ODNI assigns two officials to lead intelligence coordination on election threats

Dave Mastro and James Cangialosi were appointed to jointly oversee the intelligence community’s election threat mission for the 2026 midterm elections. They will serve as election threats executive, coordinating efforts across the nation’s intelligence agencies. Mastro works on the National Intelligence Council, which produces intelligence assessments based on findings from multiple agencies, including reports requested by Congress and senior policymakers. Cangialosi serves as deputy director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. ODNI stated the appointments support election integrity efforts and include robust briefings comparable to those conducted during election years. The Foreign Malign Influence Center, created in 2022, was designed to coordinate foreign influence and disinformation threat work, but responsibilities were shifted after an ODNI overhaul.

"Dave Mastro and James Cangialosi will jointly oversee the intelligence community's election threat mission, serving in the role of election threats executive. Both sources requested anonymity to communicate the appointments. Mastro serves on the National Intelligence Council, which produces intelligence assessments drawn from findings across the nation's spy agencies, including reports requested by Congress and senior policymakers. Cangialosi serves as deputy director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center."

""We have an expansive team of professionals at ODNI focused on carrying out President [Donald] Trump's and [Director of National Intelligence Tulsi] Gabbard's election integrity efforts," which includes Mastro and Cangialosi, ODNI spokesperson Olivia Coleman said in a statement. The office is also "providing robust briefings, on par with efforts traditionally carried out during election years, to protect election integrity this midterm cycle," Coleman said."

"For months, it was unclear if ODNI ever named an election threats executive responsible for leading the intelligence community on election security for the coming midterm cycle. The Record first reported the appointments. Established in 2022, the Foreign Malign Influence Center was designed to coordinate spy agencies' efforts to identify and assess foreign influence and disinformation threats targeting elections."

"But an overhaul inside ODNI launched last summer shifted many of the center's responsibilities to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center and the National Intelligence Council, with ODNI arguing the previous structure raised constitutional concerns over coordination with social media compani"

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