitions political appointees into more secure civil service positions, giving them protection from dismissal by an incoming administration and allowing them to continue to serve and, potentially, influence policy.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"in_article_ads_0\" data-google-query-id=\"CP-5goiky-4CFUxL1QodOhkCtg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/5965368\/EET_article_inside_300x250_0__container__\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/5965368\/EET_article_inside_300x250_0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" src=\"https:\/\/de66c2ce4f31a12f93ab47a81070c778.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-37\/html\/container.html\" name=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-is-safeframe=\"true\" data-google-container-id=\"4\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe efforts to install him or \u2018burrow\u2019 him into a highly sensitive intelligence position 72 hours prior to the beginning of a new administration manifest a disturbing disregard for our national security. Therefore, this placement should not move forward,\u201d Pelosi wrote.<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy, in his letter, also called for an investigation into whether the placement of Ellis on administrative leave \u201cwas motivated by political influence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times reached out to Pelosi\u2019s office for comment on McCarthy\u2019s allegations but did not receive a response by publication.<\/p>\n<p>(D-Calif.), alleging that she &#8220;politicized an Intelligence Community position by demanding the removal of a national security professional to satisfy her vendetta against the Trump administration.&#8221; &#8220;This is hardly the message of unity that President Biden called for in his Inaugural Address,&#8221; McCarthy added. Ellis&#8217;s appointment came on the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has urged U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to restore attorney Michael Ellis to active service as the National Security Agency general counsel after reports &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1892438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3755,4769,3660,3663,3761,4766],"class_list":["post-115495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-calls","tag-general","tag-kevin","tag-mccarthy","tag-pentagon","tag-restore"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1892438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}