Politics & Government

Cuyahoga Falls Native, Mike Morell, Appointed Acting Director of CIA

David Petraeus stepped down as Director of the CIA Friday, citing an extramarital affair. Mike Morell has been tapped to replace him.

Cuyahoga Falls native Mike Morell is now the Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 

The announcement came Friday following the unexpected resignation of David Petraeus, reports the Falls News Press.

The former four-star general contacted President Barack Obama, informed him he was involved in an extramarital affair and requested to step down, according to CNN.

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"Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation," said Petraeus in a statement to CIA colleagues. 

Petraeus was slated to speak in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Nov. 15 in regard to the recent 9/11 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, according to Politico.

Find out what's happening in Cuyahoga Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Morell will now step up to testify. 

According to cia.gov

"Mr. Michael J. Morell was sworn in as Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency on May 6, 2010. A career Agency officer, he has held a variety of leadership positions, including Associate Deputy Director of CIA and Director for Intelligence.

As Associate Deputy Director from July 2006 until May 2008, Mr. Morell assisted the Director in the overall leadership of the Agency, focusing on its internal management. As Director for Intelligence for the two years prior to his current assignment, Mr. Morell guided the Agency’s all-source analytic arm, which produces strategic and tactical assessments for US policymakers and military commanders.

Mr. Morell began his Agency career as an analyst tracking international energy issues, and subsequently worked for 14 years as an analyst and manager on East Asia. In 1999, he was appointed Director of the DI’s Office of Asian Pacific and Latin American Analysis. He also has served as a presidential briefer, as chief of the staff that produces the President’s Daily Brief, and as an executive assistant to DCI George J. Tenet. From 2003 until 2006, he served overseas. Upon his return, he was briefly Deputy Director for Intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center before being asked to become Associate Deputy Director at CIA.

Mr. Morell earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Akron and a master’s degree in economics from Georgetown University. He and his wife have three children."


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