Clayton Confirmed as DNI, Ending Pulte’s Turbulent Intelligence Era

The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton, a former SEC chair and U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, as Director of National Intelligence in a 51-47 party-line vote, replacing interim DNI Bill Pulte and ending a tenure marked by layoffs within the intelligence community. Clayton faced a contentious confirmation over questions about the 2020 election and related subpoenas, and his confirmation could influence the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s Section 702 as he oversees 18 intelligence agencies and top-secret information.