Former CIA veteran Dale Britt Bendler betrayed his country by selling his expertise to foreign clients and mishandling classified information, now faces up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges.
Quick Takes
- Bendler spent over 30 years at the CIA before becoming a contractor with top secret clearance, which he exploited for personal gain
- He illegally conducted unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities for foreign clients from 2017-2020
- Bendler searched classified CIA systems for information to help his clients and shared sensitive data with unauthorized individuals
- He attempted to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation and U.S. visa decisions for clients
- As part of his plea agreement, Bendler will forfeit $85,000 and faces a maximum seven-year prison sentence
Decades of Trust Betrayed for Financial Gain
Dale Britt Bendler, a former CIA official from Miami who dedicated more than three decades to the intelligence agency, has admitted to serious federal crimes that undermine national security. After retiring from the CIA in 2014, Bendler continued as a full-time contractor with Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance—a privileged position he ultimately exploited. Between 2017 and July 2020, Bendler engaged in unauthorized activities for foreign clients, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars before his CIA contract was terminated in September 2020.
Court documents reveal Bendler worked through a U.S. lobbying firm to conduct unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities for foreign clients. The disgraced intelligence veteran illegally attempted to leverage his CIA position to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation and interfere with U.S. visa decisions. These actions violated federal law requiring registration as a foreign agent when working to influence U.S. policy on behalf of foreign interests.
Classified Information Compromised
The security breach extends beyond unregistered foreign lobbying. Bendler searched classified CIA systems specifically to obtain information related to his clients’ interests. He then improperly stored this sensitive intelligence and disclosed it to unauthorized individuals, creating significant national security vulnerabilities. When questioned about these activities, Bendler compounded his crimes by lying to both CIA officials and FBI investigators, attempting to conceal the nature and extent of his illicit operations.
Former CIA executive pleads guilty to sharing sensitive information with El Salvador. https://t.co/3CVp5hQ9qG
— Stringwall 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@StringwallApp) April 24, 2025
Though authorities have not publicly identified Bendler’s foreign clients or detailed exactly what classified information was compromised, the case has been handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia — a jurisdiction frequently used for significant national security prosecutions. As part of his plea agreement, Bendler will plead guilty to two felony charges: acting as a foreign agent and unauthorized retention of classified information.
Growing Pattern of Intelligence Community Breaches
Bendler’s case represents a concerning pattern of insider threats within America’s intelligence community. In 2018, another former CIA officer, Jerry Chun Shing Lee, was arrested for suspected ties to Chinese intelligence. Lee, who worked under diplomatic cover in Asia until leaving the agency in 2007, had repeated contacts with China’s Ministry of State Security. He was suspected of helping dismantle CIA networks in China, which led to the imprisonment or execution of approximately a dozen Chinese nationals working for U.S. intelligence.
“ARRESTED FORMER C.I.A. OFFICER HAD TIES TO CHINESE SPIES, EX-COLLEAGUE SAYS” – Ex-Colleague
Bendler has agreed to forfeit $85,000 as part of his plea arrangement, though this represents only a fraction of what he reportedly earned through his illegal activities. His sentencing is scheduled for July 16, where he faces a maximum combined sentence of seven years in federal prison. The case underscores the ongoing challenges in safeguarding America’s intelligence secrets from trusted insiders who abuse their privileged access for personal profit, potentially compromising national security operations and putting both intelligence assets and American interests at risk.
