FBI Opens Criminal Investigation - Devastating News For Schumer As Probe Set to Target Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 26, 2026
The FBI has opened an investigation into possible leaks of classified information linked to Democratic members or staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to reports citing sources familiar with the matter.
The probe reportedly stems in part from a criminal referral submitted by the National Security Agency concerning the disclosure of information from a classified overseas intercept. The referral was connected to media coverage published during the confirmation process for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
According to reports, the reporting referenced an intercepted conversation involving two Hezbollah figures discussing Gabbard’s 2017 trip to Syria. A New York Times report stated that some interpreted a reference to “the big guy” in the intercept as suggesting Gabbard had met with a senior Hezbollah leader. Gabbard strongly denied that claim.
Sources said the NSA later concluded that while the published information did accurately reference material from one of its intercepts, Gabbard had not actually met with Hezbollah leadership.
Investigators reportedly identified possible leakers among Democratic staff members on the Senate Intelligence Committee who had access to the intercept before details appeared publicly.
The criminal referral was reportedly submitted last summer but did not gain significant traction inside the Justice Department for months. According to the report, FBI Director Kash Patel only became aware of the matter several weeks ago.
Since then, FBI counterintelligence and criminal investigators have reportedly expanded the inquiry to examine additional possible leaks and communications with media outlets connected to Democratic committee staff.
The investigation is part of a broader Trump administration effort targeting leaks of classified information. Over the past 15 months, several leak-related cases have been pursued by federal authorities involving former government officials and military personnel accused of improperly sharing sensitive information.
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 unclear whether prosecutors will ultimately pursue criminal cases connected 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 surrounding classified information, intelligence oversight, and the relationship between lawmakers and the press. The outcome of the probe could have implications for how Congress handles sensitive intelligence and interacts with the media.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
