FORT MEADE, MARYLAND (Agencies) July 31, 2025 – The National Security Agency (NSA) has removed its top legal officer, April Falcon Doss, amid a wave of criticism led by far-right activist Laura Loomer. The decision, confirmed by multiple sources close to the matter, marks another high-profile departure from the U.S. intelligence community following activist-led campaigns targeting perceived political bias.
Doss, a 13-year veteran of the NSA who served as General Counsel since 2022, was dismissed Friday—days after The Daily Wire published a report scrutinizing her previous work for the Democratic staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Loomer amplified the report via social media, claiming credit for exposing Doss and “flagging it for the right people.”
The firing drew immediate backlash from lawmakers. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, condemned the move as “a politically motivated smear campaign” and said it undermined the integrity of the intelligence workforce. “Undermining experienced, nonpartisan professionals like April weakens our national security,” Warner said in a statement to Nextgov/FCW.
Doss previously led cyber law practices in the private sector and was senior minority counsel for the Senate’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Critics of her removal argue her credentials were impeccable and that her dismissal stems from partisan pressure rather than professional misconduct.
The NSA did not provide a formal explanation and redirected inquiries to Pentagon media relations, which in turn referred questions back to the NSA. Doss has not publicly commented.
This marks the latest reshuffle reportedly influenced by Loomer, who earlier took credit for the firing of NSA Director Gen. Timothy Haugh and Deputy Director Wendy Noble in April. She accused both officials of being insufficiently loyal to former President Donald Trump.
Doss’s original appointment followed a turbulent period in NSA leadership, including the controversial naming of Michael Ellis as General Counsel in the waning days of the Trump administration. Ellis was later placed on administrative leave and resigned following a Department of Defense inquiry.
As NSA General Counsel, Doss oversaw legal compliance for surveillance, cybersecurity, and intelligence-gathering operations—particularly under the contentious Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Her removal raises fresh concerns about political interference in national security roles that traditionally demand bipartisan neutrality.