Steady State Letter to Congress -- Reports of “Interagency Weaponization Working Group” and Implications for Oversight of the Intelligence Community

The Steady State | October 21, 2025

PDF LETTER AVAILABLE AT LINK

Dear Chairpersons, Vice Chairman and Ranking Members:

I write on behalf of The Steady State[1], to express deep concern regarding recent reporting that suggests the existence of an “Interagency Weaponization Working Group” (“IWWG”), composed of officials from across the federal government—including elements of the Intelligence Community—and apparently tasked with pursuing retributive actions against individuals perceived as political opponents of the President.

According to an October 20, 2025 Reuters investigation entitled “Wide-Ranging Group of U.S. Officials Pursues Trump’s Fight Against ‘Deep State’” [2]the group has drawn participants from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Justice, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and other agencies. Documents reviewed by Reuters reportedly show that the IWWG’s stated purpose is to “carry out President Trump’s executive order” directing federal agencies to identify and “correct past misconduct” related to so-called “weaponization” of government authority.

If accurate, these reports describe a profound and dangerous subversion of the apolitical foundation of the Intelligence Community. The Intelligence Community was established to provide objective analysis—not to pursue perceived political adversaries or to “root out” dissent within its own ranks. The activities described in the Reuters report echo the worst examples of intelligence politicization and misuse of “security services” in our history, and would represent a direct violation of the statutory and ethical boundaries designed to separate intelligence functions from domestic political operations.

These reports, if true, are not only deeply concerning as a serious misuse of the national security apparatus, but they risk converting elements of that apparatus into the type of “internal security service” seen in autocratic states. The transformation of our intelligence and law-enforcement institutions into a domestic surveillance or retribution mechanism—an American KGB—would strike at the heart of our constitutional and democratic order. Moreover, such efforts have already created, and may well be designed to create, a chilling effect on free expression and association within the national security workforce. The fear that professional judgment, past service, or even public comment could attract investigative scrutiny fosters precisely the kind of self-censorship that authoritarian regimes rely upon to maintain control. Indeed, it is not lost on us that even the writing of this letter may, itself, invite the attention of those operating within the IWWG.

If accurate, these reports buttress the findings in our recently released Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline, which “applies the analytic tradecraft of the U.S. Intelligence Community to conditions inside the United States”[3]:

We judge with high confidence that the Executive Branch is actively weaponizing state institutions to punish perceived opponents and shield allies. This includes the politicization of the Department of Justice and intelligence agencies, the weakening of oversight and independent institutions—including the dismissal of Inspectors General—and the politicization of the civil service, including the revival of measures such as “Schedule F” which undermines the neutrality of the federal workforce… undertaking a concerted effort to undermine national security and intelligence agencies, portraying them as bureaucracies needing streamlining, discipline, and alignment with the president’s narrative. Internal dissent is treated as “sabotage,” and leaks the Administration perceives as politically motivated are “aggressively pursued,” while others are downplayed or ignored.

Given the gravity of these implications, we respectfully urge the Committees to:

1. Hold immediate closed hearings with the Director of National Intelligence, the Attorney General, and relevant agency heads to determine the existence, authority, and scope of any such interagency group;
2. Request all documents, communications, and membership lists related to the IWWG and similar “weaponization” initiatives, including taskings and technical-collection authorizations;
3. Assess potential violations of the National Security Act, Executive Order 12333, and statutory prohibitions on domestic intelligence activities; and
4. Affirm publicly—in a bipartisan statement—that the Intelligence Community must never be employed for political or personal retribution.

The Steady State, comprising former senior officials from the Intelligence, Defense, and Diplomatic communities, stands ready to brief Committee staff—on the broader implications for democratic governance and national security.

Regards,

Steven A. Cash
Executive Director
The Steady State
contact@thesteadystate.org

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[1] Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 340 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of State, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs and law, we advocate for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and the preservation of America’s national security institutions.

[2] Jonathan Landay, Sarah N. Lynch & Phil Stewart, “Wide-Ranging Group of U.S. Officials Pursues Trump’s Fight Against ‘Deep State’,” Reuters (Oct. 20, 2025), available at LINK

[3] The Steady State, Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline (Oct. 16, 2025), available on-line at LINK.