Gabbard Responds to Allegations About a Whistleblower File

A former intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, said she did not block Congress from seeing a whistleblower complaint. She claimed that once she learned the filing needed security instructions, she acted right away. The complaint was filed in May with an inspector general. It accused the top spy office of trying to stop certain classified information from being shared for political reasons. Gabbard was named director by former President Trump in 2020. In November, the whistleblower’s lawyer sent a letter to Gabbard and to congressional committees. The letter said she had not given the necessary guidance for lawmakers to handle the complaint. Democratic leaders, including Senator Mark Warner, argued that the office should have sent it to Congress within 21 days.Gabbard posted on social media that the Democrats were spreading a “blatant lie. ” She noted that past inspectors general had found the complaint untrustworthy. She added that the 21‑day rule only applies if a complaint is urgent and credible. She also said she had not been told that the whistleblower chose to send the file directly to Congress. When she finally learned on December 4 that security instructions were needed, she said she took immediate action. The story has been reported by major papers that the complaint involved an intelligence intercept linked to someone close to Trump. Reuters could not confirm the details of the original filing.