Jay Clayton has been officially sworn in as the nation's next Director of National Intelligence, according to ABC News. The swearing-in marks the formal step that places Clayton at the head of the U.S. intelligence apparatus, filling one of the most senior national security roles in the federal government.
Clayton arrives in the position with a background rooted in law and financial regulation. According to the report, he previously served as attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the country's most prominent federal prosecutor's offices, and later as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the top U.S. markets regulator.
The role Clayton now takes on carries wide-ranging responsibilities. According to the report, the Director of National Intelligence serves as the president's principal advisor on all intelligence matters. That places the office at the center of how intelligence is gathered, assessed and presented to the White House across the U.S. intelligence community.
The appointment also brings to a close a period of turbulence around the position. According to the report, Clayton's official appointment ends weeks of uproar that followed President Trump's temporary pick of Bill Pulte for the role. That earlier choice had drawn sustained criticism before Clayton's confirmation moved forward.
Part of the concern around the temporary arrangement was tied to its potential legislative fallout. According to the report, the temporary pick of Bill Pulte had risked derailing the renewal of a key surveillance law, raising the stakes of who would ultimately be installed as the permanent head of national intelligence.
With Clayton now sworn in, the question of who leads the intelligence community on a permanent basis has been settled. According to the report, his official appointment closes out the weeks of uproar and puts in place a confirmed director, moving the office past the uncertainty that had surrounded the earlier temporary selection.