House Intel Democrats call for damage assessment on Signal chat
Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee on Monday requested an independent assessment into Trump administration officials' use of Signal to discuss an airstrike, asking that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard initiate such a process and delegate it to another official.
The letter calls for a damage assessment of the fallout related to the chat, something Intelligence Committee ranking member Jim Himes (D-Conn.) noted requires Gabbard to initiate a probe and turn over the contents of the underlying material that was disclosed.
The Monday letter cites reporting from The Wall Street Journal that Israel provided key intelligence used as the basis for the strike, and that the ally was upset that the contents of the chat became public when a journalist for The Atlantic was inadvertently added to the group.
“The U.S. ally complained to the United States that Mr. Waltz’s texts had become public. The Wall Street Journal’s reporting, if accurate, is deeply concerning. These developments underscore the need for the intelligence community, under your leadership, to conduct a parallel inquiry into the chat,” Himes wrote to Gabbard on Monday.
“Given that you participated in the chat, you should delegate your responsibilities under 50 USC 3235a to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center or another appropriate entity within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.”
There have been other calls for inspectors general to investigate the matter elsewhere in Congress, but Himes noted that “an independent, IC-led investigation” is also needed in light of the refusal of the FBI to investigate the matter.
The White House said Monday that its probe into how a journalist was added to a group chat of officials discussing military strikes is already closed.
“This case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.