McLean County Times

U.S. Representative Darin LaHood expressed his support for President Trump's nomination of John Ratcliffe as CIA Director in a Facebook post dated November 15. "There is no one I have more trust in to be the next Director of the CIA than John Ratcliffe," LaHood said.

"As a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, there is no one I have more trust in to be the next Director of the CIA than John Ratcliffe," said Darin M. Lahood, according to Facebook. "I was honored to work with him in Congress, and I know he has the judgement and integrity to effectively lead the CIA. With the threats posed by our adversaries constantly growing, John's expertise will strengthen our national security and help thwart the malign efforts of bad actors around the globe."

John Ratcliffe, a former U.S. Representative from Texas, served from 2015 to 2020. According to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, he was born and raised in Illinois and completed his education at Carbondale Community High School, the University of Notre Dame, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Ratcliffe's career includes serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas from 2007 to 2008 and being elected mayor of Heath, Texas, in 2004. He joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 and resigned on May 22, 2020, to become the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during President Donald Trump's first term.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood's Nov. 15 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood Facebook page

PBS reported on Ratcliffe’s selection as DNI, noting that he participated in an unusual nighttime news conference before the 2020 presidential election where he and other officials accused Iran of sending intimidating emails to U.S. voters. He faced criticism for dismissing claims by former intelligence officials that emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop resembled a Russian disinformation campaign and for declassifying unverified Russian intelligence information from the 2016 election. Regarding President Trump’s first impeachment proceedings, Ratcliffe said it was "the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen."

Congressman LaHood has represented Illinois since 2015. Initially serving in the 18th Congressional District until redistricting placed him in the 16th District, LaHood's political background includes four years in the state senate from 2011 to 2015. His legal career spans over nine years as a state and federal prosecutor and work with the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LaHood holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois-Chicago John Marshall Law School. He resides with his wife in Peoria.