The CIA reportedly read Tucker Carlson’s private texts, and now a federal law designed to expose foreign agents may be used against him

Tucker Carlson claimed that the Central Intelligence Agency accessed his private text messages and may be preparing a criminal referral against him. He made these allegations in a video posted to X, saying intelligence officials might refer the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

According to Dallas Express, this potential referral stems from alleged violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) related to his communications with people in Iran before the current Middle East war began.

“So the other day I found out that the CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me,” Carlson said in the video. He also specified the supposed crime: “What’s that crime? Talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts.” It is important to note that Carlson did not present any evidence in the video to support his claims that the CIA accessed his messages or that a criminal referral has been prepared.

FARA is a federal transparency law, and Carlson firmly denies being a foreign agent

As of Saturday evening, neither the CIA nor the Department of Justice confirmed Carlson’s claim that a criminal referral was being prepared. It is also worth noting that the CIA typically does not conduct domestic criminal investigations – federal law enforcement agencies like the FBI generally handle those matters.

The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a federal law that requires people who lobby, advocate, or conduct political activities on behalf of foreign governments or political entities to register with the U.S. Department of Justice and disclose those relationships. 

It is designed to ensure transparency around foreign influence in American politics. This comes at a time when the CIA has also been facing scrutiny over other matters, including how the agency recently shut down a major public resource.

Carlson strongly rejected the idea that he acted as a foreign agent. “I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” he said, adding, “Unlike a lot of people commenting on U.S. politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty, and that’s the United States.” He argued that communicating with foreign sources is a routine part of journalism.

“It’s my job to talk to everybody all the time and try to figure out what’s happening around the world,” Carlson explained. “I’m also an American. I can talk to anybody.” He also suggested that critics may be pushing for the referral because of his views on the Middle East conflict. “There are some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel,” he said.

This is not the first time Carlson has made claims about intelligence agencies. He referenced a 2021 incident during his time at Fox News, where he alleged the National Security Agency intercepted and then leaked his communications. 

That incident occurred while he was reportedly trying to arrange an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The current political climate has seen several high-profile cases fall apart under pressure, such as the collapsed attempt to charge six Democratic lawmakers. Despite the seriousness of his current claims, Carlson said he does not expect the matter to result in criminal charges. “I doubt it will even become a case,” he said.