General Discussion

Given her dreadful record, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard never should have been nominated in the first place. Given how poorly her confirmation process went, Gabbard never should have been approved by Senate Republicans.....

Last week, Gabbard’s troubles intensified after she needlessly participated in an FBI raid on an Atlanta-area elections office, despite the fact that the DNI is prohibited by law from taking part in domestic law enforcement. This week, her standing went from bad to worse when a report in The Wall Street Journal reached the public:

A U.S. intelligence official has alleged wrongdoing by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a whistleblower complaint that is so highly classified it has sparked months of wrangling over how to share it with Congress, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter.

The filing of the complaint has prompted a continuing, behind-the-scenes struggle about how to assess and handle it, with the whistleblower’s lawyer accusing Gabbard of stonewalling the complaint. Gabbard’s office rejects that characterization, contending it is navigating a unique set of circumstances and working to resolve the issue.

.....Given the circumstances, it’s unlikely that any member of the Gang of Eight will be able to speak publicly about what the complaint entails, but the disclosure will have the effect of advancing the broader controversy and at least opens the door to possible committee hearings.

The president, for his part, has said very little about the burgeoning story, though he did publish a brief item to his social media platform on Tuesday night that quoted a conservative outlet that said the complaint against Gabbard “did not appear credible” according to the inspector general’s office.

While it’s difficult to say whether that assessment is fair, it’s worth noting that The Washington Post reported that Gabbard took steps last spring to politicize her agency’s inspector general’s office.

The Post’s article was published in early June — shortly after the complaint from a whistleblower was filed against Gabbard with the IG’s office.