Sen. Wyden Sends Classified Letter to John Ratcliffe, Expresses Deep Concerns Over CIA Activities

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, publicly notified CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday that he had also sent a classified letter raising serious concerns about agency activity. Wyden’s short public note offered no specifics about the nature of his concerns.

“I write to alert you to a classified letter I sent you earlier today, in which I express deep concerns about CIA activities,” Wyden wrote.

Wyden’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence were also contacted for comment.

Background and Wider Context

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of intelligence operations tied to the Trump administration. Recent reporting, including a CNN story last month, said the CIA has been working to establish a presence in Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Wyden left many to guess which CIA activities drew his concern. / Wyden.Senate.gov

Separately, an intelligence official has lodged a whistleblower complaint concerning Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. According to a memo obtained by the Associated Press, the complaint alleges that Gabbard “restricted” distribution of a “highly classified intelligence report” for “political purposes.” The memo further alleges officials in the DNI’s Office of General Counsel failed to report a potential crime to the Department of Justice, also for political reasons.

The AP reports that members of the House and Senate intelligence committees have the memo, and that copies of the complaint are expected to be shared with those lawmakers this week. Wyden’s office operates a portal through which whistleblowers can submit complaints.

Gabbard’s office has pushed back on the allegations. Spokesperson Olivia Coleman told the Daily Beast: “The Whistleblower’s allegations against DNI Gabbard were ALREADY not deemed credible, which is exactly what the IC IG told Congress. Literally anyone can submit an ‘allegation of wrongdoing.’ That does not make it true.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe (left) reports to Gabbard, as do the heads of several other intelligence agencies. Sen. Wyden expressed alarm at CIA activities in a letter to Ratcliffe on Wednesday. / Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag

Election-Related Activity

Gabbard has also been involved in efforts related to former President Donald Trump’s claims about the 2020 election. She appeared at Georgia’s Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center last week during an FBI raid. In correspondence with Wyden and other lawmakers, Gabbard said her presence was requested by the President and was carried out under her statutory authority to coordinate and analyze intelligence related to election security, counterintelligence, foreign influence and cybersecurity.

“My presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence (CI), foreign and other malign influence and cybersecurity,” she wrote.

In a separate interview aired Wednesday night, former President Trump told NBC News, “I don’t know” why she was there.

Details in Wyden’s classified letter remain undisclosed. Lawmakers on the relevant intelligence committees are expected to receive and review copies of the whistleblower complaint this week as oversight continues.