FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODNI News Release No. 19-25
July 30, 2025
Russia Hoax Whistleblower Threatened, Multiple Attempts to Report Wrongdoing Were Ignored
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For six years, a senior intelligence official battled political and bureaucratic resistance in efforts to expose the manipulated intelligence behind the Russia collusion hoax. On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released new documents which provide a firsthand account of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower’s relentless efforts to expose the egregious manipulation and manufacturing of intelligence.
This release provides the Whistleblower’s firsthand account of the work carried out in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the concerns they raised about the use of discredited information as then-DNI Clapper and Central Intelligence Agency Director Brennan worked to craft the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) at President Obama’s request, and how a direct supervisor attempted to pressure the Whistleblower to endorse the January 2017 ICA’s key findings about the Russian Government’s alleged support for then-candidate Trump.
“Thank you to the brave Intelligence Community Whistleblower who courageously came forward to expose the truth about one of the biggest and most impactful scandals in our nation’s history,” said DNI Gabbard. “The Whistleblower put their own well-being on the line to defend our democratic republic and ensure the American people learned the truth about how President Obama directed the creation of Intelligence Community Assessment that knowingly promoted falsehoods claiming Russia helped President Trump get elected in 2016. In doing so, the Obama Administration sought to delegitimize the 2016 election and President Trump’s presidency, subverting the will of the American people and enacting essentially a years-long coup against President Trump and the American people. Thanks to this individual and other courageous whistleblowers, the American people are finally learning the truth about the dangerous consequences of weaponized intelligence. Truth and accountability will help in ensuring this doesn’t happen again.”
Highlights of the Whistleblower’s firsthand account here:
- Statements from the Whistleblower’s supervisor pressuring the Whistleblower to accept the contrived January 2017 ICA’s findings despite expressing concerns about the discredited information used to support those findings – an action that the Whistleblower's supervisor said would be necessary for the Whistleblower to receive a promotion
- The Whistleblower’s refusal to accept and concur with the January 2017 ICA findings, stating, “I could not concur in good conscience based on information available” that Russia preferred then-candidate Trump in 2016.
- The Whistleblower’s concerns about flawed intelligence practices, namely selectively using open-source references to Russian media as “evidence” for the Russian government’s support for Trump, while ignoring foreign media from other nations, including NATO allies, that denigrated Trump and supported Hillary Clinton.
- The Whistleblower’s repeated attempts to report concerns about the false information used in the January 2017 ICA to multiple government officials, including the IC Inspector General.
The Whistleblower records also show how former DNI James Clapper and other senior Obama Administration officials privately denounced the Steele Dossier, despite simultaneously ensuring that the January 2017 ICA included it.
The Whistleblower previously reported these concerns to more than a dozen government offices, including the IC IG, Special Counsel Durham, a U.S. Senator, and other official whistleblower channels over the last six years. DNI Gabbard’s whistleblower protections enabled her to investigate and confirm these allegations, revealing the truth about the Obama-led creation of the manufactured intelligence assessment which knowingly used false and discredited information, to sell a lie to the American people. This document would be used as the foundation for multiple investigations and legal actions against President Trump and other senior officials.
IC whistleblowers have historically faced deliberate hurdles to reporting and exposing wrongdoing. Political pressures, threats of or actual acts of retaliation, bureaucratic obstacles, and the unnecessary intentional overclassification of intelligence have too often hindered public disclosure, accountability and reform.
On her first day in office, DNI Gabbard made clear that every individual in the Intelligence Community understood their rights as potential whistleblowers, which includes having access to legal, protected channels to report wrongdoing. To support this goal, DNI Gabbard established a direct line for IC staff to report claims. Additionally, in line with President Trump’s commitment to maximum transparency, DNI Gabbard has fostered a supportive environment for whistleblowers by promising to protect their information and encouraging all IC officials—regardless of affiliation—to come forward and join efforts to restore trust and accountability.
Read the Whistleblower’s full accounting here.
Read the explosive document releases sparked by the Whistleblower’s claims here and here.
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