Tulsi Gabbard strips 37 security clearances over Obama-ordered intel report that launched Russiagate | 19 Aug 2025 | Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced security clearances had been pulled from 37 current and former officials who "abused public trust by politicizing and manipulating" information -- including several who were involved in a controversial, Barack Obama-ordered assessment of Russian influence in the 2016 election. An ODNI memo announced that the more than three dozen intel professionals -- including a former top aide to Obama DNI James Clapper -- had either politicized or weaponized intelligence, failed to safeguard classified info or not followed tradecraft standards. "The President has directed that, effective immediately, the security clearances of the following 37 individuals are revoked," the Aug. 18 memo stated, according to a copy obtained by The Post.