Rounds Introduces DNI Nominee Jay Clayton at Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today delivered the introduction for Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton at his nomination hearing in front of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Rounds first met Jay through his role on the Senate Banking Committee when Clayton was nominated and confirmed to be Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2017.
“Jay is a consummate professional with a distinguished career in both the private and public sectors,” said Rounds. “The Senate previously confirmed him on a bipartisan basis to serve as the SEC Chair, and I’d like to think we were proven correct in judging his character the first time around.”
“Jay’s time at the SEC and in the private sector has given him valuable experience with issues that the DNI faces on a daily basis: cyber threats from state and non-state actors, illicit finance, economic competition with China, and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by both our adversaries and our own intelligence community,” continued Rounds. “He brings valuable insight into each of these areas that will serve him well.”
Click HERE to watch Rounds’ full introduction. Read Rounds’ remarks as prepared for delivery below.
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Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Today, I have the privilege of introducing the Honorable Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the next Director of National Intelligence.
I first met Jay through my role on the Banking Committee when he was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate to be Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2017.
He’s a consummate professional with a distinguished career in both the private and public sectors. The Senate previously confirmed him on a bipartisan basis to serve as the SEC Chair, and I’d like to think we were proven correct in judging his character the first time around.
It’s no surprise President Trump would select him to serve in his cabinet. The DNI has to be a trusted, unbiased voice to provide ongoing intelligence to the President. I believe Jay will do great work in this role.
Jay is an accomplished lawyer with decades of experience, and he currently holds one of the most high-profile and demanding posts in the Department of Justice as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
He’s made the most of his time in New York by prosecuting some of America’s worst enemies and threats to our national security: Mohamed Al-Sadia, the Iranian-Iraqi national responsible for over a dozen terrorist attacks in Europe and two attempted attacks in America, Nicolas Maduro, and multiple other narco-terrorists.
These efforts required extensive coordination with the intelligence community and larger national security enterprise, including the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If confirmed, Jay’s experience at the helm in New York will serve him well as DNI.
Mr. Clayton chaired the SEC through a period of significant uncertainty for financial markets during the depths of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020.
His success in leadership roles at the SEC and DOJ is strong evidence of his ability to be an effective coordinator as the Director of National Intelligence.
Many of the most pressing national security threats we face today are cross-cutting issues that involve technology and economics and go beyond the IC’s traditional focus on foreign military capabilities and foreign leadership intentions.
Jay’s time at the SEC and in the private sector has given him valuable experience with issues that the DNI faces on a daily basis: cyber threats from state and non-state actors, illicit finance, economic competition with China, and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by both our adversaries and our own intelligence community. He brings valuable insight into each of these areas that will serve him well.
Jay holds a TS/SCI clearance and has worked in highly classified compartmented environments requiring discretion and security compliance. As a result, he knows first-hand the critical importance of Section 702 of FISA. His extensive experience working across agencies is a quality needed as DNI. He has a working relationship with CIA director Ratcliffe that will make for a smooth transition into this leadership role.
While Jay may not have served in the intelligence community, he has the right mix of practical experience working with the IC, including experience with the Justice Department and coordination with the Department of the Treasury. His professional background is important to the growing demands being placed upon the IC related to technology and economic competition. Furthermore, his diverse experience in the private sector, the SEC and as a U.S. attorney in a very active district give him the wealth of management, leadership, and organizational experience to succeed in coordinating with all the different equities that make up the Intelligence Community.
In closing, I offer my strong endorsement for Mr. Clayton to serve as the next Director of National Intelligence. Thank you.
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Thanks for your report. Since this is a Trump nominee, I can’t wait to find out what’s wrong with him, or what ways he will bend the law to suit Trump’s needs.