Warner Statement on Gabbard’s Criminal Referral of Lawful Whistleblower

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement:
“Director Gabbard’s decision to refer a lawful intelligence community whistleblower for criminal prosecution appears to be a retaliatory act for whistleblowing itself – the very kind of politically motivated reprisal our laws are written to prevent, and one she previously pledged under oath before Congress to guard against.
“Sadly, it’s not surprising. Director Gabbard has shown time and again that there are no lines she won’t cross to appease President Trump, from indulging his false claims about the 2020 election, to inappropriately inserting herself into domestic law enforcement matters with no foreign nexus, to authorizing unprecedented disclosures burning sensitive sources without uncovering any evidence of wrongdoing. Now, as ODNI pursues debunked claims and even seizes U.S. voting machines and election data, this latest action fits squarely into a troubling and consistent pattern.
“DNI Gabbard clearly is more interested in securing the president’s approval than she is in securing our nation. With the midterm elections soon approaching, Americans need to be concerned about what else she is willing to do for Donald Trump.”
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