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In a significant revelation, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has unveiled a collection of declassified documents that cast a critical light on the process leading up to the 2019 impeachment of then-President Donald Trump. These documents suggest that the foundation of the impeachment was built on shaky ground, with biased evidence and a notable absence of first-hand testimonies. The focus of this scrutiny is Michael Atkinson, the former inspector general of the intelligence community, whose procedures have come under fire for reportedly not adhering to proper protocols.
According to Gabbard, Atkinson’s decision to forward a whistleblower’s complaint regarding Trump’s July 2019 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Congress was flawed. This move was pivotal in igniting the first impeachment attempt by congressional Democrats against Trump, which ultimately did not succeed.
Gabbard issued a pointed statement accusing “deep state actors within the Intelligence Community” of crafting a misleading narrative that was exploited by Congress to undermine the electoral choice of the American populace. She emphasized that Atkinson’s actions represented a dereliction of duty, prioritizing political motivations over factual integrity.
She further criticized the politicization of the whistleblower process, alleging that it was manipulated by a former CIA employee in conjunction with Democratic members of Congress, describing it as a classic example of how the Intelligence Community can be weaponized for political ends.
Key witness didn’t hear the phone call
The documents reveal that during Atkinson’s 2019 investigation, only four individuals were interviewed, including the whistleblower. Crucially, none of these individuals were direct witnesses to the Trump-Zelensky call, raising questions about the thoroughness and impartiality of the investigation.
One interviewee was described by Gabbard’s office as a “friend” of the whistleblower who “was a co-author of the January 2017 Russia Hoax Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) and close colleague of disgraced former FBI Agent Peter Strzok.”
The other two “character references” questioned by Atkinson “had zero firsthand knowledge of the July 2019 phone call.”
“Despite a lack of any firsthand evidence, IC IG Atkinson proceeded to take actions to weaponize the Whistleblower process and exceed his statutory jurisdiction by ignoring Department of Justice guidance and relying on only second-hand testimony to ensure the whistleblower complaint was released to Congress, referred to the FBI and leaked to the propaganda media,” Gabbard’s office said.
Whistleblower may have been biased
Atkinson testified before the House Intelligence Committee that he “never considered the whistleblower to be politically biased,” despite information gleaned during his interviews that suggests otherwise.
The whistleblower admitted to speaking with Democrats in Congress about Trump’s phone call before submitting the complaint to the inspector general, according to Gabbard.
Atkinson also noted in his memo after interviewing the whistleblower that “Complainant is a registered democrat.”
The whistleblower further noted they “worked closely with Vice President Biden as an expert on Ukraine” and “travelled with Biden to Ukraine and was part of conversations where [Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy] LUTSENKO corruption was discussed.”
Atkinson “weaponized” whistleblower process
Gabbard found the IC inspector general “willfully exceeded his statutory jurisdiction” to label the phone call complaint as an “urgent concern” for Congress.
Atkinson “ignored” guidance from the Justice Department indicating that the complaint did not meet the “urgent concern” threshold, since it did not relate to “the funding, administration, or operation of an intelligence activity.”
The IG also sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department – relying solely on second-hand knowledge of the phone call – which the DOJ later assessed contained no basis for a criminal case against Trump.
Atkinson further “failed to conduct basic due diligence,” according to Gabbard, including by never requesting access to a transcript of Trump’s call with Zelensky.
Gabbard’s office notes the Atkinson sought out “unprecedented assistance” from other government agency IGs to proceed with the investigation of Trump in the event he was stopped.
Finally, the DNI notes intelligence community’s Office of the Inspector General “altered the whistleblower form within months” of Trump’s call with Zelensky to “no longer require firsthand knowledge as a prerequisite for reporting complaints.”
After Atkinson’s 14-day preliminary investigation, then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) used “this false, second-hand narrative to create media intrigue and ultimately spark” the impeachment trial of Trump.
Trump was acquitted by the end of the impeachment trial.
“Exposing these tactics and showing how they undermine the fabric of our democratic republic furthers the critical cause of transparency and accountability and will help prevent future abuse of power,” Gabbard said.