Whistleblower Aid says its client is willing to brief cleared members of Congress about a classified complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that was filed in May and kept in a safe. The Intelligence Community Inspector General found some allegations not credible but left other claims unresolved. Republican lawmakers who reviewed the complaint called it not credible, while Democrats criticized Gabbard for not notifying Congress within the legally required 21 days. The Gang of Eight finally received access to the document eight months after it was filed.
Whistleblower Offers To Brief 'Gang of Eight' On Secret Complaint Against DNI Tulsi Gabbard
Alex Wong / Getty Images(Alex Wong)
A whistleblower represented by the nonprofit legal group Whistleblower Aid says they are willing to brief cleared congressional officials about a classified complaint filed last May that was stored in a secure safe. The filing concerns allegations about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and has prompted a dispute over how sensitive intelligence complaints are handled and shared with Congress.
Whistleblower Aid said its client would meet with senior members and cleared staff of the House and Senate intelligence committees — commonly known as the Gang of Eight — "with appropriate protections" to provide additional details, respond to credibility questions and address concerns about politicization.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that a U.S. intelligence official filed the complaint in May and that parts of it were considered so sensitive they were locked in a safe. The Intelligence Community Inspector General (IC IG) reviewed the allegations and concluded that some specific charges against Gabbard were not credible, while other portions could not be fully resolved.
Whistleblower Aid on X
Allegations and Official Findings
In a letter to the intelligence committees, IC IG Christopher Fox summarized the complaint. Among other claims, the submission alleges that the distribution of a highly classified intelligence report was restricted "for political purposes" and that a lawyer at an intelligence agency failed to report an alleged crime to the Justice Department.
Whistleblower Aid: "Our whistleblower client is willing to speak — with appropriate protections — to the Gang of Eight and their cleared staff to provide additional details about the complaint, address questions about credibility and concerns over politicization, and answer questions that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and DNI Tulsi Gabbard have refused to address. We all want the truth."
Political Reactions and Timeline
The Gang of Eight finally received access to the complaint on Tuesday, eight months after it was filed. Republican lawmakers who reviewed the document largely described it as not credible. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton posted that the complaint "is not credible" and framed it as an effort by critics to undermine policies they oppose.
By contrast, Senate Intelligence Committee top Democrat Mark Warner criticized Gabbard for not notifying Congress of the complaint within the 21-day period required by law. Warner noted that the whistleblower filed in May but that congressional leaders only became aware of the complaint months later.
Tom Cotton on X
An ODNI official told the New York Post that Gabbard was not informed for months after the complaint was filed that she needed to issue security guidance; the official said she issued that guidance immediately after learning of the requirement. Warner responded, "Ignorance of the law is not a defense if you're in charge, so this is a mess on steroids."
Gabbard's office called the allegations "baseless and politically motivated." Her press secretary, Olivia Coleman, posted on X that Director Gabbard "has always and will continue to support Whistleblower[s] and their right, under the law, to submit complaints to Congress, even if they are completely baseless like this one."
What Happens Next
The whistleblower's offer to brief the Gang of Eight could lead to closed-door testimony or further investigation by congressional oversight offices. With parts of the complaint deemed not credible and other sections unresolved, lawmakers and oversight officials will likely weigh whether additional inquiry or procedural reforms around handling highly sensitive complaints are needed.
The matter remains under scrutiny as both congressional committees and intelligence oversight bodies assess the allegations and the process by which such complaints are transmitted and reviewed.
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