Tulsi Gabbard at center of explosive CIA claim as JFK and MKUltra files 'vanish from her office'

By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 16:41, 14 May 2026 | Updated: 16:55, 14 May 2026 Tulsi Gabbard is at the center of explosive claims by a whistleblower accusing the CIA of removing files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the MKUltra mind-control program from her office. CIA special operations officer James Erdman III, a 20-year veteran of the agency, outlined the accusations during a Wednesday Senate hearing about the origins of Covid-19.  'When the DIG [Director’s Initiatives Group] ceased operations, the CIA also took back 40 boxes of JFK files and MKUltra files being processed for declassification by DNI Gabbard,' Erdman claimed.  Republican lawmakers seized on Erdman's shocking accusations, with Anna Paulina Luna declaring: 'The CIA has 24 hours to return the documents to Tulsi Gabbard's office or else I will make a motion to issue a subpoena.' Luna later clarified that the CIA did not 'raid' Gabbard's office, but did take documents 'ODNI has jurisdiction over.'  The CIA and DNI have both denied Erdman's testimony, attacking the committee hearing as 'dishonest political theater masquerading as a congressional hearing.' The Daily Mail has asked the DNI whether it ever shared any JFK or MKUltra documents with the CIA while Gabbard was allegedly seeking to declassify them. MKUltra, the CIA's covert Cold War-era program, subjected unwitting Americans to drugs, hypnosis, and psychological torture in an effort to develop mind-control techniques. Most of the program's original records were destroyed in 1973 on the orders of then-CIA Director Richard Helms.  Tulsi Gabbard is at the center of explosive claims by a whistleblower accusing the CIA of removing files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the MKUltra mind-control program from her office Anna Paulina Luna declaring: 'The CIA has 24 hours to return the documents to Tulsi Gabbard's office or else I will make a motion to issue a subpoena' CIA special operations officer James Erdman III, a 20-year veteran of the agency, outlined the accusations during a Wednesday Senate hearing about the origins of Covid-19 No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.