The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an investigation into possible leaks of classified information connected to Democratic members or staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to reports citing sources familiar with the matter.
The reported inquiry stems in part from a criminal referral submitted by the National Security Agency (NSA) involving disclosure of information tied to a classified overseas intercept.
According to reports, the referral focused on media coverage published during the confirmation process for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard earlier this year.
The reporting involved an intercepted conversation between two Hezbollah figures discussing Gabbard’s 2017 visit to Syria while she was serving in Congress.
A report published by The New York Times stated that some individuals interpreted a reference to “the big guy” in the intercept as suggesting Gabbard met with a senior Hezbollah leader.
Gabbard publicly denied that allegation during the confirmation process and rejected claims that she had meetings with Hezbollah leadership during the Syria trip.
According to the reports, the NSA later concluded that although published accounts referenced information contained in an actual intelligence intercept, Gabbard had not met with Hezbollah officials.
Investigators reportedly identified possible leakers among Democratic staff members serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee who had access to the classified material before it became public.
The criminal referral was reportedly submitted last summer but did not advance significantly inside the Justice Department until recent weeks, according to sources cited in the reports.
Reports said FBI Director Kash Patel only became aware of the matter several weeks ago before the bureau expanded the investigation.
Federal investigators are now reportedly examining additional potential leaks involving classified information and communications between Senate committee staff members and journalists.
The investigation is part of a broader Trump administration effort targeting unauthorized disclosures of classified information and leaks involving intelligence agencies and federal departments.
Over the last 15 months, federal authorities have pursued several leak-related investigations involving former government officials and military personnel accused of sharing sensitive information with reporters, per the Conservative Brief.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has previously faced scrutiny over unauthorized disclosures involving classified information and media contacts connected to congressional investigations.
In 2018, former Senate Intelligence Committee security director James Wolfe pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators during a leak investigation involving nonpublic information provided to a reporter.
No criminal charges have been announced in the current investigation, and neither the FBI nor the Justice Department has publicly commented on the reported inquiry involving Senate Intelligence Committee staff members.
