Gabbard, Ratcliffe tell committee no classified info was shared in group chat, but it’s still ‘under review’

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are denying that the Signal group chat exposed by Jeffrey Goldberg contained classified information.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, demanded the pair turn over the messages in Tuesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing despite Gabbard saying she was “not going to get into” the issue and assuring the senator that the matter was “under review.”

“Senator, I’ll reiterate that there was no classified material that was shared,” Gabbard said.

“If there was no classified material, share it with the committee. You can’t have it both ways,” Warner bristled. “These are important jobs. This is our national security bobbing and weaving and trying to filibuster.”

He then attempted to corner the director with her own words, citing an X post in which she said “unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such.”

Any unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such.

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 14, 2025

Gabbard pointed out that there is “a difference between inadvertent release versus careless and sloppy, malicious leaks of classified information. The second point is, that there was no classified information that was” leaked.

Ratcliffe also assured lawmakers that the use of Signal to discuss plans was authorized.

“When I was confirmed as CIA director, Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA as it is for most CIA officers. One of the things that I was briefed on very early, senator, was by the CIA records management folks about the use of Signal as a permissible work use,” he explained.

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

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