Newly declassified testimony is reigniting debate over the origins of the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard alleging the process was driven by a coordinated effort inside the intelligence community.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released transcripts on Monday from closed-door hearings conducted by the House Intelligence Committee, per Fox News.
According to Gabbardâs office, the documents show how a whistleblower complaintâcentral to Trumpâs 2019 impeachmentâwas advanced despite being based on secondhand information.
At the center of the controversy is former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, whose handling of the complaint is now under scrutiny.
Gabbardâs office argued that Atkinson âdid not follow standard IG procedures and relied upon politicized, manufactured narrativesâ while assessing the claims.
The complaint in question focused on a July 2019 phone call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which ultimately became the basis for impeachment proceedings.
According to the newly released material, Atkinson acknowledged limitations in his own inquiry.
âIn his own words, IC IG Atkinson recognizes that his conclusions were based on a âpreliminary investigation,â noting that âI havenât done an investigation to determine whether they actually, in fact, took place ⌠that all of the alleged actions actually took place,ââ Gabbardâs office said.
Federal law requires inspectors general to determine whether a whistleblower complaint âappears credible,â not to fully substantiate it. Still, Gabbardâs office contends the process was mishandled.
The declassified testimony also indicates the whistleblower did not have direct knowledge of the events described.
âI do not have direct knowledge of private comments or communications,â the individual stated in the original disclosure form.
Gabbardâs office further noted the whistleblower had prior professional ties to Joe Biden and had communicated with congressional staff before filing the complaint.
Based on these details, Gabbard accused intelligence officials of advancing a politically driven narrative.
âDeep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that was used by Congress to usurp the will of the American people and impeach the duly-elected President of the United States,â she said.
She added that exposing the testimony is part of a broader effort to increase transparency and prevent future abuses.
âExposing these tactics and showing how they undermine the fabric of our democratic republic furthers the critical cause of transparency and accountability,â Gabbard said.