Michael Ellis, former general counsel of the National Security Agency during the first Trump administration, took oath Monday as CIA deputy director.
“Michael is highly respected in the Intelligence Community and ranks among our nation’s finest national security professionals,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement published Monday.
“Having known Michael for many years, I am truly excited to welcome him to Langley,” added Ratcliffe, a 2025 Wash100 awardee.
Michael Ellis’ Career Background
Prior to joining the agency, Ellis was general counsel and corporate secretary at video sharing platform Rumble.
Ellis held other senior national security positions in the U.S. government, including senior director for intelligence programs at the National Security Council and general counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Earlier in his career, he clerked for Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and for Judge Amul Thapar, then of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The Dartmouth College and Yale Law School graduate served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
