Taking depositions behind closed doors, 59-year-old House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schif (D-Calif.) refuses to divulge the name of the so-called “whistleblower.” One month ago Sept. 24, Schiff announced the presence of an intel official who came forward to blow the whistle on 73-year-old President Donald Trump for trying to extort 40-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his 50-year-old son, Hunter. Schiff claims that the whistleblower corroborates other testimony that Trump withheld military aid until Zelensky delivered dirt on the Bidens. Trump released a transcript of the July 25 phone call showing that he did, indeed, ask the Ukrainian president for information on the Bidens but more specifically on Hunter. Trump was trying to find out how Hunter landed a lucrative job on Burisma Holding’s board.
Democrats have interviewed numerous cooperating witnesses claiming Trump withheld millions in military aid in exchange for information on Hunter. Trump wanted to know how Hunter made over $100,000 a month on Burima’s board while his father Joe, was former President Barack Obama’s Vice President. Democrats insist that Trump tried to sabotage Joe’s campaign for president, violating federal election laws, committing an impeachable offense. But as Democrats have conceded, Trump was more interested in Hunter Biden, than Joe. Hunter admitted Oct. 15 on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that it was probably not the best decision to work for Burisma’s board, even though it was “perfectly legal.” Joe was commissioned by Obama in 2014 to investigate Ukrainian corruption when he landed Hunter the lucrative job. Schiff claims the “whistleblower’s” identity must remain confidential
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, including, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tx.), stormed the deposition room to make a point about the backroom deal. All wanted to know the identity of the “anonymous intelligence community employee whose complaint initiated the so-called impeachment inquiry,” said the three GOP Congressmen, concerned that the whistleblower held a undeniable anti-Trump bias. GOP members of the House intelligence, Oversight and Judiciary Committees want to cross-examine the whistleblower, something that hasn’t happened yet. Schiff’s running the intel committee like a grand jury, collecting testimony and depositions to back up his impeachment claim. Schiff hasn’t revealed the whistleblower’s name, claiming he’s protecting his-or-her’s identity, something questioned by GOP lawmakers.
GOP lawmakers believe Schiff was involved in drafting the whistleblower complaint, may have even written it himself. While the GOP has no proof, what they do know is that Schiff lied about having no contact with the whistleblower back in July, claiming he only read the complain Sept. 25. Schiff admitted he had contact with the whistleblower back in July. “As the so-called impeachment inquiry gathers information that contradicts the employee’s allegations, we ask that you arrange for the Committees to receive public testimony from the employee and all individuals he or she relied upon in formulating the complaint,” asked McCaul. When Schiff changed his tune admitting he mistakenly said he had no contact with the whistleblower in July, he raised unavoidable doubts about the allegations. Some GOP members think Schiff helped concoct the whistleblower complaint.
Speaking for the Senate Intelligence Committee, 63-year-old Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) wants the whistleblower to testify before his committee. Attempts to contact the whistleblower or his attorney Mark Zaid have failed according to Burr. Burr wants to submit the whistleblowr and key witnesses to cross-examination, asking questions so far not answered. “They [the House Intelligence Committee] haven’t been specific as to their reason,” Zaid said. Burr wants to show “how to put into context the whisleblower’s claim.” Burr wants to know how much help the whistleblower got from Schiff writing the complaint. Democrats seem content to build their impeachment case cherry picking witnesses for testimony, without allowing Republicans to cross-examine them. As most legal experts know, even the best witnesses fall apart on cross-examination, something integral to criminal trials.
House Democrats can’t have it both ways: Claim the closed-door hearing are comparable to a grand jury, while, at the same time, refusing to open up the doors for the public to see. Burr said his committee is focused on defining what constitutes a whistleblower, given that any spy can hide behind the whistleblower statute. Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden stole government-classified documents in 2013, fleeing to Hong Kong, then Moscow to escape Justice Department charges for violating the 1913 Espionage Act. Burr wants to know the whether the whistleblower followed the rules, including the 14-day mandated process. “We are talking to the individuals that are individuals involved in the process,” Burr said, including Intel Community Inspector General [IG] Michael Atkinson, who hinted the whistleblower could be partisan.
