The Department of Justice has officially acknowledged receipt of a criminal referral submitted by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which accuses former President Barack Obama and his top intelligence officials of manufacturing a false narrative of Russian election interference in 2016 to delegitimize President Donald Trump.
Fox News reported Monday that the DOJ confirmed it had received the referral. While officials declined to publicly discuss the matter, the development marks a significant step forward in what Gabbard has described as a “treasonous conspiracy” involving former Obama-era officials including James Comey, John Brennan, and James Clapper.
Gabbard revealed the referral during an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” telling host Maria Bartiromo that she had turned over a trove of internal documents and communications to both the DOJ and FBI. These documents, she said, show how top officials intentionally crafted a phony intelligence assessment in late 2016 — shortly after Trump’s election victory — in order to fuel a multi-year effort to undermine his presidency.
“There’s no question in my mind that this assessment President Obama ordered was based on manufactured intelligence. It was never about facts. It was about advancing a political agenda,” Gabbard said.
The criminal referral has ignited calls for prosecution from congressional Republicans, who are demanding accountability for what they say was an unprecedented abuse of power to interfere in the peaceful transfer of power between presidents.
“There needs to be criminal prosecution and arrests,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). “Lying under oath, putting out a false intelligence report — that’s a violation of 18 U.S. Code 1001. This is not a partisan issue. It’s illegal, and the law must be upheld.”
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), currently running for governor of Florida, echoed the call, saying, “People need to go to jail. This is about protecting the presidency and our republic from the weaponization of intelligence.”
Despite the seriousness of the allegations and growing pressure from lawmakers, Democrats have dismissed the matter. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, mocked the referral on social media, writing, “Watch for DOJ action. Not gonna happen.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, went even further, declaring that Gabbard is unfit to serve as Director of National Intelligence.
Nonetheless, Gabbard says her team is preparing to release more documents this week and has vowed to pursue accountability at every level. “This wasn’t just politicization of intelligence. This was a deliberate and calculated operation to deceive the public and overturn an election result. That cannot go unanswered,” she said.