By : Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top officials leading the National Intelligence Council — whom whistleblowers describe as ‘radically opposed to Trump’ — and has moved the agency to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, to ensure she can block any ‘politicization of intelligence,’ Fox News Digital has learned.
Gabbard fired Mike Collins, who was serving as the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, Tuesday, senior intelligence officials told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out Langan-Riekhof for comment and did not immediately hear back, and couldn’t immediately find contact information for Collins.
Collins also has whistleblower complaints against him for political bias and ‘deliberately undermining the incoming Trump administration,’ officials said.
They added that Collins was closely associated with Michael Morrell, the former deputy director of the CIA who worked to write a public letter in 2020 claiming that Hunter Biden’s laptop had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,’ and to get signatures from top ex-intelligence officials.
As for Langan-Reikhof, officials said she has been a ‘key advocate’ for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and is someone who whistleblowers allege is ‘radically opposed to Trump.’
Meanwhile, Gabbard is moving the National Intelligence Council from the CIA to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to ‘directly hold accountable any improper action and politicization of intelligence,’ Fox News Digital has learned.
Many intel community leakers are ‘career bureaucrats that are entrenched in Washington politics,’ officials said.
‘It takes time to weed them out and fire them,’ one official told Fox News Digital, adding that ‘plans to eliminate non-essential offices within ODNI that we know are housing deep state leakers are underway.’
A CIA official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the National Intelligence Council ‘has always been a DNI component. It makes sense for them to be physically located at DNI.’
The moves come as Gabbard has taken steps to root out leakers and alleged ‘deep state holdovers’ who officials say are politicizing intelligence analysis and ‘trying to sabotage President Trump’s agenda.’
So far, Gabbard has referred three intelligence community professionals to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution over alleged leaks of classified information. Fox News Digital first reported on those criminal referrals in April.
An ODNI official at that time told Fox News Digital that the intelligence community professionals allegedly leaked classified information to the Washington Post and The New York Times.
‘Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end,’ Gabbard told Fox News Digital in April. ‘Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.’
A senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is investigating 12 other intelligence officials over alleged leaks of classified information.
For example, officials told Fox News Digital that ODNI fired two bureaucrats in early May who they say leaked information from an assessment about the violent Tren de Aragua gang to the Times. Officials said those bureaucrats were ‘CIA detailees’ who were fired for ‘not following proper procedures.’
In April, Gabbard established a task force to restore transparency and accountability in the intelligence community. Fox News Digital first reported on the Director’s Initiative Group (DIG), which started by investigating weaponization within the intelligence community.
Officials said the group will also work to root out politicization and expose unauthorized disclosures of classified intelligence. In addition, it will work to declassify information ‘that serves a public interest.’
Gabbard also has held to account employees who participated in sexually explicit National Security Agency chatrooms, and is pursuing action against those who have made unauthorized leaks of classified information within the intelligence community.
All the while, officials have complained about the hold up in confirming intelligence nominees, which they say are ‘essential’ to enacting the Trump agenda.
Currently, ODNI is without its nominees for principal deputy director of national intelligence; National Counterterrorism Center; National Counterintelligence and Security Center; intelligence inspector general; and general counsel; among others.