A whistleblower complaint filed against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last year reportedly revolves around a phone conversation involving Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The classified complaint, submitted in May 2025, alleged that the National Security Agency (NSA) failed to publish an intelligence report about a call intercepted by a foreign spy service between two overseas intelligence officials concerning Iran, in which a person linked to Trump was discussed.
According to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, the Trump associate mentioned in the call was Kushner. His name had been redacted in the NSA’s original report under standard “masking” procedures. The participants on the call were reportedly referencing Kushner and suggesting he was the person to approach to influence future peace talks in their favour.
The complaint alleged that Gabbard presented a paper copy of the report to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and instructed the NSA to supply further details to her office, rather than making it more widely available within the intelligence community. While the whistleblower considered the invocation of Kushner significant, others in the intelligence community dismissed the matter as mere “gossip,” according to The Times.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the complaint last week. Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Christopher Fox presented a heavily redacted version to the Gang of Eight in Congress on a “read-and-return” basis. The precise details of the complaint, investigation, and underlying intelligence remain classified.
Gabbard has denied suppressing the complaint, stating on social media that she did not see it until two weeks before the Journal’s report. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, defended her, saying the complaint was “not credible” and that it appeared to be an effort by critics to undermine administration policies. Kushner, who has no formal role in the second Trump administration but continues to be involved in Middle East peace talks, has faced criticism from watchdog groups over his ongoing diplomatic involvement.
