Former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, is reportedly accused of threatening senior intelligence officers regarding their promotions unless they backed a controversial assessment on Russia’s 2016 election interference.

This information stems from a memo detailing discussions from 2017. It suggests that analysts within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) were under pressure to endorse assessments they hadn’t personally reviewed in order to advance in their careers.

“You have to trust me with this,” an official allegedly told the analysts. Documents obtained revealed insights into these conversations.

In response, one anonymous analyst remarked, “I need to consider this for myself,” referencing a memo put together by a whistleblower. The analyst also noted, “You’re saying I’m not allowed to see it. If I did, you’d know I would agree.”

The whistleblower claimed officials indicated that their agreement on the evaluation was crucial. They expressed a need to demonstrate alignment with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The whistleblower resisted signing off on the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) and did not hinder its approval by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA).

Sources familiar with the memo mentioned that this alleged conversation wasn’t documented until six years later, after attempts were made to convey concerns to various officials, including Special Adviser John Durham and Senator Mark Warner.

It wasn’t until March 31, 2023, that the whistleblower drafted a summary of their claims. This process took a considerable amount of time.

There are notable inconsistencies within the memo, as the briefing involving Clapper, other intelligence leaders, and former President Barack Obama actually took place in early January, contrary to what the whistleblower indicated.

“I recall that conversation distinctly,” the whistleblower stated, highlighting the challenging nature of the situation and their careful reactions. “I felt strongly against the direction being suggested regarding my opinion on the DIA,” they mentioned, reinforcing their commitment to intelligence community standards and ethics.

The Daily Caller reached out to Warner’s office for a comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.