Intelligence Agencies
The Director of National Intelligence is an independent agency, a non-voting member of CFIUS and also a Cognizant Security Agency under NISP charged with protecting intelligence sources and methods, including classified information and data.
In addition, there is the Central Intelligence Agency—also an independent agency—and numerous other intelligence organizations throughout the executive branch, including the US Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Energy, Justice, State and Treasury.
How the National Security Regimes Interact
These intelligence organizations provide input and information to CFIUS and other agencies during the course of their reviews. In addition, there are some US businesses that have contracts with some of these organizations or are subject to certain restrictions or manufacturing specifications.
What You Need To Know
Foreign investment in any US business with active contracts with any of the intelligence agencies will be highly scrutinized and most will be precluded.
The impact of the information provided by the intelligence community to CFIUS in the review process should not be underestimated.