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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has publicly responded to allegations regarding her handling of a whistleblower complaint, calling the accusations "blatantly false and slanderous" in a four-page letter to congressional intelligence committees.
The letter, posted on X, directly addresses her presence during an FBI search warrant execution at the Office of the Clerk of the Court of Fulton County, Georgia, on January 28, and defends her statutory authority to coordinate intelligence activities related to election security.
The complaint, filed in May, has been deemed so highly classified that it has remained locked in a safe, with officials warning its disclosure could cause "grave damage to national security," The Wall Street Journal first reported Monday.
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Newsweek reached out to the DNI office via email on Monday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
The controversy centers on Gabbard's dual role as coordinator of the nation's 18 intelligence agencies and her obligations to protect whistleblowers while keeping Congress informed. Her presence at the Georgia election office search—a location central to President Donald Trump's disputed 2020 election fraud claims—has raised questions from Democrats about potential politicization of intelligence operations.
The eight-month delay in forwarding the complaint to Congress has raised transparency concerns, particularly when serious complaints involving senior administration officials are typically reported within weeks.
What To Know
According to Andrew Bakaj, the attorney representing the whistleblower, the complaint about Gabbard's conduct has been withheld from Congress for eight months. The complaint was reviewed by the intelligence community's inspector general, which deemed it not credible.
The complainant then sought referral to congressional intelligence committees, as permitted by federal law, but officials familiar with the matter told the Journal that Gabbard herself had stonewalled the process. The classified document also references another—still unidentified—federal agency, and some material could be subject to executive privilege.
In her letter to Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia—vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee—and Democratic Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut—ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee—Gabbard says that her presence at the Fulton County search was requested by Trump and executed under her statutory authority to coordinate intelligence and counterintelligence related to election security. She accompanied FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Ellis while observing personnel executing the search warrant. Gabbard emphasized she did not ask questions or issue directives during the operation.
The DNI's Office of General Counsel found her actions "consistent and well within my statutory authorities," according to the letter. Gabbard cited multiple legal authorities supporting her role, including Section 102A of the National Security Act of 1947, Section 119C of the same act, Section 6508 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 and several presidential executive orders and policy directives establishing DNI's responsibility for election security intelligence.
Olivia Coleman, Gabbard's press secretary, disputed claims of delay, saying that classified details in the complaint made the review process "substantially more difficult." Coleman emphasized that the inspector general who found the complaint noncredible began work during the Biden administration and was not selected by Gabbard. A DNI 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 it to Congress.
Bakaj, a former CIA intelligence officer who previously represented the Ukraine whistleblower in Trump's first impeachment case, said he cannot identify his client, their employer or offer specifics about the allegations due to the sensitive nature of their work. Last year, Gabbard 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 about the office's impartiality.
What People Are Saying
Gabbard, in an X post Monday: "Contrary to the blatantly false and slanderous accusations being made against me by Members of Congress and their friends in the propaganda media, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has and will continue to take action under my statutory authorities to secure our nation and ensure the integrity of our elections."
Bakaj, WhistleblowerAid.org chief legal counsel, in a news release on 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."
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."
The office of Warner, top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee: "We expect her to honor those commitments and comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law," referring to Gabbard's confirmation hearing pledge to protect whistleblowers and keep Congress informed."
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What Happens Next
Coleman said the complaint is now with the congressional intelligence committees for review, calling it politically motivated. The committees are expected to examine Gabbard's explanation of her statutory authorities and handling of the whistleblower complaint. Warner's office has indicated expectations that Gabbard comply with whistleblower protection commitments made during her confirmation hearing.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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