Tulsi Gabbard strongly denied allegations that she or the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concealed a whistleblower complaint, accusing Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) of spreading “blatant lies” for political gain.
Tulsi Gabbard Denies Hiding Whistleblower Complaint
On Saturday, in a post on X, Gabbard said, “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 added that the complaint was handled and secured by the Biden-era Intelligence Community (IC) Inspector General, Tamara Johnson, and her successor, Chris Fox.
Gabbard detailed the timeline of events, saying she first saw the complaint two weeks ago, to guide how it should be shared with Congress.
She emphasized that the complaint contained highly classified and compartmented intelligence, requiring it to be stored securely: “After IC Inspector General Fox hand-delivered the complaint to the Gang of 8, the complaint was returned to a safe where it remains, consistent with any information of such sensitivity.”
She also challenged Warner’s claims regarding a 21-day legal deadline, saying it applies only when a complaint is both urgent and credible, which she said this complaint was not.
“Either Senator Warner knows these facts and is intentionally lying to the American people, or he doesn’t have a clue how these things work,” Gabbard wrote.
Whistleblower Complaint Delayed Over Security Guidance
A top-secret whistleblower complaint filed in May with the intelligence community’s inspector general alleged that classified intelligence was blocked from routine congressional access for political reasons, reported Reuters.
Lawmakers, including Warner, argued the complaint should have been shared within 21 days, but successive inspectors general found it not credible, and the legal deadline applies only to urgent, credible complaints.
Media reports indicate the complaint involved an intelligence intercept connected to someone close to President Donald Trump, and delays were linked to the need for proper security guidance before sharing with Congress.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: John M Poltrack / Shutterstock.com
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