Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has gone out of his way to protect the identity of the so-called “whistleblower” whose complaint sparked the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Schiff’s desperate efforts may be for naught, however. Judicial Watch has filed lawsuits to obtain the “whistleblower’s” communications, a move that may also expose Schiff’s suspected role in launching the inquiry.
Judicial Watch suit
Judicial Watch is seeking communications from CIA analyst Eric Ciaramella from both the DOJ and the CIA, noting that Ciaramella has been “widely reported” to be the so-called “whistleblower.”
While the “whistleblower’s” identity has yet to be officially confirmed, any mention of that name has drawn an over-the-top outraged reaction from Schiff, his fellow Democrats, and his allies in the establishment and social media realms — a reaction that seems even more convincing than an official confirmation would be.
Conservatives have questioned why Schiff would so fervently oppose the naming of the “whistleblower,” particularly if he did such a noble thing in filing a formal complaint against the president that launched the current and ongoing impeachment saga? Could it be because Schiff’s office secretly coordinated with the “whistleblower” ahead of the formal filing of the complaint?
What we know
In an op-ed for the New York Post, Betsey McCaughey notes that Schiff hired a new staff member, Sean Misko, just one day after Trump’s July 25 call to the Ukrainian president. Misko was a close friend and co-worker of Ciaramella at the National Security Agency in the White House.
Before filing the complaint in August, it is known that the “whistleblower” sought “guidance” on how to do so from Schiff’s office — contact that Schiff initially denied only to later admit as much when called out over it.
Making matters a bit more suspicious for Schiff, McCaughey writes, is that of the closed-door hearings that he oversaw as part of the impeachment inquiry, the only one that has yet to have a transcript be publicly released is that of Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson.
Atkinson was the initial recipient of the complaint and made the decision to forward it to Congress even though the claims in it were admittedly hearsay. His testimony likely contains key information about the so-called “whistleblower,” McCaughey says.
Accountability
Judicial Watch says there is “significant public interest” in the actions and identity of the “whistleblower.”
“He was involved in the Russia collusion investigation, and he was a key CIA operative on Ukraine in the both the Obama and Trump White Houses. Our lawsuits are designed to break through the unprecedented cover-up of his activities,” Judicial Watch announced.
Earlier in December, Judicial Watch also sued Schiff and the House Intelligence Committee over the release of phone records involving Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) and journalist John Solomon. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said:
Schiff and his Committee ran roughshod over the rule of law in pursuit of the abusive impeachment of President Trump. This lawsuit serves as a reminder that Congressman Schiff and Congress are not above the law.
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