Major Controversies Surrounding John Ratcliffe: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around John Ratcliffe—discover key moments of controversy.

John Ratcliffe is an American politician and attorney. He served as the Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021. Currently, since 2025, he is the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ratcliffe also served as a U.S. Representative for Texas from 2015 to 2020.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2008: Mention of 2008 DOJ Decision

In 2008, the Department of Justice made a decision not to prosecute former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for mishandling classified documents, which was later referenced in a 2018 report related to the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

July 2016: FBI Initiated Russia Probe

In July 2016, the FBI initiated an investigation into Russian interference, triggered by information about George Papadopoulos, according to the House Republican intelligence committee's memo, contradicting Ratcliffe's claim that the Steele dossier initiated the probe.

September 2016: Questioned James Comey

In September 2016, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, John Ratcliffe questioned then-FBI director James Comey about the FBI's decision not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton regarding her email controversy.

2016: Ratcliffe Questioned Mueller's Report

Days before being announced as Trump's choice for Director of National Intelligence, Ratcliffe questioned Robert Mueller during his congressional testimony, criticizing Mueller's description of obstruction of justice instances in his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, claiming Mueller exceeded his authority.

2016: Comments on Russian Interference

In 2016, John Ratcliffe alleged that Russian interference may have helped Hillary Clinton more than Trump. American intelligence agencies have maintained that Russia interfered to help Trump.

2016: Ratcliffe Supported Trump's Criticism of Russia Investigation

In 2016, Ratcliffe staunchly supported Donald Trump's criticism of the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, particularly the origins of the investigation, suggesting potential crimes during the Obama administration. Ratcliffe stated that he has "seen no evidence" that Russian interference in the 2016 election helped get Trump elected.

2016: Ratcliffe asserted that classified transcripts were leaked

Shortly before Trump announced he would be nominated as DNI, Ratcliffe asserted the Obama administration had committed a felony by leaking classified transcripts of 2016 phone calls between Michael Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak to The Washington Post.

2016: Ratcliffe Declassifies 2016 Russian Disinformation

Thirty-five days before the November 2020 election, Ratcliffe declassified 2016 Russian disinformation alleging Hillary Clinton approved a scheme to link Trump to Putin and Russian hacking, providing it to Senator Lindsey Graham for public release, despite prior rejection by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Ratcliffe acknowledged uncertainty about the accuracy of the allegation.

June 2018: DOJ Inspector General Report on Clinton Email Investigation

The June 2018 DOJ inspector general report stated that the DOJ's analysis of the relevant statute found that the FBI evidence for gross negligence charges against Hillary Clinton was lacking, and that interpretation was consistent with "prior cases under different leadership including in the 2008 decision not to prosecute former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for mishandling classified documents."

March 2019: Controversial Tweet

In March 2019, John Ratcliffe tweeted that former FBI attorney Lisa Page had confirmed that the Obama Justice Department had ordered the FBI not to consider gross negligence charges against Hillary Clinton regarding her handling of classified material.

February 29, 2020: Sen. Warner Warned Against Renominating Ratcliffe

On February 29, 2020, Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned Trump against re-nominating John Ratcliffe.

May 2020: Ratcliffe Declassified Flynn Transcripts

Three days after becoming DNI in May 2020, Ratcliffe declassified and released the full transcripts of 2016 phone calls between Michael Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

March 2021: ODNI Released Analysis on Russian Disinformation

In March 2021, two months after Ratcliffe's departure as DNI, the ODNI released an analysis indicating that Russian intelligence proxies promoted misleading narratives about the Bidens to US media, officials, and individuals connected to the Trump administration.

2022: Ratcliffe called for China to be stripped of the rights to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics

In 2022, Ratcliffe called for China to be stripped of the rights to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics because of what he said were "crimes of humanity against Uyghur Muslims" and alleged "a massive cover up of the (COVID-19) virus’s origins" and the "circumstances surrounding its initial outbreak".

2025: Ratcliffe Participated in Leaked Signal Chat

In 2025, Ratcliffe participated in a Signal messaging service group chat about military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. The chat was leaked when Jeffrey Goldberg was added erroneously, and Ratcliffe mentioned the name of an undercover CIA officer in the chat.