â⊠A cloak-and-dagger mystery reminiscent of a John le CarrĂ© novel is swirling around the complaint, which is said to be locked in a safe. Disclosure of its contents could cause âgrave damage to national security,â one official said. It also implicates another federal agency beyond Gabbardâs, and raises potential claims of executive privilege that may involve the White House, officials said.
The complaint was filed last May with the intelligence communityâs inspector general, according to a November letter that the whistleblowerâs lawyer addressed to Gabbard. The letter, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, accused Gabbardâs office of hindering the dissemination of the complaint to lawmakers by failing to provide necessary security guidance on how to do so.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Gabbardâs office confirmed that the complaint concerned Gabbard but dismissed it as âbaseless and politically motivated.â
The whistleblowerâs lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, and Gabbardâs office also disagreed on whether the inspector general had made any determinations about the credibility of the complaint. A representative for the inspector general said the office had determined specific allegations against Gabbard werenât credible, while it couldnât reach a determination on others. Bakaj said he was never informed that any determinations were reached.âŠâ