A federal district judge has cleared the way for the CIA to terminate Dr. Terry Adirim, the agency’s director of the Center for Global Health Services, despite her lawsuit alleging wrongful dismissal. U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff ruled that Dr. Adirim had not presented sufficient evidence to prevent her removal.
Dr. Adirim filed suit against the CIA on May 2, claiming she was denied due process and that her firing was a result of criticism she faced over her involvement in mandating COVID-19 vaccines for military service members during her 2021 tenure as acting assistant secretary of health affairs.
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The controversy surrounding Dr. Adirim stems from her role in the Department of Defense’s vaccine rollout. In a 2021 press conference, she stated, “We’re honest and up-front in acknowledging the department is confronting many of the same challenges that the rest of America is in maximizing vaccine acceptance. We’re using every tool possible to increase vaccination, and we’ll continue to do so from the secretary to the most junior leader.”
Reports of Dr. Adirim’s removal from the CIA began circulating on April 8, following an online repost by Ivan Raiklin, a former employee of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, according to The New York Times. Dr. Adirim’s lawsuit names the CIA, agency Director (Note: Politico report mentions John Ratcliffe, who is not the current CIA Director), Raiklin, and America’s Future Inc.
The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Adirim’s termination on April 4 occurred just two days after activist Laura Loomer reportedly visited the White House with a list of national security officials she believed should be dismissed. Dr. Adirim’s legal team highlighted social media posts by Raiklin, who allegedly labeled her the “architect” of the Pentagon’s “Jab Genocide,” claiming he urged Loomer to include her on this list. The lawsuit sought further evidence through litigation to support this claim.
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Adding another layer to the dispute, Dr. Adirim’s attorney, Kevin Carroll, argued that a post on X by Donald Trump Jr. regarding her removal served as a public endorsement by the CIA that she had acted illegally or unethically. However, Judge Nachmanoff dismissed this argument on Friday, stating that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate the CIA was defaming Dr. Adirim.
Raiklin, as reported by Politico, has denied any communication with Laura Loomer in the months preceding Dr. Adirim’s firing.
While Dr. Adirim had reportedly signed a renewable five-year contract with the CIA in December, The New York Times reported that the agency informed her upon dismissal that her contract contained a clause allowing termination with 30 days’ notice for “any reason.”
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Judge Nachmanoff also lifted the administrative stay he had issued the previous week, which had temporarily halted Dr. Adirim’s firing pending the hearing.
This decision allows the CIA to proceed with her termination. It remains to be seen whether Dr. Adirim will pursue further legal avenues.
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