Charles McCullough III

First Senate-confirmed IC Inspector General. As a Compass Rose partner he filed David Grusch's 2022 whistleblower complaint and represented him until June 2023.

Current role: Senior Partner, Compass Rose Legal Group, PLLC (Washington, DC)

Former roles:

Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (first Senate-confirmed holder of the post, confirmed 2011)
FBI Special Agent, Supervisory Special Agent and Associate Division Counsel
Earlier service at the National Security Agency and the Department of the Treasury

Background

I. Charles ("Chuck") McCullough III was the first Senate-confirmed Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, appointed by President Obama and confirmed in 2011. In that role he reported directly to DNI James Clapper, oversaw audits, inspections, investigations and whistleblower protection across 17 intelligence community elements, and chaired the IC Inspectors General Forum. Before that he spent about ten years as an FBI special agent and supervisory agent, with earlier service at the NSA and Treasury. He joined Compass Rose Legal Group as a partner in July 2018 and is now its senior partner. His place in the disclosure story is as the former watchdog who, with managing partner Andrew Bakaj, represented David Grusch from February 2022 and filed his complaint with the office McCullough once led. The firm ended its representation in June 2023, before Grusch's public testimony. Note: the legacy Key People page spelled the surname "McCollough". The correct spelling is McCullough.

On the record

2023-06-09 – Compass Rose statement, signed by McCullough and Bakaj – "Compass Rose Legal Group has successfully concluded its representation of former client David Grusch". The firm said its work was limited to the whistleblower disclosure and related personnel matters, and that "Compass Rose took no position and takes no position on the contents of the withheld information." The Debrief
2022-05-25 – as Grusch's counsel, filed the Disclosure of Urgent Concern and Complaint of Reprisal with the Intelligence Community Inspector General, Thomas Monheim. Filing (PDF) · Text version
2018-07-30 – press release on joining Compass Rose – described as the former IC Inspector General who reported to DNI Clapper and led oversight of the IC's 17 elements. Press release

Timeline of involvement

2011 – confirmed as the first Inspector General of the Intelligence Community
2018-07-30 – joins Compass Rose Legal Group as partner
2022-02 – Compass Rose begins representing David Grusch
2022-05-25 – files Grusch's complaint with the IC IG
2022-07 – IC IG deems the complaint "credible and urgent"
2023-06-05 – Grusch's story breaks (The Debrief)
2023-06-09 – Compass Rose formally concludes its representation
2023-07-26 – Grusch testifies to House Oversight, Compass Rose is no longer his counsel

Relevant links

Part of the Key People in Disclosure series. Verified 2026-10-10. Spotted an error? Reach out.