Top intelligence official to take charge of briefing candidates on election threats

The move reflects a shift in how briefings about threats against campaigns are conducted. Previously, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security had been charged with briefing campaigns and political organizations, ODNI told CNN.

For example, in February, then-Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was briefed by intelligence officials about Russian efforts to help his campaign. That briefing was from the FBI, an ODNI official told CNN.

But now, these briefings will be led by the intelligence community, with Evanina taking the lead.

However, an official from the intelligence director's office told CNN that "FBI and DHS are critical to this."

The FBI and DHS will continue in their roles, but for specific briefings Evanina will lead the briefings to the candidates and coordinate, while the other agencies may attend. Some briefings were conducted last year jointly by the FBI, director of national intelligence's office and DHS. The notification process will stay the same and the interagency process will continue, the official said.

Evanina serves as the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center and was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month after serving in an acting capacity since 2014. Evanina and NCSC are in charge of the National Counterintelligence Strategy.

"US elections are the foundation of our nation's democracy. We are committed to supporting this Administration's whole-of-government effort to secure the 2020 election," Evanina said in a statement released by ODNI.

The official in the director of national intelligence's office told CNN of Evanina: ""Bill and our center over the years been involved to some extent. This has to be a team sport and we had a role working with others in this space."

The move does not change the role of Shelby Pierson, ODNI's Election Threats Executive, the ODNI official said.

Pierson's job security was thrust into doubt earlier this year after she told members of the House Intelligence Committee in a February 13 briefing that Russia is meddling in the 2020 campaign and intelligence indicated it had once again developed a preference for Trump as well as Sanders.

Three national security officials told CNN at the time that Pierson had omitted important nuance and expanded beyond the intelligence community's formal assessment, which does not include evidence that Russia's interference in this election cycle is aimed at reelecting Trump.

"Ambassador Grenell has not asked me to leave. In fact, he has encouraged and affirmed his support for my position here in the organization. I have not asked to depart nor discussed resignation in any way," Pierson said in a February statement amid speculation that she could be on her way out.

The official from the intelligence director's office added that Pierson and Evanina will "work closely together."

"The intelligence mission that the (Election Threats Executive) is doing will continue under Shelby and they coordinate the intelligence across the community and interagency," that official said.

According to the national security officials, the US intelligence community has assessed that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election and has separately assessed that Russia views Trump as a leader they can work with, but the US does not have evidence that Russia's interference this cycle is aimed at reelecting Trump.

After Richard Grenell was named the Acting Director of National Intelligence, he had been expected to brief lawmakers on the latest elections threats in a pair of briefings in March to the House and Senate intelligence committees. Instead, Grenell was switched out with Evanina at the last minute, as CNN first reported.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to Grenell last month about election security and reports that the acting DNI's staff "may be inappropriately interfering with the production and briefing of intelligence information", including the March 10 briefing led by Evanina.

Schiff requested "any and all communications" around the assessment that was presented during that briefing.