Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 18 / Wednesday, January 29, 2025 / Presidential Documents 8343 

Executive Order 14152 of January 20, 2025 

Holding Former Government Officials Accountable for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of Sensitive Governmental Information 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: 

Section 1. Purpose. In the closing weeks of the 2020 Presidential campaign, 

at least 51 former intelligence officials coordinated with the Biden campaign 

to issue a letter discrediting the reporting that President Joseph R. Biden’s 

son had abandoned his laptop at a computer repair business. Signatories 

of the letter falsely suggested that the news story was part of a Russian 

disinformation campaign. 

Before being issued, the letter was sent to the CIA Prepublication Classification Review Board, the body typically assigned to formally evaluate the 

sensitive nature of documents prior to publication. Senior CIA officials 

were made aware of the contents of the letter, and multiple signatories 

held clearances at the time and maintained ongoing contractual relationships 

with the CIA. 

Federal policymakers must be able to rely on analysis conducted by the 

Intelligence Community and be confident that it is accurate, crafted with 

professionalism, and free from politically motivated engineering to affect 

political outcomes in the United States. The signatories willfully weaponized 

the gravitas of the Intelligence Community to manipulate the political process 

and undermine our democratic institutions. This fabrication of the imprimatur of the Intelligence Community to suppress information essential to 

the American people during a Presidential election is an egregious breach 

of trust reminiscent of a third world country. And now the faith of Americans 

in all other patriotic intelligence professionals who are sworn to protect 

the Nation has been imperiled. 

National security is also damaged by the publication of classified information. 

Former National Security Advisor John R. Bolton published a memoir for 

monetary gain after he was terminated from his White House position in 

2019. The book was rife with sensitive information drawn from his time 

in government. The memoir’s reckless treatment of sensitive information 

undermined the ability of future presidents to request and obtain candid 

advice on matters of national security from their staff. Publication also 

created a grave risk that classified material was publicly exposed. 

To remedy these abuses of the public trust, this Order directs the revocation 

of any active or current security clearances held by: (i) the former intelligence 

officials who engaged in misleading and inappropriate political coordination 

with the 2020 Biden presidential campaign; and (ii) John R. Bolton. 

Sec. 2. Policy. (a) It is the policy of the United States to ensure that the 

Intelligence Community not be engaged in partisan politics or otherwise 

used by a U.S. political campaign for electioneering purposes. The term 

‘‘Intelligence Community’’ has the meaning given the term in section 3003 

of title 50, United States Code. 

(b) It is the policy of the United States that individuals who hold government-issued security clearances should not use their clearance status to 

influence U.S. elections. 


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(c) It is the policy of the United States that classified information not 

be publicly disclosed in memoirs, especially those published for personal 

monetary gain. 

Sec. 3. Implementation. (a) Effective immediately, the Director of National 

Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Central Intelligence 

Agency, shall revoke any current or active clearances held by the following 

individuals: 

(1) James R. Clapper Jr. 

(2) Michael V. Hayden 

(3) Leon E. Panetta 

(4) John O. Brennan 

(5) C. Thomas Fingar 

(6) Richard H. Ledgett Jr. 

(7) John E. McLaughlin 

(8) Michael J. Morell 

(9) Michael G. Vickers 

(10) Douglas H. Wise 

(11) Nicholas J. Rasmussen 

(12) Russell E. Travers 

(13) Andrew Liepman 

(14) John H. Moseman 

(15) Larry Pfeiffer 

(16) Jeremy B. Bash 

(17) Rodney Snyder 

(18) Glenn S. Gerstell 

(19) David B. Buckley 

(20) Nada G. Bakos 

(21) James B. Bruce 

(22) David S. Cariens 

(23) Janice Cariens 

(24) Paul R. Kolbe 

(25) Peter L. Corsell 

(26) Roger Z. George 

(27) Steven L. Hall 

(28) Kent Harrington 

(29) Don Hepburn 

(30) Timothy D. Kilbourn 

(31) Ronald A. Marks 

(32) Jonna H. Mendez 

(33) Emile Nakhleh 

(34) Gerald A. O’Shea 

(35) David Priess 

(36) Pamela Purcilly 

(37) Marc Polymeropoulos 

(38) Chris Savos 


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(39) Nick Shapiro 

(40) John Sipher 

(41) Stephen B. Slick 

(42) Cynthia Strand 

(43) Greg Tarbell 

(44) David Terry 

(45) Gregory F. Treverton 

(46) John D. Tullius 

(47) David A. Vanell 

(48) Winston P. Wiley 

(49) Kristin Wood 

(50) John R. Bolton 

Two signatories, Patty Patricia A. Brandmaeir and Brett Davis, are deceased. 

(b) Within 90 days of this order, the Director of National Intelligence, 

in consultation with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall 

submit a report to the President through the National Security Advisor 

that details: 

(i) any additional inappropriate activity that occurred within the Intelligence Community, by anyone contracted by the Intelligence Community 

or by anyone who held a security clearance, related to the letter signed 

by the 51 former intelligence officials; 

(ii) recommendations to prevent the Intelligence Community or anyone 

who works for or within it from inappropriately influencing domestic 

elections; and 

(iii) any disciplinary action—including the termination of security clearances—that should be taken against anyone who engaged in inappropriate 

conduct related to the letter signed by the 51 former intelligence officials. 

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 

subject to the availability of appropriations. 


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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party 

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 

employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

January 20, 2025. 

[FR Doc. 2025–01954 

Filed 1–28–25; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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