Joseph Cofer Black, a national security adviser for the 2012 Mitt Romney campaign, sits on the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian oil and gas giant that paid at times more than $83,000 per month to Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden’s youngest son.
The American Thinker, which first brought the story to light, noted it is “an odd coincidence that Mitt has as CNN puts it ‘been a lone Republican voice expressing concern about President Donald Trump’s July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump asked Ukraine’s President to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his family.’”
In October 2011, Romney announced that Black, who had served in the CIA since 1974, had been selected as a special adviser.
“I am deeply honored to have the counsel of this extraordinary group of diplomats, experts, and statesmen,” Romney said at the time. “Their remarkable experience, wisdom, and depth of knowledge will be critical to ensuring that the 21st century is another American Century.”
Black trained for covert operations and eventually became the director of the National Counterterrorism Center from 1999 until 2002. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks perpetrated by al-Qaeda, Black was appointed ambassador at large and coordinator for counterterrorism in December 2002 by President George W. Bush.
John Brennan succeeded Black in his job as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
According to the American Thinker, “Cofer Black left the CIA in 2006 to join Blackwater, the huge contractor for services related to military and intelligence action, where he served as vice chairman until 2008.”
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