Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations that she withheld classified information from lawmakers for political reasons.
A memo obtained by The Associated Press reveals that an inspector general's office complaint against Gabbard was initially deemed non-credible but has since become a contentious issue. According to the memo, the complaint alleged that Gabbard had withheld access to classified information on multiple occasions, raising concerns over her handling of sensitive materials.
Gabbard's office has denied these allegations, citing an extensive legal review and the need for classified details, as well as last year's government shutdown, as reasons for the delay. However, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, a member of the "Gang of Eight" lawmakers tasked with overseeing intelligence services, says he expects to see the complaint soon.
Warner, who had not seen the complaint as of Tuesday, expressed frustration over Gabbard's handling of the matter, stating that it took six months of negotiation for her office to share the whistleblower complaint. This is in contrast to her earlier testimony during confirmation hearings, where she claimed to protect whistleblowers and share information in a timely manner.
Furthermore, the author of the original complaint has made another allegation, accusing Gabbard's office general counsel of failing to report a potential crime to the Department of Justice.
The inspector general's memo contains redactions but does not provide further details on either allegation. Federal law allows whistleblowers to refer their complaints to lawmakers even if they have been deemed non-credible, as long as the complaint raises urgent concerns.
Senator Warner plans to question Gabbard over her actions and the implications of intelligence work being intertwined with domestic law enforcement. He argues that the director of national intelligence should not be involved in executing search warrants or conducting criminal investigations.
Gabbard's role at the center of a recent FBI search warrant on election offices in Georgia has also raised concerns among Democrats, who see it as eroding longstanding barriers between intelligence work and domestic law enforcement.
As the investigation into these allegations continues, Gabbard will need to address these concerns and demonstrate transparency and accountability in her handling of classified information.
A memo obtained by The Associated Press reveals that an inspector general's office complaint against Gabbard was initially deemed non-credible but has since become a contentious issue. According to the memo, the complaint alleged that Gabbard had withheld access to classified information on multiple occasions, raising concerns over her handling of sensitive materials.
Gabbard's office has denied these allegations, citing an extensive legal review and the need for classified details, as well as last year's government shutdown, as reasons for the delay. However, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, a member of the "Gang of Eight" lawmakers tasked with overseeing intelligence services, says he expects to see the complaint soon.
Warner, who had not seen the complaint as of Tuesday, expressed frustration over Gabbard's handling of the matter, stating that it took six months of negotiation for her office to share the whistleblower complaint. This is in contrast to her earlier testimony during confirmation hearings, where she claimed to protect whistleblowers and share information in a timely manner.
Furthermore, the author of the original complaint has made another allegation, accusing Gabbard's office general counsel of failing to report a potential crime to the Department of Justice.
The inspector general's memo contains redactions but does not provide further details on either allegation. Federal law allows whistleblowers to refer their complaints to lawmakers even if they have been deemed non-credible, as long as the complaint raises urgent concerns.
Senator Warner plans to question Gabbard over her actions and the implications of intelligence work being intertwined with domestic law enforcement. He argues that the director of national intelligence should not be involved in executing search warrants or conducting criminal investigations.
Gabbard's role at the center of a recent FBI search warrant on election offices in Georgia has also raised concerns among Democrats, who see it as eroding longstanding barriers between intelligence work and domestic law enforcement.
As the investigation into these allegations continues, Gabbard will need to address these concerns and demonstrate transparency and accountability in her handling of classified information.
her office is denying all allegations but thats not good enough the inspector generals memo is real and its saying she withheld info from lawmakers for political reasons thats like a big no no in gov 
mark warner isnt having it either he thinks theres more to this story than meets the eye i think gabbard needs to come clean about whats going on over there her whole "protecting whistleblowers" thing just rang hollow when she waited 6 months to share that whistleblower complaint with lawmakers 
what if she was hiding something?? i need answers ASAP 
but now this memo is out and it's all bad news 
apparently she withheld classified info from lawmakers for politics 
And now the senator from VA is all up in her grill about it 
I don't know man, I think Tulsi's got some 'splainin' to do 
. The fact that there was a whistleblower complaint that got lost in limbo for 6 months is just wild 
. Fingers crossed that this gets sorted out ASAP 
.
. And now Senator Warner wanting to grill her over this? That's gonna be good TV 
. But seriously, if there's any truth to these claims, it's huge 
. Iosn't it weird that she was handling classified info for so long without anyone noticing or pushing back? 
The fact that the inspector general's office complaint went from being deemed non-credible to a big deal now is pretty suspicious 
. And now there's an FBI search warrant in Georgia getting tied up with her role as Director of National Intelligence? Yeah, that doesn't sit right at all 
like w/ all these allegations flying around, we need answers 
. With Tulsi Gabbard at the helm, it's no wonder that scrutiny is getting louder 
. Her denials might be legit, but Warner's frustration speaks volumes 
. If an IG complaint was initially deemed non-credible but re-evaluated, something's gotta give 
. Gabbard's role in executing search warrants is getting everyone worried 
. The FBI search warrant incident in Georgia? 
. If Gabbard can't deliver that, her time as Director might be numbered 
. The investigation continues... 
. That's a problem worth solving 
. Guess this thread just became a lot more interesting 
. This is exactly why we need a strong check on executive power... and it's not like Gabbard was hiding behind the usual "national security" excuse either 
She's the Director of National Intelligence and she's accused of withholding CLASSIFIED INFO from lawmakers 
And it's not just one thing, there's another complaint about her general counsel failing to report a potential crime to the DOJ 
anyway, i'm sure gabbard will do the right thing now that all eyes are on her 
or not
plus this FBI search warrant thing in georgia is gettin me worried too... what r they really after here? 
The whole thing just smells like a cover-up to me, you know? 
And if this inspector general complaint was deemed non-credible in the first place and then it becomes contentious... that's some serious red flag waving 
. 
especially when it comes to sensitive info being withheld from lawmakers? 
.
. One minute she's all about whistleblowers and sharing info fast 
, the next she's withholding classified docs for six months 
... what's going on? Her office keeps saying it's due to legal stuff and the shutdown, but that sounds like a pretty weak excuse to me 
This whole thing just smells like a mess. You got Director of National Intelligence being accused of playing politics with classified info, and no one's buying it 
. That just shows how quickly things can change in politics. Anyway, Mark Warner needs to keep pushing for answers and making sure Gabbard's office is being transparent about this whole thing 
. I hope Senator Warner gets to the bottom of this and has a chat with Gabbard soon 
meanwhile senator warner's over here like "hey, where's the beef?"
... Gabbard's job is to oversee intel services, not her own agenda