Gabbard sends criminal referrals to DOJ for whistleblower and watchdog who helped launch Trump’s first impeachment

2026-04-15 10:41 PM EDT / CBS News

By Jacob Rosen, Olivia Gazis

Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter

Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump’s 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

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Jacob Rosen, Olivia Gazis

Olivia Gazis

Olivia Gazis covers intelligence and international security matters for CBS News. Twice Emmy-nominated, she has traveled worldwide with the secretary of state and contributes reporting on intelligence, foreign policy and other security topics across CBS News broadcast, radio, online and streaming platforms.

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Olivia Gazis

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asked the Justice Department to investigate two former government officials who played a central role in President Trump’s first impeachment inquiry.

A spokesperson for Gabbard’s office confirmed that she drafted criminal referrals for a whistleblower and a former intelligence community watchdog, but did not detail what specific crimes are alleged. Whether to pursue a criminal investigation following a referral is up to prosecutors at the Justice Department.

The referrals came after Gabbard criticized how former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson handled the 2019 whistleblower complaint earlier this week, releasing a trove of documents linked to Atkinson.

The whistleblower — whose identity has not been formally disclosed — reported an “urgent concern” about President Trump’s request for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. The complaint also expressed concerns about how records of a Trump-Zelenskyy phone call were handled, and about the role of Mr. Trump’s then-personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, in the U.S.’s relationship with Ukraine.

“I have received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election,” the whistleblower wrote. “This interference includes, among other things, pressuring a foreign country to investigate one of the President’s main domestic political rivals.”

Mr. Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives in late 2019, but was acquitted in a Senate vote mostly along party lines in early 2020. He has long denied any wrongdoing, referring to his phone call with Zelenskyy as “perfect.”

Gabbard alleged in a post on X Monday that “deep state actors” in the intelligence community “concocted a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President @realDonaldTrump in 2019.” She argued that the inspector general relied on “second-hand evidence” in looking into the whistleblower complaint.

The documents, however, do not provide any direct evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Atkinson was fired by Mr. Trump in 2020. In a statement after his removal, Atkinson said he had “faithfully discharged” his duties as inspector general and spent his nearly two-decade career serving “without regard to partisan favor or political fear.”

Atkinson and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The referral was first reported by Fox News.

The criminal referrals mark the latest effort by Gabbard and other administration officials to revisit political battles from Mr. Trump’s first term. Last year, her office released files related to the intelligence community’s review of Russian interference in the 2016 election, claiming they showed a “treasonous conspiracy” by Biden-era officials.

Gabbard also said she would forward those documents to the Justice Department for a criminal referral, though it isn’t clear what criminal wrongdoing was alleged. Several figures from the Russian election interference saga, including former CIA Director John Brennan, have been subpoenaed as part of a probe by federal prosecutors in Florida. No charges have been filed.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, sharply criticized Gabbard’s referral and defended the 2019 whistleblower, whom he said “demonstrated courage and principle” in bringing to light Mr. Trump’s “efforts to extort Ukraine and falsely smear his opponent.”

“This apparent criminal referral will amount to nothing because no misconduct occurred, but what it will do is chill future whistleblowers from coming forward to Congress with confidence that the law will protect them. I suspect that is precisely the point,” Himes said in a statement.

民主党参议院少数党领袖舒默周二说，只要美国与伊朗的战争持续，民主党每周都会提出限制总统特朗普战争权力的议案。 （法新社）

美国参议院周三再次否决民主党人发起的一项议案。议案要求总统特朗普结束对伊朗的军事行动，并在进一步对伊朗采取军事行动前须获得国会授权。

这是自2月28日，美国联手以色列对伊朗发起军事行动以来，参议院第四次否决民主党人提出的限制总统战争权力议案。

参议院星期三（4月15日）以52票反对、47票赞成的表决结果否决了这项议案，只有一名共和党籍参议员弃权。路透社报道指，这显示共和党在美以对伊朗发动空袭六个多星期后，仍继续支持特朗普的战争政策。

民主党则表示，将继续提出类似议案，直到对伊朗战事结束或国会授权继续展开军事行动为止。

民主党参议院少数党领袖舒默周二在国会发表讲话时说，民主党人已提交10项限制总统战争权力的议案，并打算只要与伊朗冲突持续，每周都会提出类似议案。

民主党参议院少数党领袖舒默周二说，只要美国与伊朗的战争持续，民主党每周都会提出限制总统特朗普战争权力的议案。 （法新社）

美国参议院周三再次否决民主党人发起的一项议案。议案要求总统特朗普结束对伊朗的军事行动，并在进一步对伊朗采取军事行动前须获得国会授权。

这是自2月28日，美国联手以色列对伊朗发起军事行动以来，参议院第四次否决民主党人提出的限制总统战争权力议案。

参议院星期三（4月15日）以52票反对、47票赞成的表决结果否决了这项议案，只有一名共和党籍参议员弃权。路透社报道指，这显示共和党在美以对伊朗发动空袭六个多星期后，仍继续支持特朗普的战争政策。

民主党则表示，将继续提出类似议案，直到对伊朗战事结束或国会授权继续展开军事行动为止。

民主党参议院少数党领袖舒默周二在国会发表讲话时说，民主党人已提交10项限制总统战争权力的议案，并打算只要与伊朗冲突持续，每周都会提出类似议案。

一名脸上图上伊朗国旗的男孩周三在德黑兰恩格拉布广场参加反美反以色列集会。 （路透社）

伊朗外交部警告，美国封锁霍尔木兹海峡可能导致美伊停火协议破裂。

新华社引述俄新社报道，伊朗外交部发言人巴加埃星期四（4月16日）说，美国封锁霍尔木兹海峡属于挑衅行为，可能导致停火协议破裂。伊朗武装部队已准备好采取必要行动。

美伊上周末谈判破裂后，美国总统特朗普下令全面封锁霍尔木兹海峡周边区域。

伊朗最高领袖军事顾问雷扎伊则指控特朗普企图充当霍尔木兹海峡的“警察”。他强调，在伊朗自身权利得到充分保障前，伊方绝不会放弃霍尔木兹海峡。

据伊朗学生通讯社报道，雷扎伊周三在电视采访中说，伊朗绝不会因美国实施海上封锁而在谈判中对伊方提出的10项条件做出妥协。

他称，美国人“害怕持续战争”，伊朗已做好打持久战的充分准备。

伊朗警告：美封锁霍尔木兹海峡或致停火协议破裂

2026年4月16日 11:18 / 联合早报

一名脸上图上伊朗国旗的男孩周三在德黑兰恩格拉布广场参加反美反以色列集会。 （路透社）

伊朗外交部警告，美国封锁霍尔木兹海峡可能导致美伊停火协议破裂。

新华社引述俄新社报道，伊朗外交部发言人巴加埃星期四（4月16日）说，美国封锁霍尔木兹海峡属于挑衅行为，可能导致停火协议破裂。伊朗武装部队已准备好采取必要行动。

美伊上周末谈判破裂后，美国总统特朗普下令全面封锁霍尔木兹海峡周边区域。

伊朗最高领袖军事顾问雷扎伊则指控特朗普企图充当霍尔木兹海峡的“警察”。他强调，在伊朗自身权利得到充分保障前，伊方绝不会放弃霍尔木兹海峡。

据伊朗学生通讯社报道，雷扎伊周三在电视采访中说，伊朗绝不会因美国实施海上封锁而在谈判中对伊方提出的10项条件做出妥协。

他称，美国人“害怕持续战争”，伊朗已做好打持久战的充分准备。

中国电动汽车电池制造商宁德时代位于福建省总部外的标志，摄于2024年11月。 （路透社档案照）

知情人士透露，中国电动汽车电池制造商宁德时代高管正牵头推动将公司从美国国防部的中国涉军企业名单中移除。被列入这份黑名单，对这家全球最大电动车电池制造商的海外扩张前景投下阴影。

彭博社星期三（4月15日）引述知情人士称，宁德时代联席董事长潘健自去年以来至少两次赴美陈述公司立场，包括2025年3月在华盛顿与国防部官员会面。

知情者称，这次会谈发生在五角大楼将宁德时代列入中国涉军企业名单的两个月后，潘健及其团队当时对美国官员表示，公司的电池不会被中国军方使用。他们为此展示了一段视频并提供了大量文件加以佐证。

知情人士说，尽管会谈气氛友好，但鉴于美中在贸易与安全问题上的紧张关系，潘健认为宁德时代被移出名单的可能性不大。

此后，尽管潘健在2025年9月再次赴美游说和开展其他业务，宁德时代依旧名列美国防部的名单中，而公司继续寻求可能的解决路径。

延伸阅读

美国将腾讯宁德时代列入涉军企业名单 北京指美无理打压中企
股价大涨后 宁德时代拟在港出售50亿美元股票

宁德时代代表称，“我们正在探索法律允许的途径来应对这一错误认定”。该代表补充称，潘健向五角大楼官员展示的视频主要介绍了“宁德时代的愿景和企业文化”。

五角大楼发言人未回应置评请求。

宁德时代在争取从上述名单中移除的过程中遇阻，凸显华府根深蒂固的安全关切正削弱这家中国龙头企业的海外扩张努力。

美国总统特朗普将与中国国家主席习近平下月在北京会晤，美国对中国企业的限制届时将成为讨论议题之一。

美国国防部去年1月6日在《联邦公报》中，将中国互联网巨头腾讯、宁德时代等数十家中企，列入涉军企业名单。

腾讯当时说，美国国防部将其列入中国涉军企业名单是一个错误，因为公司不是中国军工企业，也并非军民融合企业。宁德时代则称从未参与任何军事业务或活动，美国国防部的决定实属错误。中国外交部当时回应时指出，美国上述举措是无理打压中国企业。

3 killed in latest U.S. strike on alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, Pentagon says

April 15, 2026 / 11:34 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Three people were killed Wednesday in yet another U.S. strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the eastern Pacific, the Pentagon reported.

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U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in Latin America, said in a social media post that the “lethal kinetic strike” in the eastern Pacific targeted “a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” killing “three male narco-terrorists.”

An unclassified video of the strike was included with the post.

On Tuesday, a similar U.S. strike against an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific killed four people, while a strike Monday killed two people, SOUTHCOM said.

Two strikes Saturday on two separate vessels left five people dead and one survivor, SOUTHCOM reported. The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for the survivor.

Wednesday’s strike brings the death toll to at least 178 since the operations began in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean in early September. At least 53 vessels have been targeted.

President Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

The strikes began months ahead of the U.S. raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

特朗普：以色列和黎巴嫩领导人周四对话

2026年4月16日 11:57 / 联合早报

美国总统特朗普说，以色列和黎巴嫩领导人将于美东时间星期四（4月16日）进行对话。

特朗普星期三（15日）在自家社媒平台Truth Social发文说：“试图为以色列和黎巴嫩之间创造一些喘息空间。两国领导人已经很久没有对话了，大概有34年了。明天就会对话。太好了！”

特朗普：以色列和黎巴嫩领导人周四对话

2026年4月16日 11:57 / 联合早报

美国总统特朗普说，以色列和黎巴嫩领导人将于美东时间星期四（4月16日）进行对话。

特朗普星期三（15日）在自家社媒平台Truth Social发文说：“试图为以色列和黎巴嫩之间创造一些喘息空间。两国领导人已经很久没有对话了，大概有34年了。明天就会对话。太好了！”

Sonia Sotomayor apologizes for ‘hurtful’ public comments about Brett Kavanaugh on immigration

2026-04-15 5:24 PM ET / CNN

By John Fritze

Updated Apr 15, 2026, 6:36 PM ET

PUBLISHED Apr 15, 2026, 5:24 PM ET

节点运行失败

Sotomayor apologizes for public comments about Kavanaugh on immigration
2:38 • Source: CNN

节点运行失败

Sotomayor apologizes for public comments about Kavanaugh on immigration

2:38

Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a highly unusual public apology to a colleague Wednesday, saying her criticism of Justice Brett Kavanaugh for his writing in an earlier immigration case was unfair.

“At a recent appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law, I referred to a disagreement with one of my colleagues in a prior case, but I made remarks that were inappropriate,” Sotomayor said in a statement. “I regret my hurtful comments. I have apologized to my colleague.”

Sotomayor’s statement followed remarks she made last week in Kansas in which she criticized Kavanaugh for his concurring opinion in a high-profile emergency immigration case dealing with ICE patrols — an exceedingly rare and personal comment directed at one justice by another.

节点运行失败 Justice Samuel Alito sits during a group photo of the justices at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2021. Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images Trump recalls how Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death affected the Supreme Court as he discusses Samuel Alito’s future 4 min read

Justices, particularly those who wind up dissenting, often snip at how their colleagues on the other side of an opinion frame an issue. But both conservative and liberal justices – including Sotomayor – also regularly discuss the comity on the court and how the nine justices get along personally even as they vehemently disagree in many high-profile cases.

That is what made the tone of Sotomayor’s remarks surprising.

“I had a colleague in that case who wrote, you know, these are only temporary stops,” Sotomayor said, according to a Bloomberg report. “This is from a man whose parents were professionals. And probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.”

CNN had reached out to Sotomayor and Kavanaugh for comment after the event. Kavanaugh did not immediately respond to a follow-up request for comment about Sotomayor’s apology on Wednesday.

Sotomayor, the court’s senior liberal, was speaking last week about an opinion in early September in which the court backed President Donald Trump’s push to allow immigration enforcement officials to continue what critics describe as “roving patrols” in Southern California that lower courts said likely violated the Fourth Amendment.

The court’s majority did not offer an explanation for its decision in that case, which came over a sharp dissent from the three liberal justices.

But Kavanaugh, a member of the conservative wing who sided with Trump, wrote in a concurrence to explain his thinking. He said the factors the agents were considering “taken together can constitute at least reasonable suspicion of illegal presence in the United States.” Those factors could include a person’s apparent ethnicity, language or their presence at a particular location, such as a farm or a bus stop.

节点运行失败 Justice Brett Kavanaugh speaks at a panel at the Eighth Circuit Court Judicial Conference in in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 31, 2025. Nick Ingram/AP/File Kavanaugh faces blowback for claiming Americans can sue over encounters with ICE 6 min read

“To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion; under this court’s case law regarding immigration stops, however, it can be a ‘relevant factor’ when considered along with other salient factors,” Kavanaugh wrote.

“Importantly,” Kavanaugh added, “reasonable suspicion means only that immigration officers may briefly stop the individual and inquire about immigration status.”

Liberal groups have zeroed in on Kavanaugh’s concurrence and have dubbed the immigration encounters at issue in the case as “Kavanaugh stops.” Immigrant advocacy groups have said the stops are often far lengthier and more intrusive than the justice made them seem in his opinion.

This story has been updated with additional details.