Leaked Memo Falsely Named Ex‑Capitol Officer as Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber — Video Alibi Clears Her

A classified draft memo written by an aide to Tulsi Gabbard falsely linked former Capitol Police officer Shauni Kerkhoff to the Jan. 6 pipe-bomb incidents, then leaked to the public and amplified by right‑wing figures. The woman was later cleared after producing a timestamped video showing she was at home with her puppies when the devices were placed.

What happened

According to multiple sources, Paul McNamara — an Army veteran tapped by Tulsi Gabbard to run her "director's initiatives group" (DIG) — investigated a tip about a former Capitol Police officer now working in the intelligence community. Sources say McNamara accessed confidential records, obtained the woman's Social Security number and drafted a classified, unsigned memo outlining allegations that she might be connected to the attempted pipe bombings that occurred on the eve of Jan. 6.

The draft memo was later leaked. A conservative outlet published the woman’s identity and made its case mainly on gait analysis, which prompted a wave of online smears and amplification by prominent MAGA voices. The allegation reportedly reached former President Trump as well.

Investigation and exoneration

The FBI reviewed the matter and, after the woman produced a timestamped video of herself at home with puppies at the time the devices were placed, ruled her out as a suspect. The woman, Shauni Kerkhoff, had served in the U.S. Capitol Police Civil Disturbance Unit and testified about the Jan. 6 attack in 2022. Her lawyer, Steve Bunnell, called the allegations "recklessly false, absurd, and defamatory."

Official responses

An official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said the memo was in preliminary form and had not been reviewed or approved by agency leadership. DNI Press Secretary Olivia Coleman said ODNI reported the information it received to the appropriate employing agency, consulted legal counsel, and found no predetermined conclusions in the document. Coleman also blamed a leak for the subsequent public damage.

In public reaction, commentators and some elected officials criticized media reporting around the matter, and the episode prompted questions about the boundaries between political aides' actions and formal intelligence processes.

Why this matters

Preliminary and unvetted allegations, when leaked, can cause lasting reputational damage even if later disproven. The case highlights the need for strict controls over sensitive information and clear lines between partisan initiatives and official intelligence procedures.

As investigations into the pipe-bomb incidents continue, the episode raises broader concerns about accountability, information security, and the risks of politicizing intelligence work.