DNI Gabbard Refers Whistleblower and Former Inspector General to DOJ Over 2019 Impeachment Inquiry

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has referred a whistleblower and former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson to the Department of Justice for potential investigation concerning their involvement in the 2019 impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. A spokesperson for Gabbard's office confirmed the referrals but did not specify the alleged offenses. The decision to pursue a criminal investigation now rests with the Justice Department.

The whistleblower's complaint, which led to Trump's first impeachment, raised concerns over a July 2019 phone call in which Trump allegedly pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate then-Vice President Joe Biden. Atkinson deemed the complaint credible and of urgent concern, forwarding it to Congress. Trump was impeached by the House in December 2019 but acquitted by the Senate in early 2020.

Gabbard recently released declassified documents suggesting a coordinated effort within the intelligence community to manufacture a conspiracy that served as the basis for Trump's impeachment. She criticized Atkinson's handling of the whistleblower complaint, alleging reliance on secondhand information and exceeding his statutory jurisdiction. Atkinson was dismissed by Trump in 2020; at the time, he stated he had "faithfully discharged" his duties without partisan bias.

The Justice Department has not yet commented on the referrals. Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, criticized Gabbard's actions, stating that the referral could deter future whistleblowers from coming forward.

These referrals are part of ongoing efforts by Gabbard and other administration officials to revisit events from Trump's first term. Last year, Gabbard's office released files related to the intelligence community's review of Russian interference in the 2016 election, alleging a "treasonous conspiracy" by officials from the Biden era. Several figures from that period, including former CIA Director John Brennan, have been subpoenaed as part of a federal probe in Florida, though no charges have been filed to date.