'NATIONAL INTEREST'

Former Spies No Longer Legally Allowed to Become ‘Mercenaries’

A new law signed by Biden looks to keep more secrets from trickling to other governments through former spies.

Former United States spies are now barred from providing their services to foreign governments for 30 months after they retire. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Tuesday, part of a larger spending bill that will “prohibit U.S. intelligence officials with knowledge of spycraft and national security secrets from selling their services to other countries for 30 months after retiring,” Reuters reports. The new law, first proposed by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), found its legs after a Reuters investigation revealed how ex-National Security Agency personnel leveraged their knowledge to the United Arab Emirates, which allowed for the surveillance of Americans, according to the news wire. “We don’t want our best-trained intel officers going straight into the hands of foreign governments for the sake of money,” the congressman said of the new law. “This discourages intelligence mercenaries and protects our national interest.”