...
By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has been accused of wrongdoing by a whistleblower, but the complaint is so highly classified that it has so far been kept from Congress, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Officials familiar with the matter told the outlet that there had been ongoing wrangling behind the scenes over the complaint, which Gabbard herself had stonewalled, they claimed.
One official said disclosing the document, filed last May, could cause "grave damage to national security."
Read More on Politics
When approached for comment by Newsweek, the DNI's press secretary pointed to an earlier post on X.
"There was absolutely NO wrongdoing by DNI Gabbard, a fact that [The Wall Street Journal] conveniently buried 13 paragraphs down," Olivia Coleman posted Monday. "Even the Biden-era Intelligence Community Inspector General came to this conclusion, determining that the Whistleblower’s allegations against DNI Gabbard 'did not appear credible'."
Despite this, Monday saw calls for an investigation into Gabbard's actions surrounding the case.
"After nearly eight months of taking illegal actions to protect herself, the time has come for Tulsi Gabbard to comply with the law and fully release the disclosure to Congress,” WhistleblowerAid.org Chief Legal Counsel Andrew P. Bakaj said.
Why It Matters
As the person overseeing the United States' intelligence agencies, Gabbard is no stranger to dealing with matters of national security, but the reported complaint puts her at the center of the issue. The back-and-forth over what to do with the complaint has raised concerns about transparency, particularly when Congress is usually notified about serious complaints involving senior administration officials within a matter of weeks.
...
What To Know
According to the Journal, which itself has not been able to see the contents of the classified complaint, the Office of the Inspector General had received written answers from Gabbard regarding allegations against her. It had deemed those allegations not credible, but the document also referenced another, as yet unidentified, federal agency.
While discussions have been ongoing around the contents of the complaint, it has remained locked in a safe. Some of the material could be subjected to executive privilege, meaning the president could have the power to withhold the information from Congress.
Gabbard herself has been accused of delaying the reports' progress through usual channels, prompting Bakaj, the whistle blower's attorney, to claim she is breaking the law.
An ODNI official told Newsweek that the Journal's reporting was completely false, adding that as the complaint was not deemed credible, there was no required rush to report to Congress. The official also touted Gabbard's work to cut through red tape.
The Director of National Intelligence was appointed by President Donald Trump in February 2025. In recent months, she has been investigating the 2020 election and Trump's ongoing claims that it was stolen from him—claims which have repeatedly been debunked.
Last year, she was reported to have installed one of her top advisers in a position within the Office of the Inspector General for intelligence services, leading to concerns that the office would be compromised in its impartiality.
What People Are Saying
WhistleblowerAid.org Chief Legal Counsel Andrew P. Bakaj, in a press release Monday: "The Inspector General’s independence and neutrality is non-existent when the Director of National Intelligence illegally inserts herself into the process…Such a grave dereliction jeopardizes the ability of Congress to exercise its legally mandated oversight of the U.S. Intelligence Community, including agency covert operations."
DNI Press Secretary Olivia Coleman, on X: "Director Gabbard has always and will continue to support Whistleblower's and their right, under the law, to submit complaints to Congress, even if they are completely baseless like this one."
What Happens Next
Coleman said on X that the claim by the whistleblower was politically motivated, and the complaint was with the Congressional Intelligence Committees for review.
Update 2/2/2026, 12:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with more information.
Update 2/2/2026 1:09 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Olivia Coleman.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines