BREAKING: Whistleblower Identified by NY Times as a CIA Officer Detailed to WH

WashingtonTimes reports The whistleblower who filed a complaint alleging President Trump improperly leveraged military aid to encourage Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, is a Central Intelligence Agency officer, the New York Times reported Thursday.

The officer was detailed at the White House but has since returned to the CIA. His complaint became public earlier on Thursday, and it revealed, if accurate, that the White House officials “had intervened to ‘lock down’ all records of the phone call, especially the word-for-word transcript of the call.”

Some are criticizing the NY Times and claiming they are putting the whistleblower “at risk.”

The New York Times just revealed details about the whistleblower moments after Trump is making veiled threats. Not only is the paper unethical, it's a national security risk.

— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) September 26, 2019

Per NBC reporter Geoff Bennett “Whistle blower atty. Mark S. Zaid responds: “Publishing details about the whistleblower will only lead to identification of someone, whether our client or the wrong person, as the whistleblower. This will place this individual in a much more dangerous situation””

Whistle blower atty. Mark S. Zaid responds: "Publishing details about the whistleblower will only lead to identification of someone, whether our client or the wrong person, as the whistleblower. This will place this individual in a much more dangerous situation" https://t.co/NMCVZnTXZz

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) September 26, 2019

The NYTimes reports, the man has since returned to the C.I.A., the people said. Little else is known about him. His complaint made public Thursday suggested he was an analyst by training and made clear he was steeped in details of American foreign policy toward Europe, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of Ukrainian politics and at least some knowledge of the law.

The whistle-blower’s expertise will likely add to lawmakers’ confidence about the merits of his complaint, and tamp down allegations that he might have misunderstood what he learned about Mr. Trump. He did not listen directly to a July call between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that is at the center of the political firestorm over the president’s mixing of diplomacy with personal political gain.

Lawyers for the whistle-blower refused to confirm that he worked for the C.I.A. and said that publishing information about him was dangerous.

“Any decision to report any perceived identifying information of the whistle-blower is deeply concerning and reckless, as it can place the individual in harm’s way,” said Andrew Bakaj, his lead counsel. “The whistle-blower has a right to anonymity.”

A C.I.A. spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, said that protecting the whistle-blower was his office’s highest priority. “We must protect those who demonstrate the courage to report alleged wrongdoing, whether on the battlefield or in the workplace,” Mr. Maguire said at a hearing on Thursday, adding that he did not know the whistle-blower’s identity.

Dean Baquet, the executive editor of The New York Times, said The Times was right to publish information about the whistle-blower. “The role of the whistle-blower, including his credibility and his place in the government, is essential to understanding one of the most important issues facing the country — whether the president of the United States abused power and whether the White House covered it up.”

Agents, officers and analysts from the military, intelligence and law enforcement communities routinely work at the White House. Often, they work on the National Security Council or help manage secure communications, like calls between the president and foreign leaders.

You can read more here.