CIA Plans to Tone Down Its Holiday Celebrations

The CIA and the director of national intelligence have been known for throwing lavish Christmas parties replete with booze, food, live music, and hundreds of guests including lawmakers, White House officials, and members of press corps.

However, in tune with the times of fiscal austerity, the clandestine world is cutting back, The Washington Post’s blog Checkpoint Washington reports.

Spreads at the CIA in the recent past have included California wine, fried oysters, grilled shrimp, and quesadillas with musicians playing Irish music. But Director of National Intelligence James Clapper now says those days are gone.

“Scaling back our holiday celebrations is just another small example of our commitment to making sure that we continue to make wise fiscal decisions across the board,” the blog that follows diplomacy, intelligence, and military affairs reported.

An official told the blog that DNI typically spends about $50,000 on the holiday bash and events at DNI and the CIA will be smaller and less expensive.

In addition, the press will not be invited.