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Hundreds of ODNI Jobs Are on the Line — What Intelligence Community Employees Need to Know About Their Rights

federal employee rights federal layoffs intelligence community national security odni Jun 24, 2026

The office Congress built after the September 11 attacks to prevent the next intelligence failure is being downsized again — and this time, faster.

ODNI's own website now lists Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence. Until recently, Pulte ran the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The President has publicly directed what he called "an immediate and needed downsizing" of the office, with reporting from Reuters and CNN indicating that Pulte has asked for a full list of every employee and is seeking to cut hundreds of jobs.

This is not the first round of cuts. ODNI had already been reduced by more than forty percent under the prior director, with its budget down roughly $700 million annually. What is being described now is round two — and by most accounts, a sharper one.

On June 22, the ranking Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees sent Pulte a written warning against making major personnel moves — arguing those decisions belong to a Senate-confirmed director — and demanded that records be preserved.

What Federal Employees at ODNI Need to Understand Right Now

This is where the usual framework people reach for when federal jobs are threatened does not map cleanly.

Most federal employees, when they receive a reduction in force notice or a separation action, have a path to the Merit Systems Protection Board — the independent agency that reviews adverse employment actions against federal workers. But intelligence community employees often do not have that path. Many IC employees lack the standard Title 5 appeal rights that other federal workers take for granted.

That distinction matters enormously right now. A formal reduction in force, a return of detailees to their home agencies, and administrative leave each carry different legal consequences and different rights. The mechanism matters. And we do not yet know which mechanism is being used.

What we do know is that the ranking members of two congressional intelligence committees demanded on June 22 that records be preserved. That is not incidental — it is a signal that this is now an oversight fight, not only an employment matter.

What You Should Do

If you work at ODNI or one of its centers and you are watching this unfold, a few things are worth doing now, regardless of what comes next.

Document everything. Save any notice you receive — the date, who signed it, the specific language. If you are a detailee being returned to your home agency, note when that directive came and in what form. Written records are the foundation of any legal argument.

If you believe you were singled out for a reason that goes beyond the stated rationale — a protected disclosure you made, an EEO complaint you filed, or a protected characteristic — that is a different and more urgent situation. Those cases run on their own timeline and require their own analysis.

We are paying close attention to what is happening at ODNI. If your situation is sensitive or you have questions about your specific circumstances, we encourage you to reach out through our website at Southworth PC.

Legal Disclaimer: This post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation is different. If you have questions about your specific circumstances, please consult a federal employment attorney.

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