The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has sent criminal referrals to the Department of Justice related to the whistleblower complaint that played a role in the 2019 impeachment of President Donald Trump. The referrals reportedly also include former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who initially notified Congress of the complaint involving Trump’s phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to reports, the referrals cite concerns that certain actions described during congressional briefings at the time may warrant further legal review. The development follows the release of newly declassified documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which officials say provide additional context about how the complaint was handled within the intelligence community.
The whistleblower complaint, filed in August 2019, raised concerns about Trump’s July 2019 call with Zelenskyy and relied largely on secondhand accounts from multiple officials. During testimony before Congress, Atkinson said the complaint met the legal threshold of an “urgent concern,” even though the whistleblower did not have direct firsthand knowledge of the events. He also acknowledged the possibility of political bias but said that alone did not disqualify the complaint under existing law.
The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed whether it will pursue an investigation based on the referrals. The episode remains a central part of the broader debate over the 2019 impeachment, with differing interpretations from lawmakers about the actions taken by officials and the significance of the whistleblower’s claims.