New York Times: Schiff Got Early Account of Accusations as Whistle-Blower’s Concerns Grew
WASHINGTON — The Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, learned about the outlines of a C.I.A. officer’s concerns that President Trump had abused his power days before the officer filed a whistle-blower complaint, according to a spokesman and current and former American officials.
The early account by the future whistle-blower shows how determined he was to make known his allegations that Mr. Trump asked Ukraine’s government to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 election. It also explains how Mr. Schiff knew to press for the complaint when the Trump administration initially blocked lawmakers from seeing it.
The C.I.A. officer approached a House Intelligence Committee aide with his concerns about Mr. Trump only after he had had a colleague first convey them to the C.I.A.’s top lawyer. Concerned about how that initial avenue for airing his allegations through the C.I.A. was unfolding, the officer then approached the House aide. In both cases, the original accusation was vague.
The House staff member, following the committee’s procedures, suggested the officer find a lawyer to advise him and meet with an inspector general, with whom he could file a whistle-blower complaint. The aide shared some of what the officer conveyed to Mr. Schiff. The aide did not share the whistle-blower’s identity with Mr. Schiff, an official said.
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WNU Editor: The optics of this CIA "leaker/whistle-blower" going first to the Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee instead of the designated intelligence authorities are terrible. The optics are also terrible that the Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee waited until only now to disclose their contact with this leaker to their sources in the New York Times. How can one not feel that this was a coordinated operation between Democrats and a partisan CIA leaker, a coordination that has now left the current whistle-blower system's credibility in tatters. After-all, why go through official channels when you've got Adam Schiff?
And it does not stop there. For the entire day I thought about this case, and the more I thought about it the more that I realized that it stinks. This case does not even involve intelligence .... it involves diplomacy. So why is the House Intelligence Committee handling it? Is it to keep the impeachment inquiry behind closed doors, while citing national security on why this must be the case? And as for the complaint. Presidents have a right to diplomatic and secret communication with their foreign allies as a matter of state. What's more, foreign leaders do have a right to expect that these conversations will be private and not on the front page of the New York Times. If not, diplomacy as we know it will be finished.
So why the disclosure now? I think Rep. Adam Shiff's office realized that this story was going to become public anyway. So why not break it to a friendly news network like the New York Times and give it a positive spin. But the damage has already been done. And as for this impeachment inquiry. Need I remind everyone that it is because of this complaint that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated an impeachment inquiry in the first place.
More News On The Anti-Trump Whistle-blower Meeting With House Democrats Before Filing Complaint
Whistleblower spoke to Schiff aides before filing complaint -- AP
Schiff cleans up after saying committee had no contact with whistleblower -- CNN
Schiff Now Says He Should Have Been Much More Clear About Whistleblower Contacting Democrat Staffer -- CNS
Schiff Told MSNBC ‘We Have Not Spoken Directly with the Whistleblower’ after Intel Aide Did Just That -- NRO
Anti-Trump Whistleblower Colluded With House Democrats Before Filing Complaint -- Sean Davis, The Federalist
