US DHS fires outside advisers, sources say China probe disrupted

Washington: The Department of Homeland Security is firing all the members of its various advisory committees, according to a letter seen by Reuters, a move which two people familiar with the matter said would disrupt the agency's efforts to investigate a sweeping hack of US telecom companies blamed on Beijing.

The January 20 message, signed by Acting Secretary Benjamine C Huffman, says the move is being made "in alignment with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security."

DHS did not immediately return an email seeking further details on the move.

DHS has several advisory committees, including bodies that provide advice to government officials on issues including emergency preparedness, telecommunications, science and technology, as well as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Among them is the Cyber Safety Review Board, the two people familiar with the matter said.

The review board - established in the image of air accident review boards that investigate major air disasters - is meant to provide a holistic and public accounting of major intrusions and serious cybersecurity problems.

The review board was in the middle of investigating the hacks of American telecom companies by an allegedly Chinese group nicknamed Salt Typhoon, an ongoing cyberespionage operation alleged to have swept up the metadata of a large number of Americans and targeted President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior government officials.

The inquiry into the hack, which some lawmakers described as the most damaging in telecom history, had bipartisan support. China denies the hacking allegations.

In the letter, Huffman said that committee members were "welcome to reapply," but the two people familiar with the matter said the investigation was effectively dead in the water.

"As a practical matter, unless they bring original members back, they'd probably have to start from scratch," according to one of the sources.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said the move "waved a white flag to Chinese hackers".

"Disbanding the Cyber Safety Review Board while it's in the middle of investigating the most damaging breach of America's phone system in recent memory is a massive gift to the Chinese spies who targeted Trump, JD Vance and other top political figures," he said in a statement.