Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in January 2017 raised ethical concerns when her team worked to justify the trip. Gabbard circulated a timeline of events to help prepare for a House Committee on Ethics report following criticism of her lengthy meeting. Staff discussions included suggestions to alter the representation of the meeting duration, which ultimately stated it lasted 90 minutes. As Gabbard faces renewed scrutiny due to her nomination to lead U.S. intelligence agencies, her trip and interactions are likely to be scrutinized in confirmation hearings.
Gabbard's deputy chief of staff suggested breaking down her meeting time with Assad to appear less lengthy, raising questions about the ethics of her trip.
After a February 2017 trip to Syria, Gabbard's team scrambled to report her interactions with Assad, aiming to mitigate potential political fallout from her actions.
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