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But intelligence community veterans say the Durham probe could force Haspel to choose between protecting her agency from Trump\u2019s wrath and bowing to Barr\u2019s wishes; they point to FBI chief Chris Wray, who has found himself at odds with the president in recent weeks over a watchdog report about the bureau\u2019s conduct in the Russia probe.<\/p>\n
And they say the Barr-Durham probe represents overreach by an attorney general who seems to have already made up his mind and is bent on imposing his own skeptical view of the Russia investigation on the intelligence community.<\/p>\n
Haspel, a veteran intelligence officer known for her fierce loyalty to the CIA and acute political antennae, has rarely made headlines during her 19-month tenure atop the nation\u2019s top spy agency, turning her focus inward on building morale and boosting recruitment. That strategy has kept her out of Trump\u2019s sights and largely protected the CIA\u2019s more than 20,000 employees from the kinds of political attacks that have hobbled the FBI.<\/p>\n
When it comes to Durham, Haspel is likely \u201cconfident there has been no serious wrongdoing, and will therefore find a means to cooperate\u201d with the investigation, said John Sipher, a 28-year CIA veteran.<\/p>\n
Trump often attacks the intelligence community, and said\u00a0last summer<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cthe intelligence agencies have run amok\u201d and needed to be reined in. But he\u2019s never openly criticized Haspel, instead\u00a0calling her \u201chighly respected\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0tweeting last year<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cthere is nobody even close to run the CIA!\u201d<\/p>\n
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