The President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) is an advisory body to the
Executive Office of the President of the United States
The Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The office consists o ...
. According to its self-description, it "provides advice to the President concerning the quality and adequacy of intelligence collection, of analysis and estimates, of counterintelligence, and of other intelligence activities."
[PIAB Official Website.](_blank)
The PIAB, through its Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB), also advises the President on the legality of foreign intelligence activities.
History
In January 1956, President
Dwight D. Eisenhower created the agency, originally known as the President's Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities (PBCFIA). The first board, under chair
James Killian, included the following members:
*
Richard Conolly
*
Jimmy Doolittle
*
Benjamin Fairless
*
John Hull
*
Joseph P. Kennedy
*
Robert Lovett
*
Edward Ryerson
In May 1961, President
John F. Kennedy renamed it to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB).
The board exists at the pleasure of the President, who can change its size and portfolio so in 1977 President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
abolished the PFIAB, but President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
re-established it later.
On 29 February 2008, President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
renamed the agency to President's Intelligence Advisory Board, its present form.
Most of the board's work is classified, but one public investigation involved the loss of U.S. nuclear secrets to China from the
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development Laboratory, laboratories of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, United States Department of Energy ...
during the 1990s.
[Bill Getrz, "Covert board called crucial to presidents", '']The Washington Times
''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
'', June 16, 2008, Page A1
Intelligence Oversight Board
President
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
created the IOB following a 1975–76 investigation by the
US Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
into domestic spying, assassination operations, and other abuses by intelligence agencies. His executive order doing so went into effect on 1 March 1976.
[Charlie Savage]
"President weakens espionage oversight: Board created by Ford loses most of its power"
''Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', March 14, 2008 In 1993, the IOB became a committee of the PFIAB, unde
Executive Order #12863of President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
.
One of the IOB's functions is to examine violations of the laws and directives governing clandestine surveillance. The IOB received quarterly and annual reports from most US intelligence activities. Thirteen cases involving
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
actions between 2002 and 2004 were referred to the IOB for its review.
In an executive order issued on February 29, 2008, President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
terminated the IOB's authority to oversee the general counsel and inspector general of each U.S. intelligence agency, and erased the requirement that each inspector general file a report with the IOB every three months. The order also removed the IOB's authority to refer a matter to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation, and directed the IOB to notify the president of a problem only if other officials are not already "adequately" addressing that problem.
[
In August 2013 it was reported that the membership of the IOB had been reduced from 14 to 4 under President ]Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, possibly starting in early May at the beginning of the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures by Edward Snowden
Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is a former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence contractor and whistleblower who leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs.
Born in 1983 in Elizabeth ...
.
Membership
During the administration of President George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, the PIAB had 16 members selected from among distinguished citizens outside the government who were qualified "on the basis of achievement, experience, independence, and integrity." The members were not paid.
PIAB membership is generally considered public information; for example, the Clinton Administration posted the names of the members on a PFIAB web page,[David Corn]
"Who's On PFIAB?--A New Bush Secret"
''The Nation'' (blog), August 14, 2002, retrieved December 31, 2012 and the Trump Administration issued a press release announcing the nominations of new members.
George W. Bush
In August 2002, Randy Deitering, the executive director of PFIAB, confirmed the membership list released by the White House press office in October 2001:
*Brent Scowcroft
Brent Scowcroft (; March 19, 1925August 6, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, and a two-time National Security Advisor (United States), United States National Security Advisor, first under U.S. President Gerald Ford and then under Georg ...
, the chair
* Pete Wilson, former governor of California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
* Cresencio S. Arcos Jr., AT&T
AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...
executive and former US ambassador
* Jim Barksdale, former head of the internet company Netscape
* Robert Addison Day, chairman of the TWC Group, a money management firm
* Stephen Friedman, past chairman of Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...
* Alfred Lerner, chief executive of MBNA
MBNA Corporation was a bank holding company and parent company of wholly owned subsidiary MBNA America Bank, N.A., headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, prior to being acquired by Bank of America in 2006.
History
The former Maryland National ...
* Ray Lee Hunt, scion of the Texas oil fortune
* Rita Hauser, lawyer
* David E. Jeremiah, retired admiral
* Arnold Kanter, national security official in the George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
administration and a founding member of the Scowcroft Group
* James C. Langdon Jr., a power-lawyer in Texas
* Elisabeth Pate-Cornell, chair of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
* John Harrison Streicker, real estate magnate
* Philip Zelikow, National Security Council staffer during the George H.W. Bush administration and later a counselor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
In 2003, there were indications of spying on members of the board by a foreign intelligence asset.
Barack Obama
The entire PIAB membership that served under the administration of George W. Bush resigned as part of an agreed-upon move in the presidential transition of Barack Obama.
President Obama appointed Chuck Hagel, former United States Senator
The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress.
Party affiliation
Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
from Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
, and current University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
President David Boren
David Lyle Boren (April 21, 1941 – February 20, 2025) was an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and thr ...
as PIAB co-chairs.
The following other members were appointed to the board under President Obama:
* Roel Campos
* Richard Danzig appointed on December 1, 2010
* Lee H. Hamilton
* Rita Hauser
* Paul G. Kaminski
* Ellen Laipson, president and CEO of the Henry L. Stimson Center
* Les Lyles
* Daniel Meltzer appointed on December 1, 2010
* Jami Miscik appointed December 23, 2009
* Mona Sutphen appointed on September 6, 2011
* Philip Zelikow appointed on September 6, 2011
* Tom Wheeler appointed on April 27, 2011
In May 2013, the White House dismissed 10 members of the board. The four remaining members of the PIAB were:
*Richard Danzig
*Daniel Meltzer
*Jami Miscik
*Mona Sutphen
In August 2014, President Obama nominated six new members:
* James S. Crown
*Scott Davis
*Jamie Dos Santos
* Julius Genachowski
* Shirley Ann Jackson
* Neal Wolin
Donald Trump (first administration)
President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
named the following persons to the PIAB during his first term in office:
* Steve Feinberg, chair
*Samantha Ravich, vice chair
* Safra Catz
*Saxby Chambliss
Clarence Saxby Chambliss (; born November 10, 1943) is an American lawyer and retired politician who was a United States Senate, United States Senator from Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party (Unite ...
* Jim Donovan
*Kevin Hulbert
*Jeremy Katz
*David Robertson
In February 2019, President Trump named three additional members:
* Charles E. Allen
*Daniel Hoffman
*John K. Hurley
In May 2019, President Trump named Ray Washburne as an additional member.
Joe Biden
In May 2022, President Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
named the below persons to the PIAB.
* Sandy Winnefeld
* Gilman Louie
* Janet Napolitano
* Richard Verma
Richard Rahul Verma (born November 27, 1968) is an Americans, American diplomat, who served as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, a position he held from April 5, 202 ...
In June 2022, he named Evan Bayh to the PIAB.
In October 2022, he named Anne Finucane to the PIAB.
In November 2022, he named Mark Angelson to the PIAB.
In January 2023, he named Margaret Hamburg, Kim Cobb, and Kneeland Youngblood to the PIAB.
In March 2023, he named Hamilton E. James an
Julia Santucci
to the PIAB.
Donald Trump (second administration)
President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
named the following persons to the PIAB at the beginning of his second term in office on February 11, 2025:
*Devin Nunes
Devin Gerald Nunes (; born October 1, 1973) is an American businessman and politician who serves as the Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board since January 20, 2025, and as chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technolog ...
, chair
*Wayne Berman
*Scott Glabe
* Amaryllis Fox Kennedy
* Robert C. O'Brien
* Reince Priebus
*Sander R. Gerber
* Thomas Ollis Hicks, Jr.
*Jeremy Katz
*Joshua Lobel
* Katie Miller
* Brad Wenstrup
PIAB chairs
PIAB chairpersons have been:PFIAB Chairpersons
The White House website, retrieved March 14, 2008
IOB chairs
These are chairs of the Advisory Board's committee of Intelligence Oversight Board
Board executive directors
*1956–1959: John Cassidy
*1959–1961, 1961–1970: Patrick Coyne
*1970–1973: Gerard Burke
*1973–1977: Wheaton Byers
*1977: Lionel Olmer
*1977–1981: ''Board abolished''
*1981–1983: Norman Wood
*1983–1984: Fred Demech
*1984–1988:
Gary Schmitt
*1988–1989: Fred Demech
*1989–1991: Nina Stewart
*1991–1992: ''Vacant''
*1992–1995: Eugene Yeates
*1995–2003: Randy Deitering
*2003–2005: Joan Dempsey
*2005–2017: Stefanie Osburn
Board members
*
David Abshire: 1981–1983
*
Stephen Ailes
Stephen Ailes (May 25, 1912 – June 30, 2001) was a prominent member of the District of Columbia Bar and a partner in the firm of Steptoe & Johnson. He served as the United States Under Secretary of the Army from February 9, 1961, to January 2 ...
: 1976–1977 (IOB)
*
Lew Allen: 1990–1999 (IOB)
*
Brooke Anderson: 2015–present
*
George Anderson: 1969–1970; 1976–1977
*
Martin Anderson: 1982–1985
*
Cresencio Arcos: 1999–2003
*
Leslie Arends: 1976–1977
*Anne Legendre Armstrong: 1981–1990, Chairman
*
Zoë Baird: 1993–2001
*
Howard Baker: 1985–1987; 1988–1990
*
William Baker: 1959–1961; 1961–1977; 1981–1990
*
Jim Barksdale: 2001–2009
*
Robert Barrow: 1984–1985
*
Richard Bloch: 1996–1998
*
Alfred Bloomingdale: 1981–1982
*
David Boren
David Lyle Boren (April 21, 1941 – February 20, 2025) was an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and thr ...
: 2009–2013 (IOB)
*
Frank Borman
Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel (United States), colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman. He was the commander of Apollo ...
: 1981–1982
*
Denis Bovin: 2006–2010
*
Omar Bradley: 1956
*
William Brody: 2002–2005
*
David Bruce: 1956–1957
*
Shelby Bryan: 1999–2001
*
Zbigniew Brzezinski: 1988–1990
*
Glenn Campbell: 1981–1990 (IOB)
*
Roel Campos: 2009–2013
*
Ann Caracristi: 1993–2001 (IOB)
*
Bill Casey: 1976–1977
*
Leo Cherne: 1973–1976 (IOB, 1976–1977); Vice Chair, 1981–1990
*
Clark Clifford: 1961–1963
*
John Connally: 1970–1971; 1972–1975; 1976–1977; 1981–1983
*
Richard Conolly: 1956–1961
*
Jim Crown: 2014–present
*
Arthur Culvahouse: 2005–2010
*
Richard Danzig: 2010–present (IOB, 2010–2015)
*
Colgate Darden: 1957–1961
*
Scott Davis: 2014–2015
*
Robert Day: 2001–2005
*
John Deutch: 1990–1993
*
William DeWitt: 2005–2010
*
Jimmy Doolittle: 1956–1961; 1961–1964
*
Jamie Dos Santos: 2014–present
*
Sidney Drell: 1993–2001
*
Thomas Eagleton: 1993–2000
*
James Ellis: 2005–2009
*
Donald Evans: 2005–2009
*
Martin Faga: 2005–2009
*
Benjamin Fairless: 1956–1959
*
Marty Feldstein: 2006–2009
*
Michèle Flournoy: 2014–present
*
John Foster: 1973–1977; 1981–1990
*
Steve Friedman: 1999–2005; 2009–2010
*
Bob Galvin: 1973–1977
*
Julius Genachowski: 2014–present (IOB)
*
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
: 1977–1981 (IOB)
*
Gordon Gray: 1961–1977
*
Alan Greenspan: 1982–1985
*
James Hamilton: 1995–1997
*
Lee Hamilton: 2005–2013
*
Anthony Harrington: 1993–2000 (IOB); Vice Chair, 1997–2000
*
Rita Hauser: 2001–2004 (IOB, 2003–2004); 2009–2013
*
Robert Hermann: 1993–2001
*
John Hull: 1956–1958
*
Ray Hunt: 2001–2009
*
William Hyland: 1990–1993
*
Bobby Inman: Vice Chair, 1990–1991
*
Leon Jaworski: 1981–1982
*
Shirley Jackson: 2014–present (IOB)
*
David Jeremiah: 2001–2010 (IOB, 2003–2009)
*
Amos Jordan: 1990–1993 (IOB, not PIAB)
*
Paul Kaminski: 2009–2013
*
Arnold Kanter: 2001–2005 (IOB, 2003–2005)
*
Joe Kennedy: 1956
*
James Killian: 1958–1960
*
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Duane Kirkpatrick (née Jordan; November 19, 1926December 7, 2006) was an American diplomat and political scientist who played a major role in the foreign policy of the Ronald Reagan administration. An ardent anticommunist, she was a lon ...
: 1985–1990
*
Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...
: 1984–1990
*
Ellen Laipson: 2009–2013
*
Edwin Land: 1961–1977
*
Jim Langdon: 2001–2005 (IOB, 2003–2005)
*
William Langer: 1961–1969
*
Tony Lapham: 1991–1993 (IOB; not PIAB)
*
Lyman Lemnitzer: 1976–1977
*
Al Lerner: 2001–2002
*
Franklin Lincoln: 1969–1972
*
Robert Lovett: 1956–1961
*
Clare Luce: 1973–1977; 1981–1987
*
Gordon Luce: 1988–1989
*
Lester Lyles: 2009–2013 (IOB)
*
Michael McConnell: 1988–1990 (IOB; not PIAB)
*
Dan Meltzer: 2010–2015 (IOB)
*
Charles Meyers: 1982–1988 (IOB; not PIAB)
*
Jami Miscik: 2009–2015 (IOB)
*
Thomas Moorer: 1981–1985
*
Michael Morell: 2013–2014
*
John Morrison: 2005–2010
*
Franklin Murphy: 1969–1972
*
Robert Murphy: 1961–1973; 1976–1977 (IOB)
*
Kevin Nealer: 2014–present
*
Peter O'Donnell: 1981–1985
*
Frank Pace: 1961–1972
*
Elisabeth Paté-Cornell: 2001–2010
*
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot ( ; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an Independent politician ...
: 1981–1985
*
William Perry: 1990–1993
*
Hal Pote: 1993–1996 (IOB)
*
Lois Rice: 1993–2001
*
Chuck Robb
Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American former U.S. Marine Corps officer and politician who served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A me ...
: 2005–2009
*
Nelson Rockefeller: 1969–1974
*
Joe Rodgers: 1981–1985
*
Eugene Rostow: 1982–1985
*
Warren Rudman: Vice Chair, 1993–1994; Vice Chair, 1995–1998
*
Edward Ryerson: 1956–1961
*
Jack Schmitt: 1983–1985
*
Bernie Schriever: 1985–1990
*
Paul Seabury: 1981–1985
*
Bill Scranton: 1977–1981 (IOB)
*
George Shultz: 1974–1976
*
Stanley Shuman: 1995–2001
*
John Sides: 1965–1969
*
Robert Six: 1981–1985
*
William Smith: 1985–1990
*
Maurice Sonnenberg: 1992–2000
*
Frank Stella: 1981–1982 (IOB; not PIAB)
*
Bobby Stein: 2015–present
*
John Streicker: 2001–2005
*
Mona Sutphen: 2011–present (IOB)
*
Max Taylor: 1961; 1965–1968
*
Edward Teller: 1971–1977
*
John Tower: 1987–1990
*
Fran Townsend: 2008–2009
*
Charles Tyroler: 1981–1990 (IOB; not PIAB)
*
Caspar Weinberger: 1988–1990
*
Seymour Weiss: 1981–1985
*
Brad Wenstrup: 2025-
*
Tom Wheeler: 2011–2013
*
Bud Wheelon: 1983–1988
*
Ed Williams: 1976–1977; 1981–1985
*
James Wilson: 1985–1990
*
Pete Wilson: 2001–2005
*
Albert Wohlstetter: 1985–1990
*
Neal Wolin: 2014–present (IOB)
*
Philip Zelikow: 2001–2003; 2011–2013
*
Bud Zumwalt: 1996–2000
See also
*
Team B
*
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
*
Civil Liberties Protection Officer (ODNI CLPO)
References
External links
{{Authority control
United States federal boards, commissions, and committees
Executive Office of the President of the United States
1956 establishments in the United States
American advisory organizations
United States intelligence agencies
Intelligence analysis agencies