Washington, D.C. – Following his “no” vote on the nomination of Gina Haspel to be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a statement:
“Gina Haspel oversaw interrogation techniques that amount to torture and participated in the destruction of the evidence of these acts. After giving careful consideration to her record, her statements during the confirmation process and reviewing classified materials about her conduct at the CIA, I voted against her nomination to be the agency’s next Director. While I commend her decades of service to our nation, I could not support her confirmation.
National security experts have been clear that interrogation techniques that amount to torture are not legal, effective or consistent with the values of our Nation. A bipartisan group of 100 former Ambassadors have said that confirmation of Acting Director Haspel would, “…undercut the work of countless diplomats, military service members, and intelligence professionals who continue to engage with their foreign counterparts on why the United States believes that torture and other forms of abuse are not only morally wrong, but strategically shortsighted and legally impermissible. In an era in which the rule of law is under considerable strain around the world, this is a cost we can ill afford.”
###
