Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced a sweeping move this week, revoking 37 security clearances from former and current intelligence officials accused of abusing their positions during the Trump-Russia years. The decision marks the second major purge of clearances under her leadership and signals an effort to hold accountable those tied to one of Washington’s most infamous scandals.

In a memo from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard’s office cited a pattern of misconduct, including politicizing intelligence, misusing classified material, and ignoring proper tradecraft. “The President has directed that, effective immediately, the security clearances of the following 37 individuals are revoked,” the memo read. It further ordered their access to government systems and facilities terminated and their credentials surrendered.

Among those stripped of clearance were Stephanie O’Sullivan, former Principal Deputy DNI, and Vinh Nguyen, both of whom reportedly helped then-Obama DNI James Clapper prepare the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that suggested Russia preferred Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. That report has since come under sharp criticism as politically motivated.

Others on the list had signed onto public statements backing House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into Trump in 2019. Several also worked in senior roles during the Obama and Biden administrations. Samantha Vinograd, who served at the Department of Homeland Security under President Biden, was included, as was Andrew Miller, a State Department official involved in Israeli-Palestinian policy. Loren DeJonge Schulman, a former adviser to Susan Rice, and Beth Sanner, who served on the National Intelligence Council, were also named.

Gabbard defended the move in a public post, saying, “Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold.”

She continued, “In doing so, they undermine our national security, the safety and security of the American people and the foundational principles of our democratic republic.”

The decision builds on an earlier action by Gabbard in which she revoked 51 security clearances from officials who signed a letter dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation in 2020. Both moves have been cheered by Trump allies, who have long argued that intelligence agencies became weaponized against him.

Critics of the 2017 Russia assessment say it helped fuel years of investigations and media narratives that ultimately collapsed, damaging public trust in intelligence institutions. Gabbard’s crackdown appears aimed at sending a message: politicizing intelligence comes with consequences.

For those who lost their clearances, the impact is immediate. Not only does it end their access to classified information, but it also terminates government contracts and employment tied to their clearance status. That could affect consulting work, speaking engagements, and even retirement benefits in some cases.

The move represents one of the most aggressive house-cleaning efforts in modern intelligence history. While Democrats have framed it as partisan retaliation, supporters say it restores accountability to a system that was badly compromised during the Russiagate years.

As Gabbard put it, the decision is about trust, not politics. Whether more clearances will be revoked remains an open question, but her latest action makes clear she intends to continue cleaning house in the intelligence community.