Tulsi Gabbard Faces Scrutiny Over Withheld Complaint
For eight months, a complaint concerning Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has lingered without reaching members of Congress, sparking questions about the delay. The complaint, which Gabbard’s office states was dismissed by the inspector general as not credible, has yet to be referred to the intelligence committees, as is typically required by law.
The attorney representing the complainant, Andrew Bakaj, refrained from revealing his client’s identity or the specifics of the allegations due to confidentiality concerns. However, he emphasized that there has been no valid reason for withholding the complaint from Congress since last spring.
In response, Olivia Coleman, Gabbard’s press secretary, asserted that the review process has been prolonged by the classified nature of the complaint. She maintained that there was no delay and criticized the Wall Street Journal for initially reporting the claims.
Coleman emphasized that the inspector general, who labeled the complaint as non-credible, was not appointed by Gabbard but began their role during the Biden administration. “Director Gabbard has always and will continue to support whistleblowers and their right, under the law, to submit complaints to Congress, even if they are completely baseless like this one,” Coleman stated on X.
Gabbard’s involvement in coordinating the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies took an unusual turn when she was present last week during an FBI operation at Georgia election offices, related to allegations of election fraud. This action has provoked questions from Democratic members of the House and Senate intelligence committees.
Bakaj has urged Congress to examine the handling of the complaint. A spokesperson for Senator Mark Warner, a leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, reiterated Gabbard’s oath to protect whistleblowers and ensure congressional oversight. “We expect her to honor those commitments and comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law,” Warner’s office commented.
The inspector general’s office, responsible for oversight of the intelligence community, has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the complaint.
Bakaj, a former CIA intelligence officer, has a history of representing whistleblowers and was involved in the case that led to President Trump’s first impeachment. The former president faced impeachment by the House but was acquitted by the Senate following allegations he sought political favors from Ukraine’s president.
Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
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