Posted originally on CTH on October 11, 2025 | Sundance

It’s all inside baseball, but for those who are watching the effort to rein in the Fourth Branch of government it is also quite interesting.

CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis (pictured left) has removed the acting CIA general counsel and put himself into the role until President Trump’s nominee Joshua Simmons can be confirmed by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Deputy Director Ellis, like DNI Tulsi Gabbard is a solid MAGA ally.  Without knowing the reason for his decision to remove the CIA general counsel, the New York Times is not happy.

WASHINGTON DC – Michael Ellis, the deputy director of the C.I.A., has abruptly demoted a career lawyer who had been serving as the agency’s acting general counsel since January and installed himself in that role, according to people familiar with the matter.

[…] It was not clear what was behind Mr. Ellis’s taking personal control of making legal judgments for the agency while continuing to help lead it, but the move raised alarms among some current and former intelligence officials.

[…] The C.I.A. did not specifically address questions about what was behind the move and whether it raised conflict-of-interest issues. But in a statement, a C.I.A. spokeswoman, Liz Lyons, noted that Mr. Trump had nominated a State Department lawyer, Joshua Simmons, for the role. The Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing for him on Wednesday.

“The deputy director is a highly respected national security lawyer and intelligence professional,” Ms. Lyons said. “This temporary arrangement was approved by career agency attorneys while the Senate considers President Trump’s nominee, Josh Simmons, for C.I.A. general counsel.

[…] a career lawyer who had been the principal deputy general counsel had been serving as the acting top lawyer for the C.I.A. His name has not been publicly released.

That lawyer has now been relegated to the role of a regular deputy — not fired — and Mr. Ellis has given himself the role of principal deputy, which automatically makes him the acting general counsel so long as the position remains vacant. (read more)

Some, very few – of which you are a select audience, may read this story and ponder what is going on.  Again, all of this cuts to the core issue of a rogue Intelligence Community being confronted.

Remember, one of DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s first moves was to confront the National Intelligence Council inside the CIA and remove it.  Gabbard then fired the NIC leadership, and it became obvious quickly she intercepted an NIC effort to undermine President Trump’s framework of Venezuela operatives Tren de Aragua De operating as a criminal terrorist organization.  Soon thereafter, Gabbard removed the security clearances of 37 current and former officials – some from the CIA stable.

As that second scenario unfolded it became clear the CIA Directorate of Analysis was attempting to frame a narrative against Gabbard using a changed “covert status” for CIA operative Ms. Julia Gurganus, Senior Executive Manager – Europe and Eurasia Mission Center, Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA scheme didn’t work.  DNI Gabbard declassified and released the CIA work product, and then later removed Gurganus security clearance.  Julia Gurganus was the author of the false, corrupt and heavily weaponized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment.

At each step of the IC confrontation, we can see CIA operatives intending to interfere.

Therefore, it makes sense for CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis to make a move inside the agency to ensure the general counsel is not part of the problem.  Who can Ellis trust?  Given the nature of what has unfolded, the answer is himself.

Why now?

Great question.

Two likely scenarios surface.  First, former NSA John Bolton’s DOJ prosecution is likely to come down to a set of “classified” document determinations as defined by the CIA previously working with Bolton.  If there is a Bolton indictment looming, Deputy Director Ellis needs to ensure no political defense postures are mounted from within.

The second issue is even bigger in consequence.

With China making bold trade and geopolitical moves simultaneous with President Trump’s focus being directed to the Israeli/Gaza conflict, there is one point of geopolitical leverage which can cut the Gordian knot – Russia.

If President Trump can pull Russia out of the gravitational field of China, things can quickly change.  Bold changes within the U.S-Russia relationship, at such a tenuous time as this, would require a fully aligned CIA.