Written by Jasper Ward
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Mike Turner said on Wednesday that he will no longer serve as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee after nearly two years.
Media reports said that US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson removed Turner from his position.
“Under my leadership, we have restored the committee’s integrity and returned its mission to its primary focus of national security,” Turner said in a statement. “The threat posed by our adversaries is real and requires serious deliberation.”
Turner, who said he is proud to be the committee's chairman, will serve as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.
He told CBS News that Johnson cited “Mar-a-Lago concerns,” referring to President-elect Donald Trump's Florida property, as a reason for firing him.
However, Johnson said he fired Turner because “we just need new horses in some of these places,” adding that the decision was not Trump's.
“This is a House resolution, and this is not a slight at all for our outgoing president,” Johnson told reporters, according to a CNN correspondent. “He did a great job.”
He said Turner's successor would be announced on Thursday, according to CNN.
Johnson's representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Turner has served as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee since January 2023.
The committee chairman is among eight congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight who have been briefed on classified intelligence matters.
