Dale Britt Bendler, a former senior CIA officer, has pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent and mishandling classified materials, marking a significant breach of national security.
At a Glance
- Former CIA officer Dale Britt Bendler pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent and mishandling classified materials
- Bendler engaged in unauthorized lobbying for foreign clients while holding a high-level security clearance
- He received hundreds of thousands of dollars for his activities and must forfeit $85,000
- Bendler faces up to seven years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 16
From Intelligence to Infiltration
Dale Britt Bendler, 68, of Miami, Florida, served over 30 years with the CIA, retiring in 2014 as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service. Post-retirement, he continued as a full-time contractor with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Between July 2017 and July 2020, Bendler engaged in unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities on behalf of foreign clients, violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
His covert activities included attempts to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation and to sway U.S. visa decisions for clients, one of whom was alleged to be associated with terrorism financing. In exchange, Bendler received hundreds of thousands of dollars, as reported by NBC Miami.
Breach of Trust and Security
During his unauthorized lobbying efforts, Bendler misused his CIA access by searching classified systems for information related to his clients. He improperly stored and disclosed non-public, sensitive, and classified U.S. government information to unauthorized individuals. Additionally, he lied to both the CIA and the FBI about his status as a foreign agent and his unauthorized activities, per another Justice Department release.
The CIA terminated Bendler’s contract and access in September 2020. As part of his plea agreement, he consented to the forfeiture of $85,000 and faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison—two years for acting as a foreign agent while being a public official and five years for mishandling classified material. His sentencing is scheduled for July 16, as detailed in a report from ClearanceJobs News.
Watch NBC Miami’s report on the incident at Ex-CIA official from Miami guilty of acting as foreign agent, mishandling classified materials.
A Stark Reminder
Bendler’s case underscores the critical importance of vigilance within intelligence agencies. His actions not only violated legal statutes but also betrayed the trust placed in him by the U.S. government. The identities of his foreign clients and the specific nature of the compromised materials remain undisclosed, leaving lingering concerns about the potential impact on national security, as highlighted by America TeVe.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities within intelligence operations and the dire consequences of ethical failures at high levels. It highlights the need for stringent oversight and accountability to safeguard national interests.
