Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Viñale announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as the spy agency’s head after seven years in the role.
In a media statement, Vigneault said serving as CSIS director had been an “honor” and “one of the most challenging and rewarding periods.”[s] In my career.”
During Vigneault’s tenure, CSIS faced allegations of foreign interference by the Chinese and Indian governments, which reportedly led to tensions between security agencies and the federal government.
According to a report released in May, National Security Intelligence Review AgencyCSIS and the prime minister’s national security adviser were at odds over the 2021 threat of foreign interference.
The report also said CSIS struggled with how to report on foreign interference without being accused of meddling in Canada’s elections.
another Interim reportJudge Marie-Josee Hogue, who is overseeing foreign interference hearings, wrote that CSIS can be “careful about the details when communicating to others the information it gathers and the conclusions it draws.”
Judge Hogue’s final report is due in December.
At the end of 2023, Biniyot told CBC News that CSIS was “facing” new threats that would affect the intelligence agency’s hiring and budget.
During his time as director of CSIS, Viño also had to deal with fallout from rape and harassment allegations linked to the agency’s British Columbia office.
One CSIS employee says he was raped nine times by a senior colleague while riding in a surveillance vehicle in 2019 and 2020. A second employee says he was later sexually assaulted by the same man, despite CSIS officials having warned him not to pair him with younger women.
After The Canadian Press detailed the allegations, Viño said he couldn’t take the accusations of a “toxic workplace” lightly. He pledged reform and said the department’s culture had allowed “inappropriate behavior” to “run wild.”
Viño also said CSIS would release a report on harassment and misconduct within the agency.
The Canadian Press report has not been independently verified by CBC News.
During his tenure, Vigneault has been vocal about the need to modernize the 1984 Canadian Security Intelligence Act, which provides the basis for CSIS.
The federal government subsequently took steps to modernize the act by passing Bill C-70, a wide-ranging bill to combat foreign interference.
The bill would change how CSIS applies for warrants, update rules on who CSIS can account for, and launch a long-awaited Foreign Influence Transparency Registry.
Public Security Minister Dominic Leblanc said in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) that Biniyot had “dedicated his entire career to serving Canadians, protecting our people and interests from those who would do them harm.”
“My friend David, thank you for all you have done for our country,” LeBlanc added.
