STATEMENT FROM NATIONAL SECURITY PROFESSIONALS

September 27, 2019

As national security professionals, many of us have long been concerned with President Trump’s actions and their implications for our safety and security. Some of us have spoken out, but many of us have eschewed politics throughout our careers and, as a result, have not weighed in publicly.

The revelations of recent days, however, demand a response. Specifically, all of us recognize the imperative of formal impeachment proceedings to ascertain additional facts and weigh the consequences of what we have learned and what may yet still emerge. We applaud those Members of Congress, including Speaker Pelosi, who have now started us down that necessary path.

President Trump appears to have leveraged the authority and resources of the highest office in the land to invite additional foreign interference into our democratic processes. That would constitute an unconscionable abuse of power. It also would represent an effort to subordinate America’s national interests—and those of our closest allies and partners—to the President’s personal political interest.

Having worked across administrations of both parties to uphold and advance those national interests, we consider the President’s actions to be a profound national security concern. Our relations with the rest of the world and our policies on the global stage must be based solely on what is in the national interest. The introduction of any other considerations of the President debases our democracy, has the potential to make us more vulnerable to threats, and sends a message to leaders around the world that America’s foreign policy can be dangerously corrupted by catering to a single individual. If we fail to speak up—and act—now our foreign policy and national security will officially be on offer to those who can most effectively fulfill the President’s personal prerogatives.

To be clear, we do not wish to prejudge the totality of the facts or Congress’ deliberative process. At the same time, there is no escaping that what we already know is serious enough to merit impeachment proceedings. From there, the facts—and nothing but the facts—should dictate how Congress holds the President to account and signals to the world that our foreign policy and national security are not for sale.

LIST OF SIGNATORIES

Rumana Ahmed Daniel Baer Former Senior Advisor Ambassador to the OSCE (ret.) National Security Council State Department

Bunmi Akinnusotu Ginny Barahona Former Special Assistant Former Senior Advsior Environmental Protection Agency USAID

Brian M. Albert Mark Bartolini Former Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Former Director, Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster International Affairs Assistance Department of Homeland Security USAID

Paige Alexander Toshiro Baum Former Assistant Administrator Former Advisor USAID USAID

Liz Allen Chris Beecroft Former Deputy Communications Director Former Country Director White House Department of Defense

Wa’el Alzayat Robert M. Beecroft Former Senior Policy Advisor Ambassador (ret.) State Department State Department

Michael Amato Rand Beers Former Communications Director Former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security House Armed Services Committee Department of Homeland Security

John Amaya Alexandra Bell Former Deputy Chief of Staff Former Senior Advisor Department of Homeland Security State Department

Lars Anderson Daniel Benjamin Former Counselor to the Administrator Former Coordinator for Counterterrorism FEMA State Department

Mark C. Appleton Jenna Ben-Yehuda Former Assistant Coordinator for Iran Nuclear Former Senior Military Advisor Implementation State Department State Department Ariana A. Berengaut Sarah Armstrong Former Counselor to the Deputy Secretary of Naval Intelligence Officer (ret.) State Navy State Department

Matthew S. Axelrod Max Bergmann Former Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State Department of Justice State Department

Alyssa Ayres Jarrod Bernstein Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia Former Assistant Secretary State Department Department of Homeland Security

Rob Berschinski Rosa Brooks Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Former Counselor to the Undersecretary of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Defense State Department Department of Defense

Rukmani Bhatia Peter Brooks Former Special Assistant to the Assistant Captain (ret.) Administrator Marine Corps USAID Allyn Brooks-LaSure Nima Binara Former Foreign Service Officer Former Attorney-Advisor State Department Department of Justice Dolores Marie Brown John Bisognano Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Former Associate Director of Public Engagement for State Department National Security White House Kevin Brown Former Special Advisor James M. Blake State Department Former Security Professional International Rescue Committee Brett Bruen Former Director of Global Engagement Perry Blatstein National Security Council Former Directorate of Operations Targeting Officer CIA Susan F. Burk Former Special Representative of the President, Peter Boogaard Nuclear Nonproliferation Former Deputy Assistant Secretary State Department Department of Homeland Security Sharon Burke Spencer P. Boyer Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Former National Intelligence Officer for Europe Operational Energy Office of the Director of National Intelligence Department of Defense

Tanya Bradsher William J. Burns Former Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Former Deputy Secretary of State Department of Homeland Security State Department

J. Todd Breasseale Nicholas Burns Former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Former Under Secretary of State for Political Homeland Security for Public Affairs Affairs Department of Homeland Security State Department

Tess Bridgeman Ashley Burrell Former Special Assistant to the President Former Staff Assistant National Security Council State Department

Rebecca Brocato Piper Anne Wind Campbell Former Special Assistant to the President for Ambassador (ret.) Legislative Affairs State Department White House Dr. Michael Carpenter Graham Brookie Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Former Advisor for Strategic Communications Department of Defense National Security Counci

Marsha Catron Brent Colburn Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Former Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Department of Homeland Security Public Affairs Department of Defense Andrew Cedar Former Senior Director for Global Engagement Beth Cole National Security Council Former Director, Office of Civil Military Cooperation Judith B. Cefin USAID Ambassador (ret.) State Department Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson Former Advisor to the Director of the Office of Christopher Centner Management and Budget Former Intelligence Officer Office of Management and Budget CIA Desiree M. Cormier Wendy J. Chamberlin Former Foreign Service Officer Ambassador (ret.) State Department State Department Mitchell Craft Katrina Chan Former Speechwriter Former Protocol Officer USAID State Department Leo Cruz Yam Ki Chan Former Special Assistant to the Assistant Former Director for Global and Asia Economics Secretary State Department Department of the Air Force

Alexandra Chandler Melissa Dalton Former Division Chief Former Senior Advisor Office of Naval Intelligence Department of Defense

Ben Chang Luis C. deBaca Former Director of Press and Communications Ambassador-at-Large (ret.) State Department State Department

Welton Chang Gregory Delawie Former Intelligence Officer Ambassador (ret.) Defense Intelligence Agency State Department

Rebecca Bill Chavez Geoffrey Dietz Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Former Senior Intelligence Analyst Western Hemisphere Affairs Defense Intelligence Agency Department of Defense Jim Dinneen Derek Chollet Former Chief of Staff Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Department of Homeland Security International Security Affairs Department of Defense Megan Doherty Former Director for North Africa Joseph Cirincione National Security Council Former Professional Staff Member House Armed Services Committee Daniel Dolgin Former Interagency Officer National Counterterrorism Center

Marsha Catron Joy Drucker Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Department of Homeland Security State Department

Andrew Cedar David A. Duckenfield Former Senior Director for Global Engagement Former Deputy Assistant Secretary National Security Council State Department

Judith B. Cefin Richard Duke Ambassador (ret.) Former Special Assistant to the President State Department White House

Christopher Centner Morgan Dwyer Former Intelligence Officer Former Analyst CIA Department of Defense

Wendy J. Chamberlin Paul D. Eaton Ambassador (ret.) Major General (ret.) State Department Army

Katrina Chan Noah Eden Former Protocol Officer Former Branch Chief State Department National Counterterrorism Center

Yam Ki Chan Yael Eisenstat Former Director for Global and Asia Economics Former Officer State Department CIA

Alexandra Chandler Rachel Ellehuus Former Division Chief Former Principal Director for Europe and NATO Office of Naval Intelligence Department of Defense

Ben Chang Adrienne Elrod Former Director of Press and Communications Former Chief of Staff State Department U.S. House of Representatives

Welton Chang Dianna H. English Former Intelligence Officer Former Director for African Affairs Defense Intelligence Agency National Security Council

Rebecca Bill Chavez Victoria Esser Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Western Hemisphere Affairs Treasury Department Department of Defense Linda Etim Derek Chollet Former Assistant Administrator for Africa Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for USAID International Security Affairs Department of Defense Aristotle Evia Former Advisor to the Director Joseph Cirincione Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Former Professional Staff Member Management House Armed Services Committee

Elisa Catalano Ewers Douglas Frantz Former Senior Policy Advisor Former Assistant Secretary State Department State Department

James Faeh Jacob Freedman Former Country Director for Korea Former Chief Speechwriter Department of Defense Department of Defense

Evelyn N. Farkas Julia Frifield Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Affairs Department of Defense State Department

Sarah S. Farnsworth Michael Fuchs Former Senior Advisor Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for National Security Council East Asian and Pacific Affairs State Department Mark Feierstein Former Special Assistant to the President Amy E. Gadsden National Security Council Former Special Advisor on China State Department Steven Feldstein Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Democracy, John Gans Human Rights, and Labor Former Chief Speechwriter State Department Department of Defense

Jeffrey Feltman Larry Garber Former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Former Deputy Assistant Administrator Affairs USAID State Department Bishop M. Garrison John W. Ficklin Former Advisor, Science and Technology Former Special Assistant to the President and Directorate Senior Director Department of Homeland Security National Security Council Jeffrey Gelman Leah Fiddler Former Senior Advisor Former Development, Democracy and Humanitarian State Department Assistance National Security Council Ilan Goldenberg Former Iran Team Chief Jon Finer Office of the Secretary of Defense Former Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Planning State Department Logan Goldstein Captain (ret.) YJ Fischer Army Former Chief of Staff, Office of the Counselor State Department Juan S. Gonzalez Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Andrea R. Flores Hemisphere Affairs Former Special Assistant State Department Department of Homeland Security Mary Beth Goodman Stephenie Foster Former Special Assistant to President for Former Senior Advisor and Counselor Development and Democracy State Department National Security Council

Phil Gordon Morton H. Halperin Former Special Assistant to the President and White Former Director, Policy Planning Staff House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa State Department and the Gulf Region National Security Council Harry Hannah Former Senior Analyst Felice Gorordo CIA Former Fellow White House Karen Hanrahan Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Corinne Graff State Department Former Director for Democracy and Governance National Security Council Nayyera Haq Former Senior Advisor, Public Affairs Carl Gray State Department Former Protocol Analyst State Department Marie Harf Former Senior Advisor for Strategic Gordon Gray Communications Ambassador (ret.) State Department State Department Alex Harman Samuel Green Former White House Liaison Former Special Assistant Department of Homeland Security U.S. House of Representatives Luke Hartig Ryan Greer Former Senior Director for Counterterrorism Former Policy Advisor National Security Council State Department Oona Hathaway Alexander Guittard Former Special Counsel to the General Counsel Former Foreign Service Officer Department of Defense State Department Caitlin Hayden Andrew Gumbiner Former Special Assistant to the President Former Press Secretary State Department Department of Energy Dan Herman Heather Gutierrez Former Special Assistant to the Under Secretary Former Staff Officer, Office of the Executive of Defense for Intelligence Secretary Department of Defense National Security Council Bruce Alan Heyman Benjamin Haas Ambassador (ret.) Intelligence Officer (ret.) State Department Army Kathleen H. Hicks Nina Hachigian Former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Policy Ambassador (ret.) Department of Defense U.S. Mission to ASEAN Jim Hock Neema Hakim Former Chief of Staff Former Assistant Press Secretary Department of Commerce Department of Homeland Security

Brett Holmgren Nathaniel Jones Former Special Assistant to the President Former Director of Counterterrorism National Security Council National Security Council

Victoria K. Holt Jamia Jowers Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Former Special Assistant State Department National Security Council

Emily Horne Vincent H. Bish, Jr. Former Assistant Press Secretary and Director of Former Special Assistant to the Assistant Strategic Communications Secretary National Security Council Department of Health and Human Services

Lyndsay C. Howard James J. Townsend Jr. Former Research Assistant to the Legal Advisor to Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the President European and NATO Policy National Security Council Department of Defense

Qamar-ul Huda Matt Kaczmarek Former Senior Policy Advisor Former White House Liaison State Department State Department

John Hughes Erica Kaster Former Deputy Director Former Transition Advisor State Department USAID

Joe Hurd Brian Katulis Former Senior Director, Export Promotion and Trade Former Member of Policy Planning Staff Policy State Department Department of Commerce Adam Keith Jason Ray Hutchison Former Director for War Crimes and Atrocity Former Foreign Service Officer Prevention State Department National Security Council

Terron Sims, II Chimene Keitner Senior Analyst Former Counselor on International Law Department of Defense State Department

Shin Inouye Laura Kennedy Former Press Secretary Ambassador (ret.) Department of Homeland Security State Department

Rose Jackson Trevor Kincaid Former Chief of Staff, Bureau of Democracy, Human Former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Rights, and Labor Representative State Department Treasury Department

Southampton James Josh Kirshner Former Analyst Former Special Assistant for Political-Military State Department Affairs State Department Keren Johnson Former Special Assistant USAID

Jennifer Klein Jonathan S. Lachman Former Deputy Advisor Former Associate Director for National Security State Department Programs White House Office of Management and Budget Adam Keith Former Director for War Crimes and Atrocity Clemence Landers Prevention Former International Economist National Security Council Treasury Department

Chimene Keitner Barbara Larkin Former Counselor on International Law Former Assistant Secretary State Department State Department

Frank Kendall Bri Law Former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Former Legal Administrative Specialist Technology, and Logistics Department of Justice Department of Defense S.Y. Lee Laura Kennedy Former Spokesperson Ambassador (ret.) Department of Homeland Security State Department Rafael Lemaitre Trevor Kincaid Former Director of Public Affairs Former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative FEMA Treasury Department Benjamin Levine Josh Kirshner Former Advisor for Global Economics and Former Special Assistant for Political-Military Affairs Finance State Department National Security Council

Jennifer Klein Jason Lewis-Berry Former Deputy Advisor Former Director, Bureau of Conflict and State Department Stabilization Operations State Department Harold Koh Former Legal Advisor Dean Lieberman State Department Former Director of Communications State Department Jeremy Konyndyk Former Director, Office of Foreign Disaster Frank Lowenstein Assistance Former Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian USAID Negotiations State Department Rori Kramer Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Keri Lowry State Department Former Deputy Assistant Secretary State Department Stephen Krupin Former Senior Presidential Speechwriter Darien Luce White House Former Foreign Service Officer State Department Charles Kupchan Former Special Assistant to the President National Security Council

Michael V. McClary Danny Meza Former Deputy Director, Office of International Former Senior Advisor Nuclear Safety and Cooperation Department of Commerce National Nuclear Security Administration James N. Miller Nancy McEldowney Former Under Secretary for Policy Ambassador (ret.) Department of Defense State Department Matthew Miller Kelly McFarland Former Director, Office of Public Affairs Foreign Affairs Analyst Department of Justice State Department Andrew Miller Dennis V. McGinn Former Director for Egypt and Israeli Military Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy Issues Department of the Navy National Security Council

Tyrik McKeiver Nick Mizaur Former Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary Former Special Advisor State Department Department of Commerce

Mike McNerney Christopher J. Le Mon Former Policy Advisor Former Special Assistant to the President Department of Defense National Security Council

Bernadette Meehan David Mortlock Former Foreign Service Officer Former Director for International Economic State Department Affairs National Security Council Ed Meier Former Senior Advisor Katrina Mulligan State Department Former Attorney Advisor Department of Justice Luis Melero Former Senior Policy Advisor Blake M Narendra Office of National Drug Control Policy Former Special Advisor, Bureau of Arms Control State Department Thomas O. Melia Former Assistant Administrator Scott Nathan USAID Former Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Daniel Melleby State Department Former Director, Cyber Response Policy Department of Defense Richard Nephew Former Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy Sarah Mendelson State Department Ambassador (ret.) U.S. Mission to the United Nations Thomas Nides Former Deputy Secretary Joel T. Meyer State Department Former Director National Security Council Mintaro Oba Former Foreign Affairs Officer, East Asian and Pacific Affairs State Department

Matthew G. Olsen Amy E Pope Former Director Former Deputy Homeland Security Advisor National Counterterrorism Center National Security Council

Ted Osius Jeffrey Prescott Ambassador (ret.) Former Special Assistant to the President and State Department Senior Director National Security Council Connor O'Steen Former Foreign Service Officer Ned Price State Department Former Senior Director and Spokesperson National Security Council Maria Otero Former Under Secretary of State for Civilian Jennifer Rene Psaki Security, Democracy and Human Rights State Department Spokesperson State Department State Department

Andrew Overton Sameer Punyani Former Spokesperson and Deputy Head of Fromer Afghanistan Country Director Communications Department of Defense British Embassy Dafna Rand Debra Perlin Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Former Justice Advisor State Department State Department Ben Rhodes Annie Pforzheimer Former Deputy National Security Advisor Former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Security Council Afghanistan State Department Christopher E. Rich Former Foreign Service Officer Macon Phillips State Department Former Coordinator of International Information Programs Karen E. Richardson State Department Former Deputy Assistant Secretary State Department Rusty D. Pickens Former Senior Advisor for Digital Platforms Angelique Roberts State Department Former Director for Threat Finance White House Tony Pipa Former Chief Strategy Officer Cynthia Romero USAID Former Strategic Communications Advisor USAID Joshua Polacheck Former Foreign Service Officer Eric Rosand State Department Former Senior Advisor State Department Stephen Pomper Former Special Assistant to the President Deborah Rosenblum National Security Council Former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics Richard Ponzio Department of Defense Former Senior Advisor, Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan State Department

Jeremy Rosner Nick Shapiro Former Counselor and Senior Director Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor National Security Council to the Director CIA Soledad Roybal Former Senior Advisor on Technology Policy Daniel Shapiro State Department Ambassador (ret.) State Department Edna Z. Ruano Former Director, Public Affairs and John Shattuck Communications Ambassador (ret.) State Department State Department

Joel Rubin Wendy Sherman Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Former Under Secretary of State for Political Legislative Affairs Affairs State Department State Department

Josh Rubin Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall Former Special Assistant, Office of the Secretary Former Deputy Secretary of State Department of Energy State Department Annie Shiel Peter Rundlet Former Senior Security and Human Rights Policy Former Deputy Assistant to the President Analyst White House State Department

Patrick Ryan Dilpreet Sidhu Intelligence Officer (ret.) Former Special Assistant to the National Army Security Adviser National Security Council Julia Santucci Former Leadership Analyst Mark Simakovsky CIA Former Chief of Staff, Europe and NATO Policy Department of Defense Jonathan Scanlon Former Foreign Affairs Officer Amanda Sloat State Department Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southern Europe and Eastern Meditarranean Affairs Beth Van Schaack State Department Former Deputy Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Julianne Smith State Department Former Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President Loren DeJonge Schulman White House Former Senior Advisor to the National Security Adviser Dana Shell Smith National Security Council Ambassador (ret.) State Department Samuel Schumach Former Press Secretary Douglas A. Smith Office of Personnel Management Former Assistant Secretary Department of Homeland Security Stephen A. Seche Ambassador (ret.) State Department

Nate Snyder Bart Szewczyk Former Senior Counterterrorism Official Former Member, Policy Planning Staff Department of Homeland Security State Department

Halie Soifer Terence Szuplat Former Senior Policy Advisor Former Special Assistant to the President U.S. Mission to the United Nations National Security Council

Jon Soltz Stephen Tankel Major (ret.) Former Senior Advisor for Asian and Pacific Army Security Affairs Department of Defense Jared Stancombe Former Management and Program Analyst Jordan Thomas Department of Homeland Security Formerly Legislative Affairs Department of Labor Todd Stern Former Special Envoy for Climate Change Colin Thomas-Jensen State Department Former Senior Policy Advisor U.S. Mission to the United Nations Scott Stern Former Chief of Targeting Unit Shawn Turner CIA Former Director of Communication for National Intelligence Jonathan Stevenson ODNI Former Director for Political-Military Affairs, Middle East and North Africa William Tuttle National Security Council Former Director for Turkish, Greek and Cypriot Affairs Jacob Stokes National Security Council Former Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor Noam Unger White House Former Director, Office of Policy USAID Jeremy R. Strozer Former Foreign Affairs Officer Lauren Vargas State Department Former Special Assistant, Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Philip Stupak Logistics Former Senior Advisor Department of Defense Department of Homeland Security Peter Vincent Arsalan Suleman Former Principal Legal Advisor and Acting Former Acting Special Envoy Director of International Affairs State Department Department of Homeland Security

Jake Sullivan Samantha Vinograd Former National Security Advisor to the Vice Former Senior Advisor to the National Security President Advisor White House National Security Council

Mona Surphen Rachel Vogelstein Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Former Director of Policy, Secretary's Office of White House Global Women's Issues State Department

David E. Wade Jonathan M. Winer Former Chief of Staff Former U.S. Special Envoy for Libya State Department State Department

Alex Wagner William M. Wise Former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Army Former Deputy National Security Advisor to the Department of Defense Vice President White House Laurie A. Watkins Former Special Assistant Tamara Cofman Wittes Department of Defense Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Daniel Watson State Department Former Associate Director of Public Affairs FEMA Albert Wolf Former Legislative Assistant Regina Waugh U.S. House of Representatives Former Director for Human Rights and Gender National Security Council Jon Wolfsthal Former Senior Director and Special Assistant to Lynne Weil the President Former Senior Advisor White House State Department Thomas Wyler Thomas West Former Counselor and Senior Advisor for Former Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan International Economics National Security Council Department of Commerce

Moira Whelan Sarah Yerkes Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Former Member, Policy Planning Staff Affairs State Department State Department Thomas Zimmerman Joshua White Former Special Assistant to the National Former Chief, Human Rights and Corruption Security Advisor Targeting National Security Council Treasury Department

Nicole Wilett Former Director for African Affairs National Security Council

Mark S. Wilkins Former Director, William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies Department of Defense

Joel Willett Former Directorate of Operations CIA

Doug Wilson Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Department of Defense