Jeanne Vertefeuille

Jeanne Vertefeuille (23 December 1932 – 29 December 2012) was a CIA officer who participated in a small team that investigated and uncovered the actions of Aldrich Ames, a notorious Cold War spy.

Jeanne Vertefeuille
Vertefeuille in the 1990s
Born(1932-12-23)December 23, 1932
New Haven, Connecticut
DiedDecember 29, 2012(2012-12-29) (aged 80)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materBachelor's degree, history, University of Connecticut, 1954
OccupationIntelligence Officer
EmployerCIA
Known forInvestigation which uncovered the actions of Aldrich Ames

Early life

Born in New Haven, Connecticut on December 23, 1932, she earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Connecticut in 1954, where she also learned German and French. She began her career as a typist for the Agency in 1954 and obtained promotions and expertise on the Soviet Union over several decades, serving in Ethiopia, Finland, and the Netherlands.[1][2]

Career

In 1976, Veretefeuille wrote ''The GRU Today'', which was a study on the operations of the GRU, the Soviet Union's foreign military intelligence organisation.[3]

She was made the lead investigator of a small team looking at the high rate of Russian double agent disappearances in 1986.[1] As it became more clear to the team that there could be a mole in the organization, Vertefeuille worked to keep the team small and focused to minimize the chances of the mole escaping before an arrest could be made.[4] Over the course of 8 years, this investigation led her to Ames's involvement in the disappearances - he had exposed them in exchange for millions of dollars, leading to at least 8 executions. The investigation was fraught with difficulty, but the team began to uncover his treachery in 1989 when it was found that he had bought luxury cars and a house, beyond the salary of a typical CIA agent. The case was not cracked until 1991, when Vertefeuille and her team correlated Ames's meeting times with large deposits in his bank account.[1] She officially retired in 1992 but continued to work as a contractor until a few months before her death in 2012.[2] Ames was arrested with the involvement of the FBI on February 21, 1994.[1] Prior to his arrest, Ames had told the KGB that Vertefeuille had the requisite access to be framed instead.[5]

Throughout her career, Vertefeuille was known for her intense personal privacy and solitary nature. She died of brain cancer at the age of 80.[1]

Legacy

In 1998, Ames' story was dramatized in the TV movie Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within, starring Joan Plowright as Vertefeuille.[6]

In 2014, ABC aired The Assets, an eight-part American drama television miniseries based on Circle of Treason.[7][8][9]

References
  1. Martin, Douglas (11 January 2013). "Jeanne Vertefeuille, C.I.A. Official Who Helped Catch a Notorious Mole, Dies at 80". New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  2. Morell, Michael (4 January 2013). "Message from the Acting Director: Jeanne Vertefeuille". CIA. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  3. Sandra, Grimes; Vertefeuille, Jeanne (2012). Circle of treason : a CIA account of traitor Aldrich Ames and the men he betrayed. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 6. ISBN 9781612513058. OCLC 824081739.
  4. Wise, David (1995). Nightmover. HarperCollins. pp. 176–177. ISBN 0-06-017198-7.
  5. "The People of the CIA...Ames Mole Hunt Team". CIA. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  6. "Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within (TV Movie 1998)". Internet Movie Database. 24 February 2018.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie. "ABC Orders Cold War Limited Series 'The Assets' For 2014". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  8. Lacey Rose (2013-07-23). "ABC Orders Limited Series About The Cold War". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  9. "ABC Orders Cold War-Inspired Limited Series 'The Assets' - Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-27. Retrieved 2013-09-08.

Further reading
  • Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille. Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 2012. ISBN 9781591143345 OCLC 785079499
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