Over 100 US Intelligence Staff Fired Over Sexually Explicit Chats

More than 100 employees across the US intelligence community have been dismissed for engaging in sexually explicit conversations using a secure government chat platform intended for sensitive information sharing, according to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night, Gabbard condemned the misuse of the National Security Agency’s communication tool, calling it “an egregious violation of trust” and a direct breach of “basic rules and standards around professionalism.”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that Gabbard had issued a memo instructing all intelligence agencies to identify employees involved in the “obscene, pornographic, and sexually explicit” chatrooms by Friday.

The scandal was initially disclosed by conservative activist Chris Rufo, who published the findings in City Journal on Tuesday.

Gabbard’s directive is part of a broader initiative to overhaul the intelligence community. In recent weeks, ODNI has also taken action to dismiss employees involved in diversity initiatives established under the Biden administration. However, that effort has been temporarily halted as a federal judge reviews the legality of the move.

It remains unclear exactly how many intelligence personnel across different agencies will be impacted by these dismissals. The situation continues to develop as intelligence agencies work to comply with Gabbard’s directive.