Gabbard sends criminal referrals to DOJ for whistleblower and watchdog who helped launch Trump's first impeachment

Key Points:

• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has requested the Justice Department to investigate two former officials involved in President Trump's first impeachment inquiry, including a whistleblower and former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson.
• Gabbard alleges that these officials fabricated a false narrative used by Congress to impeach Trump in 2019, criticizing Atkinson's handling of the whistleblower complaint and claiming reliance on second-hand evidence, though no direct evidence of criminal wrongdoing has been presented.
• The whistleblower had reported concerns about Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and about the handling of records related to a Trump-Zelenskyy phone call, which led to Trump's impeachment in the House but acquittal in the Senate.
• Critics, including Rep. Jim Himes, argue that Gabbard's criminal referral undermines the whistleblower's courage and could deter future whistleblowers, asserting that no misconduct occurred and the referral will likely have no legal effect.
• This move is part of broader efforts by Gabbard and others to revisit political controversies from Trump's first term, including previous releases of documents related to Russian election interference and allegations against Biden-era officials.