Secret complaint and disputed timeline drive concerns about DNI Tulsi Gabbard
A whistleblower filed a classified complaint against Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, last spring. That is perhaps the only undisputed detail of a growing controversy.
Exactly what the complaint alleged is still secret — and may remain so. For now, Gabbard and members of Congress are offering differing accounts of the timeline surrounding the complaint, underscoring a broader dispute over oversight, procedure and the limits of Gabbard’s role.
An attorney for the whistleblower said that Gabbard delayed sharing the complaint with key members of Congress, as federal law requires. She says she turned over the document at the proper time, even though she says the accusations are unfounded and she has denied any wrongdoing.
What concerns have critics raised?
Democrats have raised concerns after Whistleblower Aid, who is representing the whistleblower, alleged that Gabbard deliberately delayed the release.
They said that the DNI has the responsibility to immediately notify Congress if a complaint meets the threshold of “urgent concern.” Critics say not following these guidelines undermines congressional oversight and whistleblower protections.
According to reporting by The Guardian and other publications, this episode began last spring when the National Security Agency intercepted a telephone call between two foreign intelligence agents who were discussing someone close to Trump. That person has not been publicly identified.
Gabbard took the information to Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, before instructing the NSA not to notify officials outside her agency, The Guardian reported.
“The NSA picked up a phone call between two members of foreign intelligence involving someone close to the Trump White House,” Andrew Bakaj, the attorney for the whistleblower who filed the complaint against Gabbard, told The Guardian. “The NSA does not monitor individuals without a reason.”
The whistleblower reported to the inspector general for the intelligence community, known as the ICIG. The inspector general provided Gabbard with information about the complaint in June 2025, according to a letter released by Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit that helps government employees and private sector individuals report official wrongdoing.
“FACT: You’re the DNI,” Whistleblower Aid said in a statement. “What was going on in your office between June 5 and December 4 that you weren’t made aware of the request? Did you look into why for six months the ICIG neglected to relay the request for guidance?”
When someone files a whistleblower complaint, the ICIG has 14 days to determine whether the complaint is credible and of “urgent concern.” If so, the office sends the complaint to the director of national intelligence. The director — in this case, Gabbard — then has a week to provide Congress with the complaint.
Such complaints typically go to the so-called Gang of Eight: the House speaker, the House minority leader, the Senate majority leader, the Senate minority leader and the chairs and ranking minority members of the House and Senate intelligence committees.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told NBC News that the delay shows that Gabbard is “either not competent to do the job,” or not getting competent legal advice.
“Somebody’s not telling the truth about what they knew or who knew the law or didn’t know the law,” Warner told CNN.
What did Gabbard say happened?
Gabbard says she didn’t learn about the complaint until late 2025, disputing claims from Whistleblower Aid. She said that the inspector general did not consider the complaint credible.
“The whistleblower complaint was already deemed not credible by the Intelligence Community Inspector General,” Olivia Coleman, a spokesperson for Gabbard’s office, told Straight Arrow News.
However, because some claims involved another federal agency, the intelligence community’s inspector general couldn’t assess the credibility of claims not involving Gabbard.
Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee say the complaint against Gabbard is a smear campaign by opponents of President Donald Trump.
“To be frank, it seems like just another effort by the president’s critics in and out of government to undermine policies they don’t like,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X. “It’s definitely not credible allegations of waste, fraud, or abuse.”
What happens next?
It’s unclear whether the dispute will lead to any further action by Congress. Democrats could seek more information through classified briefings or intelligence community documents.
Lawmakers could also call on the inspector general to clarify how the complaint was handled. However, it is not clear that the allegations would impact Gabbard’s role in the Trump administration.
While he hasn’t addressed this controversy, Trump defended Gabbard after she was observed participating in an FBI raid on a local elections office in Fulton County, Georgia.
A copy of the search warrant obtained by The Washington Post reveals that agents sought ballots, voting records and machine data. The seizure is part of an investigation into potential election law violations, including statutes governing the retention of election records and the prevention of fraudulent voting.
Trump praised Gabbard’s work as director of national intelligence and her work on election security, Fox News reports.
“She’s working very hard on trying to keep the election safe,” Trump said. “And she’s done a very good job. And they, as you know, they got into the votes, you got a signed judge’s order in Georgia and you’re going to see some interesting things happening. They’ve been trying to get there for a long time.”
Some raised concerns about why Trump’s top intelligence official was involved in an election security investigation. Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, publicly questioned her presence and said intelligence officials should inform Congress if a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus exists.
“Tulsi Gabbard has even been in charge of dismantling what was called the Foreign Malign Influence Center to try to make sure foreign countries don’t interfere in our elections,” Warner said in a video posted on X. “This complete Trump loyalist somehow popping on an FBI raid — what the heck was she doing? We ought to stand up and step up against ICE. We also got to stand up to protect our elections coming this year.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
