Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Tuesday that she has revoked security clearances from 37 current and former intelligence officials. This decision comes after allegations that these individuals “abused the public trust” by politicizing intelligence and leaking classified information without authorization.
In a post on social media platform X, Gabbard detailed the reasons behind this action. She stated that these officials had committed serious violations of tradecraft standards and had put their own interests ahead of the American people. The list includes notable figures such as former Principal Deputy DNI Stephanie O’Sullivan and Vinh Nguyen, who were involved in the controversial intelligence assessment regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Gabbard’s memo, issued at the direction of President Donald Trump, specifies that the security clearances are revoked immediately. The individuals affected will no longer have access to classified information, and any contracts or employment with the U.S. government are terminated. They are required to surrender any credentials to the appropriate security officers.
In recent weeks, Gabbard has been releasing documents related to the intelligence assessment that was conducted shortly after the 2016 election. This assessment, ordered by former President Barack Obama’s administration, concluded that Russia likely did not significantly interfere in the election. However, this initial finding was quickly scrapped, and a new assessment was completed within a month, raising questions about the integrity of the process.
Gabbard’s actions have sparked renewed scrutiny of the Obama administration and its handling of intelligence during that period. The intelligence community is now facing increased pressure as Gabbard continues to reveal more details about the assessments and the decisions made at the time.
