ODNI Files Criminal Charges Related to Trump Impeachment Whistleblower
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has taken a significant step by filing criminal charges with the Justice Department against the whistleblower whose complaint was instrumental in President Donald Trump’s impeachment in 2019. This also includes the former inspector general of the intelligence community who initially brought the allegations to Congress.
According to a referral to the Justice Department, the ODNI’s general counsel expressed a desire to explore possible federal criminal laws that may have been violated by former employees of the intelligence community.
The ODNI’s referral, reviewed by Fox News Digital, suggests that the criminal activity in question is related to details disclosed during a Congressional briefing. This was referenced alongside consultations with the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community and the House of Commons Permanent Select Committee during the 116th Congress.
Gabbard Alleges ‘Coordinated Effort’ in Impeachment Reporting
The referral came shortly after Tulsi Gabbard released documents alleging a ‘coordinated effort’ by certain intelligence community employees, including then-Inspector General Michael Atkinson, to fabricate a conspiracy that led to Trump’s impeachment.
Intelligence officials have noted that while the language in the referral is broad, it specifically targets Atkinson and the whistleblower who raised concerns over the infamous July 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Gabbard shared her findings in a post, suggesting that newly declassified records show how certain actors within the intelligence community created a misleading narrative which effectively usurped the will of the American people during the impeachment process.
Fox News Digital sought comments regarding this development from the Department of Justice on Wednesday.
The documents Gabbard published earlier this week included transcripts of Atkinson’s private testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence—testimony not presented during the initial impeachment trial. Notably, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford initiated votes to release these records in March.
According to the ODNI, this documentation highlights that Atkinson “failed to perform basic due diligence” and overstepped his jurisdiction by mislabeling Trump’s call with Zelensky as of ‘urgent concern’ to Congress.
Interestingly, Atkinson had determined that the whistleblower displayed signs of “political bias,” yet still deemed the allegations as urgent. The complaint stemmed from concerns about Trump urging Zelensky to investigate the Biden family’s dealings in Ukraine during the call, which was perceived by Democrats as a quid pro quo.
At that time, it was revealed that Hunter Biden had been under federal investigation since 2018 due to questionable foreign transactions.
Trump’s appeal for Zelensky’s investigation was contentious, particularly as U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been stalled, leading many Democrats to argue that he was meddling in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
On the other hand, Biden has acknowledged leveraging his position as vice president to pressure Ukraine into firing Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma Holdings, where Hunter was employed. The vice president reportedly threatened to withhold significant U.S. aid unless action was taken.
Biden maintains that his push for Shokin’s removal was justified due to corruption concerns and aligned with broader U.S. and international policy at the time.
In the years following the impeachment inquiry, House Republicans called for investigations into Atkinson and the whistleblower, contesting the nature of their contacts with Adam Schiff’s office.
Ultimately, Trump was impeached by the House in December 2019 and acquitted by the Senate in February 2020. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comments on this new inquiry.
