Another chapter in the endless saga of intelligence agency overreach; in a bombshell development reported on May 23, 2026, investigative journalist Catherine Herridge and CIA whistleblower James Erdman III have exposed what appears to be systematic illegal surveillance and obstruction by the CIA against the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) under Tulsi Gabbard.

The allegations are serious: the CIA allegedly monitored the computer and phone activity of Gabbard's investigative team, interfered with multiple high-profile probes, and even seized sensitive documents as Gabbard prepared them for declassification.

The Core Allegations

According to whistleblower James Erdman, a career CIA Operations Officer who worked with Gabbard's Director's Initiatives Group (DIG):

The CIA illegally monitored the keystrokes, communications, and contacts of DIG personnel investigating sensitive topics.

Targets of these investigations included:

oOrigins of COVID-19

oJFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations

oCrossfire Hurricane (the Trump-Russia probe)

oAnomalous Health Incidents ("Havana Syndrome")

oUnidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)

The agency allegedly retaliated against analysts who didn't toe the official line and blocked access to key personnel and classified information.

When the DIG's work wound down, the CIA reportedly took back 40 boxes of JFK assassination and MKUltra files that were being processed for release.

Erdman's testimony also described third parties listening in on secure phone calls at intelligence facilities, an operation that reportedly required internal IT engineering work orders. Senator Rand Paul has publicly demanded answers, calling it illegal spying on the DNI's team.

This scandal comes as Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation as DNI, citing her husband's serious health issues.

The Deeper Problem: CIA Spying on… Everyone?

What makes this particularly disturbing is the pattern it reveals. The CIA isn't just accused of targeting political figures or external threats, it appears willing to turn its surveillance apparatus inward against other U.S. intelligence entities and oversight bodies.

The CIA has a documented history of overstepping into domestic territory and even surveilling fellow agencies like the NSA. Intelligence community insiders have long whispered about turf wars, where the CIA conducts its own parallel operations and resists genuine oversight from the DNI, the very position created post-9/11 to coordinate the entire intelligence apparatus.

When one agency spies on another's reform efforts, it raises a fundamental question: Who is actually in charge? And who watches the watchers when the watchers are watching each other?

This isn't ancient history. From historical programs like MKUltra to modern leaks and whistleblower accounts, the intelligence community has repeatedly shown a willingness to bend or break rules when it suits institutional interests. The fact that these latest allegations involve blocking declassification of decades-old assassination files and mind-control experiments only adds fuel to long-standing public distrust.

Why This Matters

Rule of Law: If the CIA can illegally monitor the DNI's team with impunity, what hope is there for genuine accountability?

Transparency: Efforts to release historically significant documents are being thwarted from within.

Public Trust: Revelations like this deepen the "deep state" perception: the idea that unaccountable bureaucracies operate above elected officials and ordinary citizens.

Whether you view Tulsi Gabbard favourably or not, the principle remains: no agency should be above oversight, especially when that oversight is mandated by law.

The latest accusations paint a picture of an intelligence community riddled with infighting, surveillance abuse, and resistance to reform. The CIA spying on the DNI's office, and potentially on peer agencies like the NSA, suggests a culture where power protects itself first and national security second.

Until there is real structural reform, term limits for intelligence officials, and aggressive declassification, these scandals will keep recurring. The American people deserve better than agencies that treat oversight itself as a threat.

The deep state fears the sunlight of exposure. And right now, that sunlight is desperately needed.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/cia-accused-illegally-spying-tulsi-gabbard-interfering-dni/