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I. Charles McCullough III, Esq.
Senior Partner
I. Charles “Chuck” McCullough III is a Senior Partner with Compass Rose Legal Group. In November 2011, he was confirmed by the United States Senate as the first Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, a position he held until 2017. Over a federal career spanning nearly three decades, he served as an FBI Special Agent and federal prosecutor, senior counsel at the Department of the Treasury, a senior investigative official at the National Security Agency, and ultimately the government’s chief watchdog for the entire Intelligence Community.
At Compass Rose, Chuck represents individuals and organizations in security clearance matters, federal employment disputes, whistleblower matters, and federal investigations—including Inspector General and congressional inquiries—and conducts independent internal and corporate investigations on behalf of organizations. Clients benefit from his rare perspective: he has investigated, adjudicated, and overseen these matters from the highest levels of government.
Professional Experience
Inspector General of the Intelligence Community
Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate on November 7, 2011, Chuck served as the first Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. As Inspector General, he led the independent office responsible for audits, inspections, investigations, and reviews of programs and activities across the Intelligence Community, and received and reviewed whistleblower complaints from across the IC.
He also chaired the Intelligence Community Inspectors General Forum, coordinating the work of the Inspectors General across the Intelligence Community. Among the significant matters he led or oversaw:
- The Boston Marathon bombing review. He led the joint review by multiple Inspectors General of how the Intelligence Community and law enforcement handled information about the bombers before the April 2013 attack, and testified as the lead witness at a 2014 Senate hearing on the findings.
- Classified information in Secretary Clinton’s emails. Working with the State Department Office of Inspector General, he reviewed whether classified information was present in emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private server and reported to Congress and the Executive Branch.
- The National Reconnaissance Office polygraph review. His office’s review of the NRO’s handling of admissions of crimes made during polygraph examinations led to a significant change in federal policy regarding the reporting of such admissions.
Before his confirmation, Chuck served as Deputy Inspector General of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
National Security Agency
For eight years, Chuck served as Assistant Inspector General for Investigations in the NSA/CSS Office of Inspector General, as a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service. He oversaw global investigations and special inquiries into allegations of fraud, ethics violations, whistleblower reprisal, and the misuse of intelligence collection authorities.
Department of the Treasury
As Senior Counsel for Law Enforcement and Intelligence at the Department of the Treasury, Chuck advised senior department officials on criminal enforcement, national security, and personnel matters. He served as lead counsel for the department on matters connected to the Enron and Zacarias Moussaoui cases and contributed to the intelligence-sharing provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. He was also detailed to the White House to assist in establishing the Department of Homeland Security, for which he received a commendation.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Chuck began his federal career with a decade at the FBI, serving as a Special Agent, Supervisory Special Agent, Associate Division Counsel, and Special Assistant United States Attorney. He conducted investigations in New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.; served on an FBI SWAT team; oversaw an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force; and participated in numerous complex federal investigations and prosecutions, including the investigation of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Compass Rose Legal Group
Chuck joined Compass Rose Legal Group in 2018. His practice draws on every stage of his government career, including:
- Independent corporate and internal investigations
- Representation in Inspector General, criminal, and administrative investigations
- Congressional investigations
- Security clearance and polygraph matters
- Whistleblower representation, including Intelligence Community whistleblowers
- Federal employment matters
Client testimonials are available on his testimonials page.
Education
The Pennsylvania State University
Dickinson School of Law
- Juris Doctor
University of Kentucky
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, with High Distinction
- President, Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania