William Webster, a former FBI director and head of the CIA, is urging senators to reject Kash Patel as FBI director and Tulsi Gabbard for director of intelligence.
Webster, who turned 100 this year and is the only person to hold both positions, said neither Patel nor Gabbard were qualified for their positions, expressing concern about Patel’s loyalty to President-elect Donald Trump.
"His record of executing the president's directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice," Webster said in a letter to senators Thursday obtained by Politico.
Webster said Gabbard had a "profound lack" of experience in intelligence.
"Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations," he wrote. "Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished."
Trump's transition did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Politico.
A Republican, Webster was appointed FBI director in 1978 by then-President Jimmy Carter, serving until 1987, when then-President Ronald Reagan named him CIA director. He held the position until 1991.
In 2020, Webster endorsed Joe Biden over Trump, claiming Trump was unfit to be president.
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