REVERSAL

Harvard Kennedy School Rescinds Chelsea Manning’s Visiting Fellow Invite

Dean says “designating [her] as a Visiting Fellow was a mistake” after CIA backlash.

The dean of Harvard Kennedy School has rescinded an invitation to Chelsea Manning to serve as a visiting fellow after realizing the move was a “mistake.” In a statement explaining the move late Thursday, Dean Douglas Elmendorf apologized to Manning and “the many concerned people” he spoke with regarding the school’s failure to recognize “the full implications of our original invitation.” Manning was asked to serve as a visiting fellow and spend a day speaking with students in line with the university’s “emphasis on the value of hearing from a diverse collection of people.” But Elmendorf said he later realized his “assessment” for that decision was “wrong.” His announcement came after CIA Director Mike Pompeo canceled a speaking appearance at the university over the administration’s decision to host what he called an “American traitor.” Michael Morell, the former deputy director and acting director of the CIA, also resigned as a senior fellow over Manning’s invitation. Elmendorf said Manning will still be invited to make a speaking appearance at the Kennedy School.