President-elect Donald Trump will appoint former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence, a source tells the Associated Press.
The pick could be announced later this week, according to a person briefed Thursday on the decision. The person was but not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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Coats is a conservative who spent 16 years in the Senate. He announced his retirement last year and did not seek re-election.
Trump's decision comes as he has been sharply critical of the nation's intelligence agencies and has cast doubt about their conclusion that Russia was behind hacking to influence last year's elections.
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Trump on Friday will meet with directors of the FBI and CIA, as well as current DNI James Clapper to be briefed on their findings.
AP
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)