A classified whistleblower complaint has placed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard under growing pressure, with Jared Kushner at the center of the controversy.
The complaint stems from an intercepted conversation between two foreign nationals who were discussing Kushner, according to The Wall Street Journal. It is not clear which country the two individuals were from. It is also not known exactly what they said about President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The conversation reportedly took place last spring.
U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the Journal that the allegations mentioned in the intercepted call were demonstrably false. They declined to share details, arguing that doing so could expose a highly sensitive surveillance method.
Even so, other U.S. officials familiar with the issue told the Journal that the claims would be significant if verified. They said there was no corroborating evidence, but that does not prove they are untrue.
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The complaint became more explosive after reports that it had been locked in a safe for months. The Journal previously reported that Gabbard was accused of trying to bury it for eight months.
According to the whistleblower’s attorney Andrew Bakaj, when the intercepted conversation was brought to Gabbard’s attention, she did not allow the NSA to distribute it further. Instead, he said she took it to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Gabbard’s office has denied wrongdoing. A spokeswoman told the Journal that she has worked “fully within her legal and statutory authority.”
Both the former acting inspector general and the current intelligence community inspector general reviewed parts of the complaint. They found one allegation not credible and were unable to determine whether the second allegation was credible.
Last week, members of Congress known as the Gang of Eight were allowed to review the complaint. It remained heavily redacted.
At the same time, Kushner has been playing a visible role in foreign policy despite holding no formal government position. He met with Iranian officials last week in Oman alongside U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for talks related to nuclear negotiations. The Journal also reported that the intercepted conversation included issues related to Iran.
Kushner has also met directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of efforts tied to negotiations involving Ukraine and Russia. In addition, he was involved in efforts to reach a peace deal between Israel and Hamas last year and remains active in discussions about rebuilding Gaza.
All of this comes while his investment firm, Affinity Partners, has received billions of dollars from foreign investors in recent years.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
