US intel chief revokes security clearances of 37 current, former intelligence officials

ISTANBUL

The US director of national intelligence has revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials.

On US social media company X on Tuesday, Tulsi Gabbard accused the officials of having engaged in the "politicization or weaponization of intelligence" to serve personal or partisan interests, failing to protect classified information, not following "professional analytic tradecraft standards," and other unspecified "detrimental" conduct.

The memo did not provide any evidence to back up the claims.

Gabbard stated that the move came at the direction of President Donald Trump.

"Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold.

"In doing so, they undermine our national security, the safety and security of the American people and the foundational principles of our democratic republic," she said.

The announcement was promptly criticized by national security experts, including those whose clearances the Trump Administration has previously revoked.

Some accused Trump and his team of being guilty of the same offenses he accused the former officials of committing – citing, for instance, Trump’s alleged hiding and haphazard treatment of confidential files he took to his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort.

The revocations are “further proof of weaponization and politicization,” said Mark Zaid, a national security attorney who has represented clients with revoked clearances and whose own clearance was also stripped under Trump.

"The vast majority of these individuals are not household names & are dedicated public servants who have worked across multiple presidential administrations,” he added.

Trump has revoked the security clearances of a number of officials, including those who signed a letter suggesting the alleged Hunter Biden laptop scandal showed signs of a Russian disinformation effort, as well as attorneys at major law firms.