Dusty Foggo, the CIA’s executive director under Porter Goss, was sentenced yesterday to more than three years in prison for funneling agency procurement contracts to an old friend and defense contractor. Court papers refer to two of Foggo’s mistresses, including one he had hired at the CIA at a six-figure salary. The papers also include affidavits from a number of unidentified John and Jane Does.
I asked a former senior CIA official for his reaction to the case (sentencing documents available here via ProPublica). His remarks have been lightly edited.
The mistress stuff is classic Dusty. There were more than the ones mentioned. Dusty was a disgusting guy, but that is the monster that is the Directorate of Administration, the most powerful part of the agency. They control money, personnel, administration, and the office of security, and have the ability to fuck over anyone, anywhere in the agency. Dusty destroyed a lot of people on his climb to the top and while he was Exdir. So many of us were floored when Goss made him Exdir.
John Doe 1 is the affidavit that counts. He was a legendary officer and great leader. A decorated veteran of Vietnam and just about every covert conflict the agency was involved in since then. He was the last true capable boss of Special Activities Division. He was genuinely trying to make long overdue changes to make the system work better and more secure and all of it was destroyed by Dusty. The culmination of which was the loss of millions of dollars in exposed and compromised assets.
Jane Doe 1 was the senior support woman he canned to make room for his squeeze. Dusty was a real class act. The lawyer he canned is a part that will likely blow up; she can sue. She was removed from her job because she told Dusty something he didn’t want to hear. Shitting on a female lawyer was over the top, but as Exdir, Dusty was untouchable. Its hard to really grasp how fucked up things got under Goss. It was a disaster, that sent the agency into a high speed dive into the abyss. They were on a slide into irrelevance before Goss arrived, but that period caused an acceleration down that has yet to stop. Criminal malfeasance.
