Gabbard Orders Leak and Misconduct Investigations in Intelligence Community

Tulsi Gabbard Orders Investigation into Intelligence Community Leaks and Misconduct

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has announced a two-pronged investigation into the intelligence community. The first probe will focus on "politically motivated leaks" while the second will examine internal chat rooms for any misconduct by employees.

Gabbard stated that such leaks "undermine our national security and the trust of the American people" and will not be tolerated. She added that previous leaks have gone uninvestigated and unpunished, but that this practice will end. The investigation will aggressively pursue recent leakers and hold them accountable.

Gabbard provided examples of recent leaks, including news reports on Israel, Iran, and the U.S.-Russia relationship published by various media outlets. However, she did not specify which stories were based on leaks or when they were published.

The investigation into leaks comes after Gabbard faced criticism during her confirmation hearing for her 2020 comments praising Edward Snowden, who leaked classified information about the National Security Agency's surveillance programs. While Gabbard initially called Snowden a "courageous whistleblower," she later revised her stance, stating that he broke the law and should not be pardoned.

In addition to investigating leaks, Gabbard is also launching an investigation into any misconduct or unprofessional behavior on internal chat rooms within intelligence agencies. This follows her decision last month to fire over 100 intelligence officers for using an internal government chat platform for discussions about topics such as polyamory, gender transition surgery, and politics. Gabbard deemed this conduct an "egregious violation of trust" and a violation of professional standards.