CIA watchdog nominee says he never read torture report

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's nominee to be the CIA's watchdog is telling Congress that he's never read the Senate's torture report, an exhaustive, classified report of the agency's harsh treatment of terror suspects after 9/11.

Christopher Sharpley, who became deputy inspector general at the CIA in July 2012 and has issued scores of recommendations to improve the agency's effectiveness, appeared Tuesday before the Senate intelligence committee. He said the disc containing the 7,000-page report was lost and later found, but that he never took time to read it.

Committee members also quizzed Sharpley about whistleblowers who report waste, fraud and abuse and how they need to be protected from retaliation. Sharpley says he has never retaliated against any whistleblower.

The committee is to vote on his confirmation next week.