DNI Gabbard Sends Criminal Referrals on Trump–Ukraine Whistleblower and Ex‑IC Inspector General Atkinson to DOJ
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The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, under Director Tulsi Gabbard, has formally sent criminal referrals to the Department of Justice asking prosecutors to examine possible criminal activity tied to the 2019 Trump–Ukraine whistleblower episode. The referrals, confirmed on the record by an ODNI spokesperson and described in reporting by Fox News and MS NOW, target former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson and the whistleblower whose complaint sparked the first impeachment of President Trump. ODNI’s materials and Gabbard’s public posts allege Atkinson “failed to conduct basic due diligence” and “willfully exceeded his statutory jurisdiction” by treating the Trump–Zelensky call as an “urgent concern” and by briefing House Intelligence Committee members in closed sessions; reporting notes the referrals were prepared by ODNI’s general counsel and forwarded to DOJ, though ODNI declined substantive comment beyond pointing to Gabbard’s statements.