Joseph Maguire
Joseph Maguire | |
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| Born | August 14, 1951 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Military officer, government official |
| Years active | 1974–2010 (military), 2018–2020 (government) |
| Known for | Director of the National Counterterrorism Center; Acting Director of National Intelligence |
Joseph Maguire (born August 14, 1951) is a former American military officer who held the roles of Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Acting Director of National Intelligence during President Donald Trump’s administration. He concluded his naval career in 2010, retiring as a vice admiral after 36 years of service. Prior to retirement, he was the deputy director responsible for strategic operational planning at the NCTC.
Designated by President Trump, Maguire assumed the position of Acting Director of National Intelligence on August 16, 2019, serving throughout the period of the Trump–Ukraine scandal. On September 13, 2019, the House Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena to him over allegations of withholding a whistleblower complaint; he appeared and testified before the committee on September 26.
Early life
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Maguire earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Manhattan College in 1974.
Maguire commenced his Navy service in November 1974 as a Naval Special Warfare Officer. His initial sea assignment was aboard the USS Coronado. Despite sustaining a broken leg, he completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) in July 1977. His first operational role was with Underwater Demolition Team Twenty One, where he received the 1130 Naval Special Warfare Officer designation. Between 1979 and 1981, he acted as Flag Lieutenant to the Commander Amphibious Forces Seventh Fleet (CTF 76). From 1982 to 1983, he served with SEAL Team Two and was deployed to Europe with Naval Special Warfare Unit Two. In 1985, he obtained a master's degree in Scientific and Technical Intelligence from the Naval Postgraduate School.
His assignments included operations officer for Naval Special Warfare Group Two (1985–1987), executive officer of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two (1987–1988), and Assignment Officer and Community Manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel (1989–1991). He held the position of Chief Staff Officer at Naval Special Warfare Development Group (1991–1992) before commanding SEAL Team Two from 1992 to 1994. During 1994–95, he was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University. Subsequently, he led the Naval Special Warfare Center as commander from 1997 to 1999 and served as Deputy Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command between 1999 and 2001.
From 2004 until 2007, Maguire commanded the Naval Special Warfare Command. Following this, he took on the role of deputy director for strategic operational planning at the National Counterterrorism Center, serving until his retirement in 2010 at the rank of Vice Admiral.
Private civilian career
Following his naval retirement, Maguire worked as a vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton. He is currently Executive Director of The Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin.
Maguire dedicated three years as a board member for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, an organization supporting severely injured special operations personnel and their families. In 2013, he assumed leadership as President and CEO of the foundation.
Government service
In June 2018, President Donald Trump put forward Maguire's nomination for the role of Director at the National Counterterrorism Center. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment in December of the same year, and he officially assumed office on December 27, 2018.
Interim Director of National Intelligence
President Trump declared on August 8, 2019, that Maguire would serve as the acting Director of National Intelligence (acting DNI) starting August 15. This followed Dan Coats' resignation and the decision to bypass deputy director Susan M. Gordon for the position.
In February 2020, following reports that a subordinate of Maguire briefed the House Intelligence Committee about Russian activities favoring Trump's re-election campaign, Trump publicly criticized Maguire and announced his replacement. Maguire stepped down on February 21, 2020, with Richard Grenell immediately taking over as acting DNI. This transition raised concerns among former military and intelligence officials, including William H. McRaven.
While serving as acting DNI, Maguire received a formal whistleblower complaint from a member of the United States Intelligence Community, submitted to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (IGIC). The complaint involved President Donald Trump's communications with a foreign leader, alleging that during a July 2019 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump made a concerning "promise" urging Ukraine to investigate his political opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his family.
The IGIC found the complaint credible and classified it as an "urgent concern." Federal law mandates that the DNI must transmit such complaints to congressional intelligence committees within seven days. However, Maguire chose not to forward the complaint to Congress.
This decision led the House committee to issue a subpoena demanding that Maguire either provide the complaint or testify before the House Intelligence Committee. Representative Schiff accused Maguire of unlawfully withholding a valid whistleblower complaint and expressed worries about potential executive branch obstruction intended to suppress allegations of wrongdoing. Maguire referenced a "higher authority" above his office as justification for withholding the document.
Reports from The Washington Post indicated that Maguire considered resigning due to apprehensions that the Trump administration might restrict his testimony to Congress regarding the whistleblower matter. He reportedly conveyed his frustration to White House counsel Pat Cipollone, feeling trapped by being compelled to deny Congress access on jurisdictional grounds. However, Maguire later refuted claims that he had contemplated resignation.
After initially declining to testify on September 19, Maguire consented to appear before the House Intelligence Committee on September 26. It remained uncertain whether he secured permission from the White House for unrestricted testimony. Maguire asserted that he fully complied with legal obligations, remained dedicated to safeguarding whistleblowers, and sought cooperative engagement between the Administration and Congress to resolve the issue.
Personal life
Maguire and his wife are parents to two children.
Awards and decorations
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External links
- 1951 births
- Booz Allen Hamilton people
- Harvard University staff
- Living people
- Manhattan College alumni
- Naval Postgraduate School alumni
- Military personnel from Brooklyn
- First Trump administration cabinet members
- United States directors of national intelligence
- United States Naval Special Warfare Command
- United States Navy admirals
- United States Navy SEALs personnel
- Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
- Recipients of the Humanitarian Service Medal