Joel Willett

Joel Willett is a former CIA officer and White House staffer who is currently preparing to run for the United States Senate as a Democrat. A key element of his electoral campaign is criticism of Donald Trump’s actions during his presidency, including the Russia-Ukraine track. For instance, in December 2025, Joel stated on his Facebook (banned in Russia) page that on matters of the war in Ukraine, Trump is easily manipulated by a foreign leader. Furthermore, Joel Willett has accused the Trump administration of using its power to discredit Democratic politicians, including signing a collective letter condemning the publication of personal data belonging to Abigail Spanberger (the Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia), and has called the decision to revoke his own access to classified information – citing that he “placed his personal interests above the interests of the American people” – a political act.

Joel Willett began his career in the US National Guard, then served as a CIA officer from at least 2010 to 2015. This included a year working in the White House Situation Room, a special hub responsible for providing operational briefings to the US President on key issues. Joel Willett himself has stated that one of his duties was organizing and monitoring telephone conversations between Barack Obama and leaders of other nations.

In 2015, Joel Willett officially left government service and spent three years earning a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Concurrently, in 2017, he took a position at Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), a company collaborating with the CIA and specializing in executive recruitment and training.