National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate two former government employees who played a role in the efforts to impeach President Donald Trump after his first term.
Gabbard wants the DOJ to consider criminal charges against the anonymous whistleblower whose complaint helped trigger Trump’s first impeachment, as well as former Inspector General Michael Atkinson.
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The accusations
Gabbard’s office is accusing Atkinson of misusing the whistleblower process after a 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The whistleblower flagged the call as an “urgent concern,” alleging that Trump pressed Zelenskyy to investigate political rival Joe Biden. That call became the foundation for House Democrats to impeach Trump.
Gabbard claims the complaint relied on secondhand information and what she says were “concocted narratives” from “deep state actors” to push it to Congress.
As part of the referral, Gabbard released documents this week which she said exposed a “conspiracy used by Congress to impeach President Trump.” She said they also prove Atkinson did not follow policy when the handling of the whistleblower complaint.
Gabbard’s office did not say what the potential charges would be.
“I’m leaving it up to the lawyers and the Department of Justice to take a look at this and to determine the specific legal parameters,” she said in an interview with News Nation Wednesday. “But it was important for us to refer this along with all of the information that we have, so that the Department of Justice can do exactly that and investigate it.”
Atkinson, who was fired by Trump in 2020, has said he acted properly and followed the law.
Articles of impeachment
Trump was impeached by the House in late 2019, accused of abuse of power and obstructing Congress. They accused him of soliciting foreign interference from Ukraine to help his 2020 re-election bid and directing government agencies and officials to defy subpoenas during the House’s investigation into the alleged interference.
He was acquitted by the Senate in vote mostly along party lines in 2020.
Trump has long denied any wrongdoing and has said his phone call with Zelenskyy was “perfect.”
