Haspel joined the CIA in 1985 and has held several leading positions in the agency

On March 13, 2018, Haspel was nominated by President Trump to become the Director of the CIA, Achievement Mike Pompeo.

Haspel joined the CIA in 1985 and has held several leading positions in the agency such as deputy director of the National Clandestine Service. Haspel conducted a "black site" CIA prison situated in Thailand in 2002. Declassified CIA cables establish that Zubaydah had been waterboarded 83 days per month, was sleep deprived, maintained in a "large box", had his head slammed against a wall, and he dropped his left eye. Zubaydah was deemed, from the CIA interrogators, not to be in possession of some useful intellect (Interrogation of Abu Zubaydah).

Haspel afterwards was the chief of employees to Jose Rodriguez, who headed the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. In his memoir, Rodriguez composed that Haspel had "drafted a cable" at 2005 ordering the destruction of dozens of videotapes made at the black site in Thailand.

But she had been denied the position permanently as a result of criticism regarding her involvement in the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation program. Haspel has also served as the Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service for Foreign Intelligence and Covert Action.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse quoted coworkers Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich who had been to the committee:

I'm especially concerned by reports that this individual was involved from the intrusion of CIA interrogation videotapes, which recorded the CIA's use of torture from 2 CIA detainees. My coworkers Senators Wyden and Heinrich have stated that classified info details why the newly appointed Deputy Director is 'unsuitable' for the place and have asked that this information be declassified. I combine their request.

On February 15, 2017, Spencer Ackerman reported founders Bruce Jessen and James Mitchell, the architects of the enhanced interrogation program which was designed to violate Zubaydah and was subsequently used on other detainees in the CIA's secret prisons across the world. Jessen and Mitchell have been sued by Sulaiman Abdulla Salim, Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud, and Obaid Ullah over torture made by the psychologists. Jessen and Mitchell are seeking to push Haspel, and her colleague James Cotsana, to testify in their behalf.

On March 13, 2018, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he will nominate Haspel to function as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, which will make her first female permanent CIA director