US Congressman Mike Turner said he will no longer be chairman of the Intel Reuters Board of Directors

Author: Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Rep. Mike Turner said on Wednesday that he will no longer serve as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee after nearly two years.

According to media reports, US House Speaker Mike Johnson removed Turner from that role.

“Under my leadership, we have restored the integrity of the Committee and returned its mission to a national security focus. The threat from our adversaries is real and requires serious consideration,” Turner said in a statement.

Turner, who said he was proud to serve as the panel’s chairman, will serve as the senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.

He told CBS News that Johnson cited “Mar-a-Lago concerns” as the reason for his dismissal, referring to President-elect Donald Trump’s Florida estate.

However, Johnson said he fired Turner because “we just need fresh horses in some of these seats,” adding that it was not Trump’s decision.

“This is a decision of the House of Representatives, and it’s not at all a criticism of our outgoing president. He did a great job,” Johnson told reporters, according to a CNN reporter.

He said Turner’s successor would be announced Thursday, according to CNN.

Johnson’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Turner has been chairman of the intelligence committee since January 2023.

The panel’s chairman is one of eight congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight who are privy to classified intelligence matters.