FBI Probes Ex-Counterterrorism Chief Over Classified Leaks

WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center who resigned this week in protest of the U.S. war in Iran, over allegations that he improperly shared classified information, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Coverage of this development has been provided by Semafor, the Associated Press, CBS News, Axios, ABC News, and Fox News. Each of the bullet points immediately below have been confirmed by at least four of the six respected sources we curated on this story.

• The FBI has opened a leak investigation into Joe Kent, who served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center until his resignation on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The probe is focused on allegations that Kent improperly shared classified information with unauthorized individuals.
• The investigation predates Kent’s resignation and has been ongoing for several months, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. Sources said the FBI’s Criminal Division is handling the inquiry.
• Kent announced his resignation in a public statement on X, citing his opposition to the U.S. war against Iran. He wrote that he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war,” arguing that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.”
• President Donald Trump responded to Kent’s resignation by telling reporters it was “a good thing that he’s out” and that he “always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security.” Trump said Kent’s claim that Iran was not a threat showed he was not “smart or savvy.”
• Kent, a former Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer, was appointed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center in early 2025. He is also a Gold Star spouse.

Additional Details Reported

According to Axios, one source familiar with the investigation said Kent is suspected of leaking information to Tucker Carlson and another conservative podcaster. The same report noted that Kent participated in a two-hour interview with Carlson on Wednesday, during which Carlson defended Kent and argued he was facing consequences for his accurate predictions about the disastrous nature of a war with Iran.

Taylor Budowich, former deputy White House chief of staff, wrote on X shortly after Kent’s resignation that Kent was “often at the center of national security leaks” and “spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President,” according to CBS News.

In his resignation letter, Kent went beyond questioning the Iran threat assessment, writing that “it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” This accusation drew a sharp response from the White House, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the claims “false” and asserting that Iran did pose an imminent threat to the U.S., calling suggestions that Trump was driven to war by another country “insulting and laughable.”

The investigation comes as the Justice Department has undertaken multiple investigations over the last year into political foes of President Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to the Associated Press.

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