Gabbard Makes Criminal Referrals Linked To First Trump Impeachment
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department related to a whistleblower complaint that helped trigger President Donald Trump’s 2019 impeachment, his first, ostensibly tied to a phone call he held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reports said this week.
The referrals also include former intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson, who notified Congress of the allegations.
“I want to refer information that may constitute possible criminal activity in violation of federal criminal law committed by one or more former employees of the intelligence community,” the agency’s general counsel wrote. The referral cited concerns tied to actions described in congressional briefings during the 2019 impeachment process, Fox News reported.
Documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show the referrals reference Atkinson’s briefings before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Those briefings took place during the 116th Congress as lawmakers examined the whistleblower complaint.
The referrals follow the release of newly declassified records by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Officials said the materials detail what they described as a coordinated effort within elements of the intelligence community tied to the impeachment.
An intelligence official said the referral language is broad but is focused on Atkinson and the whistleblower. The complaint centered on President Donald Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Gabbard pointed to the documents in a social media post when asked about the referrals.
“Newly-declassified records expose how deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative,” she wrote.
The Justice Department has not publicly responded to the referrals. Officials have not indicated whether an investigation has been opened.
The released materials include transcripts of Atkinson’s closed-door testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. Those transcripts were later made public following a vote led by committee chairman Rick Crawford.
During his testimony, Atkinson addressed his handling of the whistleblower complaint. He said the complaint met the legal standard required to notify Congress.
“I determined that the complaint related to an urgent concern,” Atkinson said in his testimony. He said the determination was based on the information available at the time.
Atkinson acknowledged that the whistleblower did not have firsthand knowledge of the events described. He said the complaint relied on accounts from multiple U.S. officials who were deemed credible.
“I was not a direct witness to most of the events described,” the whistleblower complaint stated. Atkinson said those secondhand accounts were consistent and supported further review.
Atkinson also said the whistleblower showed potential signs of political bias. Despite that, he said the law did not require him to dismiss the complaint on that basis.
The complaint, filed in August 2019, raised concerns about Trump’s call with Zelenskyy. It included allegations that Trump encouraged investigations involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
Democrats argued the request amounted to a quid pro quo tied to U.S. military aid. Trump and his allies rejected that characterization and said the call was appropriate.
Biden has said his actions regarding Ukraine were part of official U.S. policy at the time. He described pressuring Ukraine to remove a prosecutor during a 2018 event.
“I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion,’” Biden recalled. He said the prosecutor was removed after the warning.
House Republicans raised concerns during the impeachment process about the whistleblower’s contact with congressional staff. They questioned interactions involving then-Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff.
Schiff acknowledged contact but said it did not influence the handling of the complaint. He described the communication as limited in nature.
The whistleblower complaint was later declassified and released publicly. It stated that the information was based largely on secondhand accounts from multiple officials.
Serious Threat To Our Country' - Trump Issues Dire Warning To The Nation, Names The Biggest Challenge Americans Face
THE RED DILEMMA: Trump Outlines Midterm War Script at Road to Majority Summit After Socialist Swings Fracture New York Base
WASHINGTON, D.C. — JUNE 29, 2026 — President Donald Trump warned Friday that a wave of far-left victories in New York City’s Democratic primaries represents one of the greatest dangers facing the United States, arguing the results should serve as a wake-up call ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Speaking before thousands at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual Road to Majority conference in Washington, Trump blasted the Democratic Party’s leftward shift after several candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani scored major primary victories earlier this week.
“These ruthless communists will attack all religions, but in particular Christianity,” Trump told the audience.
“This is the greatest threat to our country since its founding.”
Trump’s remarks came just days after three progressive candidates supported by Mamdani won Democratic primary races in New York, including two members of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Their victories have fueled growing Republican efforts to portray the Democratic Party as increasingly dominated by its progressive wing heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump argued that the movement extends beyond economic policy and represents a broader ideological threat.
At one point during his speech, the president described communists as “animals” who would assassinate their political opponents, though he did not offer evidence supporting that claim.
The remarks carried additional significance because Trump was speaking at the Washington Hilton, the same hotel where an armed man attempted to breach security while the president attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 31-year-old California resident Cole Tomas Allen, who has pleaded not guilty to charges that he attempted to assassinate the president.
Security around Friday’s event appeared noticeably tighter, with additional guards stationed throughout the venue and several entrances blocked off.
Republicans have increasingly seized on the New York primary results as evidence that Democrats are moving further left while voters remain primarily concerned about inflation, housing costs and the broader economy.
Political observers have suggested the victories give Republicans fresh material as they seek to defend their narrow congressional majorities this fall.
The candidates backed by Mamdani defeated two incumbent House Democrats and another candidate supported by the Democratic establishment.
While Republicans frequently characterize Democratic Socialists as communists, democratic socialism generally advocates expanding government-run social programs through the electoral process rather than replacing democratic institutions.
Many candidates aligned with the movement support policies including universal health care, tuition-free public college, expanded child care programs, stronger labor protections and higher taxes on wealthy Americans.
Several have also made opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel and support for Palestinians central themes of their campaigns.
Democrats quickly rejected Trump’s characterization.
Aidan Johnson, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, argued Republicans were attempting to distract voters from substantive issues.
“Know they can’t win on the issues, so we’re seeing them melt down in real time, resorting to ineffective boogeyman attacks,” Johnson said.
Trump’s appearance also highlighted some of the tensions within his own political coalition.
The president has remained popular with many evangelical Christians by backing policies such as protecting women’s sports and opposing biological males competing in female athletics.
At the same time, some pro-Israel Christians have criticized Trump’s ceasefire agreement with Iran, while some anti-abortion advocates have argued the administration has not gone far enough on pro-life priorities.
During Friday’s speech, Trump defended his handling of Iran and declared that his administration had successfully prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The Faith and Freedom Coalition gathering has long served as one of the Republican Party’s premier events for evangelical voters and conservative activists, Reuters reported.
With the midterm elections approaching, Trump’s speech offered a preview of what is likely to become a central Republican campaign message: portraying the Democratic Party’s progressive wing as increasingly driving the party’s agenda while urging voters to reject what Republicans view as an increasingly radical political movement.
