FBI Initiates Criminal Investigation Targeting Senate Democrats, Posing Challenge for Schumer
Washington, D.C. - May 14, 2026
FBI Begins Criminal Investigation into Potential Leaks of Classified Information by Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats
The FBI has started a criminal investigation into potential leaks of classified information involving Democratic members or staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to sources familiar with the situation. The investigation reportedly stems from a criminal referral submitted by the National Security Agency regarding the disclosure of information from a classified overseas intercept.
The referral concerned media coverage published during the confirmation process for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. A report in The New York Times mentioned an intercepted conversation between two Hezbollah figures discussing Gabbard’s 2017 trip to Syria. Some interpreted a reference to “the big guy” in the intercept as suggesting Gabbard had met with a senior Hezbollah leader. Gabbard strongly denied this claim.
Sources stated that the NSA later concluded that while the published information accurately referenced material from one of its intercepts, Gabbard had not actually met with Hezbollah leadership. Investigators reportedly identified potential leakers among Democratic staff members on the Senate Intelligence Committee who had access to the intercept before details became public.
The criminal referral was submitted last summer but did not gain momentum within the Justice Department for months. FBI Director Kash Patel only became aware of the matter several weeks ago. Since then, FBI counterintelligence and criminal investigators have broadened the inquiry to examine additional potential leaks and communications with media outlets connected to Democratic committee staff.
This investigation is part of a wider Trump administration effort targeting leaks of classified information. Over the past 15 months, federal authorities have pursued several leak-related cases. These cases have included investigations involving former government officials and military personnel accused of improperly sharing sensitive information with journalists or other external parties.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has faced scrutiny over leaks in the past. In 2018, former Senate Intelligence Committee security director James Wolfe pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during an investigation into disclosures of nonpublic information to a reporter.
No charges have been announced in the current investigation, and it remains uncertain whether prosecutors will ultimately pursue criminal cases related to the reported leaks. The FBI and Justice Department have not publicly commented on the specifics of the inquiry. Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats also have not publicly addressed the allegations.
The investigation is likely to intensify ongoing political disputes in Washington concerning classified information, intelligence oversight, and the relationship between lawmakers and the press.
Before the Elevator Stopped Falling, Sophie Hale Heard What Her Husband Truly Wanted
"""Grant Hale yanked the red emergency-release lever down while Sophie was still inside the glass elevator.
The Key on the Glass Table Was Only the Beginning of What Broke Between Them
"Daniel Hart dropped the silver keycard onto his mother's glass coffee table hard enough to make the water in her untouched tumbler tremble.
The Night Rachel Hayes Let Her Husband Believe He Still Controlled Everything
"""Derek Hayes ripped the phone from Rachel’s hand before she could close her fingers around it, and the champagne bucket beside them rang like a struck bell when he dropped it inside.
The Day a Burned Soccer Ball Split One Family Down the Middle
"""Ryan Mercer snatched the soccer ball out of Noah’s path and slammed it onto the hot black grill hard enough to make the metal lid jump.
The Birthday Dress Turned Red Before Anyone Admitted What Had Been Happening
"""Vanessa Miller emptied an entire pitcher of red fruit punch down seven-year-old Sophie’s white birthday dress, then leaned close enough for Sophie to smell the peppermint on her breath and said, “Smile, sweetheart. Your mother said you didn't deserve this birthday.”
The Day a Grandmother Denied a Little Boy and Exposed the Lie She Had Buried for Seven Years
"""Margaret Miller knocked the cupcake out of her grandson’s hand and said, “Stop calling Daniel your dad. He isn’t.”
The Red Cord Maya Bennett Pulled Before Anyone Could Make Her Go Home
""Maya Bennett yanked the red emergency cord so hard the plastic handle snapped against the wall, and before the alarm had finished its first sharp pulse, she caught Dr. Ethan Cole by the sleeve and said, “Don’t send me home—Dad put nails in my boots.”
The Little Girl Beneath the Silver Buffet Forced a Powerful Family to Choose What Truth Would Cost
""Nathan Cole had the champagne glass halfway to his mouth when a small hand shot out from beneath the buffet table and closed around his wrist.
The Christmas Gift on the Floor Wasn't What Broke the Cole Family Apart
"""Evelyn Cole ripped the little reindeer out of Lila’s hands hard enough to pull the child a step forward.
The Birthday Gift Margaret Locked Away Was Only the Beginning of What She Had Hidden
"""Claire Bennett heard Lily cry before she saw the chain.
Evelyn Mitchell ground her grandson’s birthday cake beneath the heel of her sandal while half the family watched
"""“If you want dessert, get on your knees and eat it off the ground.”
By the Time Claire Opened the Birthday Box, Her Family Had Already Changed
"""Claire Bennett caught the lid of the birthday box with two fingers before her daughter could slam it shut.
The Birthday Dress Evelyn Cut in Public Became the Lie Her Family Could No Longer Protect
"The silver cake server went through Nora Reed’s birthday sash with a soft, ugly rip, and Madison was not there to stop it.
The Red Sneaker on His Suitcase Was Only the Beginning of What Megan Had Buried
""Megan Carter slammed her dead son’s red sneaker onto her brother’s suitcase hard enough to make the telescoping handle shudder.