A new NY Times reports asserts a second intel official who was alarmed by Trump’s Ukraine dealings is weighing whether to file his own formal whistleblower complaint and testify to Congress.
Breaking via NYT: A second intel official who was alarmed by Trump's Ukraine dealings is weighing whether to file his own formal whistleblower complaint and testify to Congress.
The official has more direct info about events than the first whistleblower. https://t.co/Esz7vD2nmH
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 5, 2019
Update – President Trump tweeted a news clips from Fox News on this topic.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2019
Per TheHill, a second intelligence official is considering whether to file a whistleblower complaint and testify before Congress about their concerns over President Trump‘s dealings with Ukraine, The New York Times reported Friday, citing two people briefed on the matter.
The Times reported that the officer has more direct information about the situation involving Trump than the first whistleblower, whose complaint filed in August helped spark the impeachment inquiry into Trump that House Democrats launched last week.
Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson has reportedly interviewed the person to corroborate the original whistleblower’s claims.
According to the NYT
The official has more direct information about the events than the first whistle-blower, whose complaint that Mr. Trump was using his power to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals touched off an impeachment inquiry. The second official is among those interviewed by the intelligence community inspector general to corroborate the allegations of the original whistle-blower, one of the people said.
The inspector general, Michael Atkinson, briefed lawmakers privately on Friday about how he substantiated the whistle-blower’s account. It was not clear whether he told lawmakers that the second official was considering filing a complaint.
A new complaint, particularly from someone closer to the events, would potentially add further credibility to the account of the first whistle-blower, a C.I.A. officer who was detailed to the National Security Council at one point. He said that he relied on information from more than a half-dozen American officials to compile his allegations about Mr. Trump’s campaign to solicit foreign election interference that could benefit him politically.
Other evidence has emerged to back the whistle-blower’s claim. A reconstructed transcript of a July call between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky released by the White House also showed Mr. Trump pressuring Ukraine. Mr. Trump appeared to believe that its release would quell the push for impeachment, but it only emboldened House Democrats.
Because the second official has met with Mr. Atkinson’s office, it was unclear whether he needs to file a complaint to gain the legal protections offered to intelligence community whistle-blowers. Witnesses who speak with inspectors general are protected by federal law that outlaws reprisals against officials who cooperate with an inspector general.
Whistle-blowers have created a new threat for Mr. Trump. Though the White House has stonewalled Democrats in Congress investigating allegations from the special counsel’s report, the president has little similar ability to stymie whistle-blowers from speaking to Congress.
This article was written by the staff of TheConservativeOpinion.com
By CK Heltzel
Source: theconservativeopinion
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