Overview
- U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal and New York Times that a foreign intelligence service intercepted a call between two non-U.S. nationals discussing Jared Kushner and Iran, with claims described as significant if verified but not corroborated.
- An intelligence-community whistleblower alleges Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard restricted distribution of the related NSA report for political reasons and kept the complaint tightly controlled for months.
- ODNI denies wrongdoing and says handling followed legal requirements, while IC Inspector General Christopher Fox noted the matter had been administratively closed earlier and may not meet the statutory definition of an urgent concern.
- Select lawmakers reviewed the complaint last week under read-and-return rules; Sen. Tom Cotton called it uncredible, and Sen. Mark Warner said extensive redactions prevented an assessment, as the whistleblower’s attorney pressed for fuller access and the underlying NSA material.
- Senior administration officials rejected the Kushner-related claims as false or mere gossip and declined further detail to protect sensitive sources and methods, and the complaint also alleges the NSA’s general counsel failed to refer a possible crime to the Justice Department.