IC Oversight & Authorities — 2026-05-23

Gabbard Plans Weekly Intelligence Declassification Releases on COVID Origins, Havana Syndrome, Crossfire Hurricane Before June 30 Departure

BLUFWhether ODNI executes the promised weekly declassifications before Gabbard's June 30 departure is genuinely uncertain, as her proven appetite for bulk releases collides with mandatory interagency legal reviews and a five-week window.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard met with President Trump in the Oval Office on May 22 to submit her resignation, citing her husband Abraham Williams' rare bone cancer diagnosis, with her departure set for June 30 12. Officials familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire that ODNI plans weekly releases of declassified materials throughout June covering COVID-19 origins, Havana Syndrome, Crossfire Hurricane, and the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian election interference 13. CNN, citing multiple sources, reported that Gabbard was routinely excluded from major foreign policy deliberations during her tenure, including on Iran and Venezuela, while her office concentrated on election-related and "deep state" investigations at Trump's direction 2. Principal Deputy DNI Aaron Lukas is expected to assume acting director duties after June 30 pending a permanent appointment 1.

Analysis
Whether ODNI delivers weekly declassified releases before June 30 is genuinely uncertain. Gabbard's Director's Initiatives Group record argues for at least partial execution, but a compressed five-week window, mandatory interagency legal reviews, and her documented exclusion from core national security deliberations each constrain delivery. Low confidence reflects a single anonymous sourcing channel with no corroboration from ODNI itself. The releases may instead be legacy framing: Gabbard's team managing an exit narrative rather than reflecting institutional readiness to publish before June 30. Congressional oversight staff and allied counterpart services must decide whether to prepare substantive responses before June 30 or hold for acting DNI Aaron Lukas, who inherits any undelivered commitment.

4 sources