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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has revoked security clearances for 37 current and former officials, including Maher Bitar, former White House National Security Council intelligence chief who participated in President Trump’s 2020 impeachment proceedings. Mr. Bitar, who previously served as a Palestinian political activist and is currently national security adviser to Sen. Adam Schiff, held access to highly sensitive intelligence during his tenure from January 2021 through the end of the Biden administration.
Ms. Gabbard justified the revocations by citing “abuses of power related to the Russia collusion hoax and other intelligence abuses,” stating that these officials “abused the public trust by politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards.” She emphasized that security clearances are privileges, not rights, and those who betray their constitutional oath have broken sacred trust with the American people.
Other officials losing clearances include former Principal Deputy DNI Stephanie O’Sullivan, NSA official Vinh Nguyen, NSC spokeswoman Emily Horne, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer Thomas West. Many worked under James Clapper, former President Obama’s director of national intelligence, who critics say promoted the discredited anti-Trump intelligence community assessment based on false information from a private intelligence dossier.
According to intelligence sources, Mr. Bitar participated in a December 2016 National Security Council meeting where officials allegedly predetermined conclusions for the intelligence community assessment on Russian election interference before it was drafted. Ms. Gabbard described this as a “manufactured intelligence assessment” that served as the foundation for multiple investigations and congressional impeachment proceedings, calling it “seditious conspiracy” that undermined American democracy.
Mr. Bitar’s background includes membership in Students for Justice in Palestine while at Georgetown University, work with UNWRA (which Israel identifies as infiltrated by Hamas), and service as general counsel to Sen. Schiff during President Trump’s impeachment. Critics question his appointment given these affiliations and his lack of military or intelligence experience.
The revocations, directed by Mr. Trump, represent a significant purge of intelligence officials from previous administrations. Sen. Schiff’s spokesperson defended Mr. Bitar as a “trusted and deeply experienced national security professional,” while former Ambassador David Friedman questioned why former President Biden appointed someone with Mr. Bitar’s background to senior NSC positions.
This action reflects broader efforts to address what the current administration characterizes as politically motivated intelligence operations that targeted Mr. Trump during his first presidency and the 2016 election period.
Read more: DNI revokes clearance of former Biden intelligence chief
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