Steven L. Hall (also known by the diplomatic cover name Stephen Holmes) is a retired American Central Intelligence Agency officer who served for 30 years before retiring in 2015. He was the CIA station chief at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and later served as Chief of the Central Eurasia Division, overseeing intelligence operations in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. His identity was publicly revealed by the Russian FSB in May 2013.
After retiring from the CIA, Hall became a CNN national security analyst and commentator on Russian affairs. In October 2020, he was among 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter stating that reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation". In January 2025, President Donald Trump revoked the security clearances of all 51 signatories.
Career
Hall joined the CIA in the mid-1980s and spent 30 years in the Clandestine Service, primarily managing intelligence operations in Eurasia and Latin America.[1] He served as Chief of Station at multiple overseas posts and was a member of the Senior Intelligence Service, the cadre of senior-most leaders in the CIA's Clandestine Service.[2]
Prior to his retirement, Hall served as Chief of the Central Eurasia Division, overseeing intelligence operations in the countries of the former Soviet Union and the former Warsaw Pact. At CIA headquarters, he also focused on cyber threats, security and counterintelligence, and counterterrorism. He served as the Clandestine Service's senior liaison officer to congressional intelligence oversight committees.[2]
Moscow station chief
Hall served as CIA station chief in Moscow, the top U.S. intelligence representative in Russia. On May 17, 2013, his identity was publicly revealed by the Russian FSB in retaliation for the Ryan Fogle incident, in which an American diplomat was detained while allegedly attempting to recruit a Russian intelligence officer.[3][4] The FSB stated it had warned the CIA station chief in October 2011 that it would take "symmetrical actions" if provocative recruitment attempts continued.[3]
The public exposure of a CIA station chief was described by intelligence experts as a serious breach of diplomatic protocol.[4] Hall retired from the CIA in 2015.[1]
Post-CIA career
After retiring, Hall became a national security analyst for CNN, providing commentary on Russian affairs and intelligence matters.[5] He has also contributed opinion pieces to The Washington Post and appeared as a commentator on NPR.[1]
On October 19, 2020, Hall was among 51 former intelligence officials who signed a public letter stating that the New York Post reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation".[6] The letter stated the signatories did not know whether the emails were genuine and did not have evidence of Russian involvement.[6]
Security clearance revocation
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order revoking the security clearances of all 51 signatories of the laptop letter. The order accused the signatories of having "willfully weaponized the gravitas of the Intelligence Community to manipulate the political process and undermine our democratic institutions".[7] Legal experts described the mass revocation as unprecedented.[8]
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