Former CIA official Dale Britt Bendler weaponized top-secret security clearance to aid foreign clients, downloaded classified documents illegally, and now faces up to 7 years in prison after his 30-year career ended in espionage and betrayal.
Key Takeaways
- Dale Britt Bendler, after 30 years with the CIA, illegally used his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance to benefit foreign clients
- He pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent and mishandling classified materials, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars for his unauthorized activities
- Bendler attempted to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation and U.S. visa decisions for clients while searching classified systems for information
- He agreed to forfeit $85,000 of his illicit gains and faces up to seven years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 16
- This case follows a disturbing pattern of CIA officers betraying their oaths, similar to Jerry Chun Shing Lee who was arrested for suspected ties to Chinese intelligence
CIA Veteran Turns Against America’s Interests
Dale Britt Bendler, a former CIA officer from Miami with over three decades of service, has admitted to serious charges of acting as a foreign agent and mishandling classified information. After retiring from the agency in 2014, Bendler maintained access to sensitive government information by becoming a full-time contractor with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance. This position of trust became his tool for personal enrichment as he engaged in unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities for foreign clients through a U.S. lobbying firm from 2017 to at least July 2020.
The investigation revealed that Bendler attempted to leverage his CIA position to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation and manipulate U.S. visa decisions for clients who paid him handsomely. He received hundreds of thousands of dollars for these unauthorized activities before the CIA finally terminated his contract in September 2020. The agency also revoked his security clearance, cutting off his access to classified information after discovering his treacherous activities.
Former CIA executive pleads guilty to sharing sensitive information with El Salvador. https://t.co/3CVp5hQ9qG
— Stringwall 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@StringwallApp) April 24, 2025
Compromising National Security for Personal Gain
Bendler’s betrayal went beyond just lobbying for foreign interests. He actively searched classified CIA systems for information related to his clients, improperly stored sensitive materials, and disclosed classified information to unauthorized individuals. When confronted about his activities, he lied to both CIA and FBI officials, attempting to conceal the extent of his actions. The identities of his clients and the nature of the compromised classified material remain undisclosed, highlighting the sensitive nature of the breach.
As part of his plea agreement, Bendler will forfeit $85,000 of his illicit earnings. He faces a maximum sentence of seven years in federal prison, with his sentencing scheduled for July 16. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, a venue frequently used for national security cases due to its proximity to CIA headquarters and its experience handling classified information in court proceedings.
A Disturbing Pattern of Intelligence Community Betrayals
Bendler’s case follows a disturbing pattern of intelligence officers betraying their oaths to safeguard national security. In a similar case, Jerry Chun Shing Lee, another former CIA officer, was arrested in New York for suspected ties with Chinese intelligence. Lee, who joined the CIA in 1994 and worked under diplomatic cover in Asia, had repeated contacts with China’s Ministry of State Security after leaving the agency in 2007 due to career frustrations.
“ARRESTED FORMER C.I.A. OFFICER HAD TIES TO CHINESE SPIES, EX-COLLEAGUE SAYS” – Ex-Colleague
Lee was suspected of playing a role in the dismantling of CIA networks in China, which led to the imprisonment or execution of around a dozen Chinese nationals who had been working for American intelligence. These cases highlight the critical importance of vetting and monitoring those who have access to our nation’s most sensitive information. The Bendler case serves as another sobering reminder of the ongoing threats to national security that can come from within our own intelligence community, and the urgent need for President Trump’s administration to strengthen safeguards against such betrayals.
