Matthew Olsen Joins ABC News as a Washington Based Contributor

ABC News President James Goldston sent the following note to the news division this morning announcing that Matthew Olsen will join ABC News as a contributor based in Washington, D.C.

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Team –

I am excited to announce that Matthew Olsen is joining ABC News as a contributor based in Washington, DC.

For over two decades, he has served as a federal prosecutor and in senior national security posts, including at the National Security Agency, Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI. He is a knowledgeable, experienced authority in all matters of counterterrorism, espionage and intelligence operations.

Most recently, Matt was Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, reporting directly to the President and the Director of National Intelligence. He was responsible for analyzing and integrating information gathered from the nation’s intelligence agencies and providing assessments to the president and other senior policy makers. Matt was one of the first to call attention to the terror threat posed by young radicalized Muslims with Western passports, especially in Syria. In fact, when he resigned from the NCTC in July, President Obama credited Matt with making the U.S. more secure, saying “every American is safer because of his service.”

Matt’s expertise and deep knowledge will be an invaluable asset to our already exceptional team. Martha Raddatz, Brian Ross and Pierre Thomas, along with contributors Dick Clarke and Steve Ganyard, are the best in the business. We are committed to growing our team even further, in fact Ely Brown is returning to Washington to lead our Global Affairs coverage. Their work is some of the most important storytelling we do—providing our audience with the most accurate reporting and unparalleled analysis and insights about our national security. And, with the addition of Matt, I look forward to even more great journalism and insider reporting from this powerhouse team.

Please join me in welcoming Matt to ABC News.

James