U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday released a newly surfaced whistleblower account detailing how a top intelligence official was pressured to support what they say was a politically motivated and inaccurate intelligence assessment ordered under President Barack Obama.
According to Gabbard, the whistleblower—whose identity remains confidential—was threatened by a supervisor to go along with the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), which claimed Russia had interfered in the 2016 election to help then-candidate Donald Trump. The whistleblower refused, saying the claims lacked credibility and citing significant concerns about the manipulation of intelligence data.
“I could not concur in good conscience based on information available,” the whistleblower stated, rejecting the ICA’s conclusion that Russia favored Trump.
The whistleblower revealed that intelligence officials selectively used open-source Russian media to suggest Kremlin support for Trump—while ignoring foreign media from NATO allies and others that showed a clear bias in favor of Hillary Clinton. The account also claims the whistleblower was told a promotion would depend on their agreement with the findings.
Despite repeated efforts over several years to report the issue—including to the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG), Special Counsel John Durham, and multiple government offices—the warnings were ignored or buried.
The documents released by Gabbard also reveal that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and other Obama-era officials privately dismissed the Steele Dossier as unreliable, even as it was being used to support the 2017 ICA behind the scenes.
Gabbard, empowered by whistleblower protection laws, confirmed the whistleblower’s claims after a lengthy investigation.
“These documents expose the Obama-led effort to construct a false narrative by knowingly using discredited information to mislead the American people,” Gabbard said in a statement.
She also emphasized that the bogus assessment became the foundation for multiple investigations and legal actions targeting President Trump and his administration, helping to fuel years of controversy based on what she called “manufactured intelligence.”
In a post on X, Gabbard praised the whistleblower’s courage:
“Thank you to this courageous whistleblower, and others who are coming forward now, putting their own well-being on the line to defend our democratic republic.”
This revelation comes on the heels of Gabbard’s recent accusation that President Obama directly instructed intelligence officials to shape a narrative suggesting “significant” Russian election interference, even though it conflicted with earlier assessments.
