Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has terminated the Acting Counsel to the office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General and raised “grave concern” among lawmakers.
Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner of Virginia, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chris Coons of Delaware, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Jim Himes of Connecticut and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Betty McCollum of Minnesota sent a letter to Gabbard about her interference in the independence of the Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG).
Gabbard intends to appoint a “Senior Advisor” to work within the ICIG’s office while reporting directly to her. The lawmakers’ letter notes that her actions were taken without the approval of the Acting ICIG, in direct contravention of federal statutes designed to protect the independence of the Inspector General’s office. Gabbard’s actions were brought to Congress’s attention in a letter the Acting Inspector General sent to lawmakers on May 28.
“Your actions violate both the letter and the spirit of the law. Despite your obligation to keep the congressional oversight committees fully and currently informed, our committees were notified of your decision to terminate the Acting Counsel, not by your office, but by the Acting ICIG,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers underscored that Gabbard’s appointment of a Senior Advisor inside the ICIG’s office compromised the ability to carry out its statutory mission of identifying and preventing waste, fraud and abuse in the intelligence community.
“[The Acting ICIG’s] letter also disclosed that you have appointed a ‘Senior Advisor’ within the Office of the ICIG who reports to you but works in the ICIG’s office spaces, which presents significant concerns not only for the independence of the ICIG but also the ability of the ICIG to protect confidential whistleblower information. Our understanding is that your decision to terminate the Acting Counsel was made 48 hours after she made inquiries regarding the legal basis for the appointment of the Senior Advisor,” the lawmakers wrote.
According to Warner and his colleagues, Gabbard’s actions undermine the independence of the office and are in contradiction to commitments she made in her confirmation process. They called on her to immediately cease “illegal interference into the ICIG’s operations” and to provide a detailed accounting of the personnel actions and communications that led to her decisions.
The letter concludes with a clear warning from the lawmakers: “The ICIG must remain independent of political influence, and we will continue to oppose any attempt to interfere with its work, or silence its conclusions.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
