NEW ORLEANS – Peter M. Thomson, a member of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann LLC, has been nominated to be the next Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Thomson would be responsible for overseeing the Inspector General's offices of Audits, Inspections and Investigations in order to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse and other forms of misconduct within the CIA, thereby helping ensure that the CIA's programs and operations are being conducted in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Thomson was nominated for the position by President Donald J. Trump.
Thomson currently chairs the firm’s white-collar criminal defense practice and co-chairs the firm’s information security practice. His legal practice also includes civil litigation, internal investigations and corporate compliance. During his legal career, he has tried more than 50 criminal cases to verdict in both federal and state courts, and he has extensive experience in appellate litigation.
Prior to joining Stone Pigman, Thomson was an Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice for 23 years. He also served on special assignment at the National Security Agency. With the DOJ, Thomson served in the Organized Crime Strike Force.
“Peter has been an integral part of our Stone Pigman team for over 10 years, and we are honored that the President has chosen him for such an important role in the government," said Michael Walshe, chair of Stone Pigman’s management committee. “Peter has long exemplified the highest standards of legal excellence and public service. His leadership acumen and extensive experience in national security and internal investigations, combined with his unwavering integrity, makes him a uniquely qualified candidate for the job.”
Thomson expressed gratitude for the nomination.
“I am honored and humbled to be considered for the role of Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to return to government service and look forward to advancing the mission of the CIA with integrity and professionalism.”
This is not the first time Thomson has been considered for the role. In 2020, he was nominated by Trump to be Inspector General of the CIA. While he testified before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and was voted out favorably with unanimous consent, his nomination was returned under the Senate Rules following the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
A New Orleans native, Thomson graduated from Tulane University where he received his undergraduate and juris doctorate degrees. He is an executive committee member of The Federalist Society’s Criminal Law Practice Group and the New Orleans Lawyers Chapter. Thomson formerly served as a board member of the Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans. He also previously served for 20 years as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Tulane Law School.
At Stone Pigman, Thomson concentrates his practice in criminal defense, government investigations and internal investigations. He also handles select civil litigation and appellate work. His bio says he has extensive experience in a wide variety of matters and has represented individual and corporate clients in cases involving RICO, financial offenses, SEC securities fraud, INTERPOL extradition law, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, data breaches, corruption, wire and mail fraud, health care fraud, immigration law, environmental crimes and maritime criminal offenses. Thomson has tried more than 50 criminal trials to verdict in federal and state courts.