Whistleblower Alleges Gabbard Interfered with NSA Intelligence Distribution
A whistleblower has made explosive allegations that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard obstructed the National Security Agency from distributing evidence about a potentially significant call. According to the complaint, the NSA detected evidence in spring 2025 of a communication between an individual close to former President Donald Trump and someone associated with foreign intelligence operations.
Allegations of Improper Handling of Classified Information
The whistleblower's lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, told The Guardian that rather than allowing standard NSA procedures for distributing intelligence reports, Gabbard allegedly took a paper copy of the sensitive information directly to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Following this action, Gabbard reportedly instructed NSA officials not to publish their intelligence report through normal channels and instead transmit the details exclusively to her office.
"This story is false," a spokesperson for Gabbard's office stated in response to the allegations. "Every single action taken by DNI Gabbard was fully within her legal and statutory authority, and these politically motivated attempts to manipulate highly classified information undermine the essential national security work being done by great Americans in the Intelligence Community every day."
Gabbard's Public Response and Denials
In a statement posted on social media platform X on Saturday, Gabbard directly addressed the allegations: "I am not now, nor have I ever been, in possession or control of the Whistleblower's complaint, so I obviously could not have 'hidden' it in a safe." She referenced previous news reports suggesting the complaint had been secured under lock and key, clarifying that "Biden-era IC Inspector General Tamara Johnson was in possession of and responsible for securing the complaint for months."
Gabbard further explained her involvement timeline: "The first time I saw the whistleblower complaint was 2 weeks ago when I had to review it to provide guidance on how it should be securely shared with Congress."
Details of the Alleged Communication and Congressional Delays
The New York Times reported that the call in question involved two foreign nationals discussing both a person close to President Trump and Iran, citing someone familiar with material used to brief congressional members. The original whistleblower complaint, filed in May 2025, alleged that "distribution of a highly classified intelligence report" was restricted and that an intelligence community lawyer failed to "report a potential crime" to the Justice Department, both allegedly for "political purposes."
Despite precedent requiring such complaints to reach Congress within weeks, this particular allegation wasn't shared with lawmakers until February 2026. Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Christopher Fox explained in a letter that the original acting inspector general, Tamara Johnson, determined the first allegation lacked credibility and couldn't assess the second allegation's validity.
Partisan Reactions and Legal Disputes
The complaint has ignited sharply divided responses along political lines. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas dismissed the allegations as "another effort by the president's critics in and out of government to undermine policies that they don't like." He added, "I agree with both inspectors general who have evaluated the matter: the complaint is not credible and the inspectors general and the DNI took the necessary steps to ensure the material has handled and transmitted appropriately in accordance with law."
Conversely, Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia accused officials of attempting to "bury the complaint" through procedural delays. "The law is clear: when a whistleblower makes a complaint and wants to get it before Congress the agency has 21 days to relay it," Warner stated at a Thursday press conference. "This whistleblower complaint was issued in May. We didn't receive it until February."
Ongoing Legal and Procedural Developments
Bakaj, representing the whistleblower, alleges that Gabbard has failed to meet legal obligations to provide guidance on disclosing information to congressional intelligence committees. "We are now moving forward with plans to provide an unclassified briefing to the committees and will be in touch with them on Monday," Bakaj wrote on social media platform Bluesky on Friday.
Fox's letter cited several factors contributing to the delayed congressional notification:
- Government shutdown periods
- Staff turnover within relevant agencies
- Legal complexity surrounding the allegations
- Executive privilege review by the White House
Fox noted that had he personally reviewed the original complaint initially, he wouldn't have classified it as urgent, contributing to the extended timeline before congressional disclosure.
