Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accidentally revealed the identity of an undercover CIA operative in a list of 37 former and current intelligence officials who were stripped of their security clearances last week.
Gabbard revoked the clearances at the behest of President Donald Trump, claiming the affected officials politicized or weaponized intelligence to advance certain agendas. Many of the people on the list had either contributed to the Obama administration’s 2017 intelligence assessment that sought to tie Russia to Trump’s 2016 election victory or had signed a 2019 letter supporting Trump’s first impeachment inquiry in Congress.
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However, not all of the 37 officials participated in these activities, a new report suggests.
Gabbard was apparently unaware that the CIA agent was undercover, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper, citing multiple sources, reported that Gabbard didn’t meaningfully consult with the CIA before releasing the list on social media.
Gabbard shared the list of 37 people with the CIA the day before its publication, but it appears the clandestine agency did not know she would publicly reveal the names.
The CIA agent, whose security clearance was revoked, is a longtime Russia expert who served on the National Intelligence Council from 2014 to 2017. The Wall Street Journal did not name the agent to protect their identity.
Gabbard’s mistake greatly angered former intelligence officials.
Larry Pfeiffer, a former chief of staff at the CIA, said a “smart” director of national intelligence would have consulted with the agency before making such information public.
“It could potentially put CIA cover procedures at risk. It could put relations with foreign governments at risk,” Pfeiffer told the Wall Street Journal.
“Gabbard doesn’t know squat about intelligence,” Brian Fiarchil, a retired career CIA operations officer, posted on X. “She’s simply a Trump lapdog who will do anything to stay in his good graces, and Trump hates the intelligence agencies.”
Gabbard has previously butted heads with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who reportedly wanted to redact more information from a declassified document about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
TRUMP YANKS SECURITY CLEARANCES FROM 37 INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS WHO ‘HAVE ABUSED THE PUBLIC TRUST’
National security lawyer Mark Zaid, whose own security clearance was revoked by the Trump administration in March, said last week that Gabbard may have broken the law by posting the list.
“Can you say ‘Privacy Act violation’? I certainly can. Further proof of weaponization and politicization,” Zaid wrote on Aug. 19 when the news broke. “The vast majority of these individuals are not household names & are dedicated public servants who have worked across multiple presidential administrations.”