Whistleblower Alleges DNI Tulsi Gabbard Locked Classified Memo in Safe Linked to Contact Close to Trump

A whistleblower complaint alleges that a highly classified memo implicating a person with close ties to President Donald Trump in contacts with foreign intelligence was taken into custody by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and stored in a safe, prompting scrutiny from lawmakers and intelligence officials.

A post from Deputy Chief of Staff Alexa Henning in response to The Guardian's report on X. / Screenshot/Alexa Henning/X

What the Complaint Says

The whistleblower's attorney told The Guardian that last spring the National Security Agency flagged what the outlet described as an unusual call between an individual tied to foreign intelligence and someone close to President Trump. According to the attorney, when the matter reached DNI Tulsi Gabbard she brought a paper copy of the memo to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and then instructed the NSA to forward highly classified details to her office rather than publish them. The complaint alleges those materials were subsequently locked in a safe.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attends an event where President Donald Trump delivered an announcement on his Homeland Security Task Force in the State Dinning Room of the White House on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump declared the task force a success, claiming that more than 3,000 cartel and foreign terrorists have been arrested. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) / Alex Wong / Getty Images

Timeline and Oversight

Andrew P. Bakaj, the whistleblower's lawyer, says the whistleblower first alerted the Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General on April 17, 2025, and filed a formal complaint on May 21, 2025. The matter did not become known to Congress until November. A leaked memo later said the complaint accused Gabbard of refusing to share a highly classified intelligence report for what it described as political purposes.

Trump has repeatedly undermined Gabbard. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Responses From Officials

Elements of the intelligence community publicly pushed back on the reporting. Alexa Henning, deputy chief of staff for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, called the Guardian's account false on X. DNI press secretary Olivia Coleman told The Daily Beast the report was untrue, accusing 'self-serving actors' of spreading 'lies and half-truths' and asserting that every action taken by DNI Gabbard was within legal and statutory authority. Coleman also said the office remains committed to protecting classified sources, methods, and the whistleblower's rights.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard posted on X addressing the whistleblower complaint. She claimed she saw it for the first time two weeks ago. / Screenshot/Tulsi Gabbard/X

The complaint was reportedly dismissed in June by Tamara Johnson, who was the inspector general at the time, on the basis that she could not determine whether the allegations appeared credible. The current inspector general, Christopher Fox, is also cited by DNI officials as having reviewed the matter.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard enters the Fulton County Election HUB as the FBI takes Fulton County 2020 Election ballots. / AP

Dispute Over Security Guidance

Johnson's determination letter reportedly advised the whistleblower that they could bring the complaint to Congress but would need security guidance from the DNI because of the sensitive nature of the material. Gabbard posted on X that she did not learn the whistleblower intended to take the complaint to Congress, acknowledged the material was kept in a safe, denied that she had 'hid' the complaint, and said she only first saw the complaint two weeks ago. She also criticized Senator Mark Warner and what she called 'the Propaganda Media' for spreading the narrative.

Bakaj says his client never received the promised security guidance. In a letter to Gabbard, he demanded the DNI provide security instructions and warned that if guidance was not delivered by the specified deadline he would give an unclassified briefing to the House and Senate intelligence committees on February 9. Bakaj attached earlier correspondence he sent on November 21, 2025, asking how the whistleblower should approach Congress.

Context

Gabbard has been described as largely sidelined from some national security discussions within the administration. The report also notes she has been working on a separate project related to former President Trump's claims about the 2020 election, an effort that has drawn attention amid this controversy.

Note: This article summarizes reporting and statements from multiple parties. Some officials dispute the account; others say the complaint was dismissed or that proper procedures were followed.