Exclusive: CIA struggles with its own ‘Me Too’ moment as allegations of sexual assault spill into the open

Courts in northern Virginia and Washington, DC, have been quietly hearing cases of alleged sexual assault at the CIA for more than a year, offering fleeting glances of what multiple officials describe as a deep-rooted cultural problem at the spy agency.

Courts in northern Virginia and Washington, DC, have been quietly hearing cases of alleged sexual assault at the CIA for more than a year, offering fleeting glances of what multiple officials describe as a deep-rooted cultural problem at the spy agency. Two cases have resulted in convictions of misdemeanor assault in Virginia. In September, a federal judge in Washington, DC, sentenced a former CIA officer to 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women. Behind the scenes, other allegations continue to plague the notoriously insular spy agency, including at least one claim that has resulted in an officer being fired, CNN has learned. A stream of female whistleblowers has gone to Capitol Hill recently to testify behind closed doors to congressional oversight committees about other allegations of sexual assault and harassment at the CIA. Earlier this year, a more than 600 page report by the agency’s inspector general and a separate review by congressional investigators found serious deficiencies in how the CIA handled complaints. In response to what some victims have called the CIA’s “Me Too” moment, the agency has launched a major reform effort over the past year. That includes establishing a dedicated office to receive allegations of sexual assault and harassment, and hiring a law enforcement officer to help facilitate investigations — part of a broader attempt to make it easier for CIA officers to report a crime without jeopardizing classified information, including their cover.