โThis is an issue that is so serious it should concern every single American because it has to do with the integrity of our democratic republic,โ she says.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a Sunday interview that she has made criminal referrals to the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) based on findings from declassified documents released last week related to an investigation into alleged Russia collusion involving President Donald Trump.
โThe implications of this are frankly nothing short of historic,โ Gabbard told Fox News.
โOver 100 documents that we released on Friday really detail and provide evidence of how this treasonous conspiracy … just weeks before [President Barack Obama] was due to leave office after President Trump had already gotten elected. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an issue that is so serious it should concern every single American because it has to do with the integrity of our democratic republic.โ
In the interview with Foxโs Maria Bartiromo, the nationโs top intelligence official said her office is โreferring all of the documents to the Department of Justice and the FBI for … criminal referral,โ referring to Obama administration officials who were involved in an intelligence assessment at the time regarding alleged Russian election interference in 2016.
A memo released by her office on July 17 cites officials including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, and former CIA Director John Brennan.
โThe information we are releasing today clearly shows there was a treasonous conspiracy in 2016 committed by officials at the highest level of our government,โ Gabbard said in a statement. โTheir goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people.โ
Earlier this month, Brennan told NBC News that an investigation into him and the others over documents related to the FBIโs controversial Crossfire Hurricane investigation is โa very sad and tragic example of the continued politicization of the intelligence community, of the national security process.โ
He was responding to anonymously sourced reports that were published earlier this month indicating that he and Comey were being investigated. The Epoch Times has contacted Comey and Clapper for comment on the latest disclosure.