On Wednesday, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff insisted that he did not know the identity of the so-called “whistleblower” who filed the original complaint about President Donald Trump that led to the impeachment trial.
‘I don’t know who the whistleblower is’
“First of all, I don’t know who the whistleblower is, I haven’t met them or communicated with them in any way,” Schiff said Wednesday during the Senate impeachment trial.
What Schiff failed to mention was that the “whistleblower” approached a House Intelligence Committee aide with supposed details about Trump’s phone call with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
How is it that EVERY SINGLE reporter and political operative in Washington, DC knows who the "whistleblower" is, yet Adam Schiff claims he doesn't?
The pencil neck geek has no credibility #FullOfSchiff https://t.co/3LOoGUZAWA
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) January 29, 2020
The New York Times reported that a Schiff committee staffer told the “whistleblower” to meet with the inspector general and file a whistleblower complaint.
Schiff Denies His Staff Did Anything to Help Whistleblower
Yet Schiff is still denying that any member of his staff did anything to help the “whistleblower.”
“The committee staff did not write the complaint or coach the whistleblower what to put in the complaint,” Schiff said.
Schiff condemned what he called a “conspiracy theory” that someone on his committee staff allegedly “colluded” with the whistleblower to craft a complaint that launched the impeachment investigation.
A spokesman for Schiff told the NYT that the whistleblower, “contacted the committee for guidance on how to report possible wrongdoing within the jurisdiction of the intelligence community.”
Schiff said his staff has shown “complete professionalism,” adding that members of his staff had become subject to threats on social media thanks to “smears” committed by President Trump and his allies.
Schiff Vowed Not to Reveal Identity
Schiff vowed he would not do anything to reveal or endanger the identity of the “whistleblower” as the trial continues.
Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York accused Schiff on Twitter of lying about the “whistleblower.”
“Stunning that Adam Schiff lies to millions of Americans when he says he doesn’t know the identity of the whistleblower,” she wrote. “He absolutely knows the identity of the whistleblower because he coordinated with the individual before the whistleblower’s complaint! His staff helped write it!”
Stunning that Adam Schiff lies to millions of Americans when he says he doesn’t know the identity of the whistleblower.
He absolutely knows the identity of the whistleblower b/c he coordinated with the individual before the whistleblower’s complaint! His staff helped write it!
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 29, 2020
RELATED: ‘This Ain’t Over’: Doug Collins Challenges Schiff To Testify About Whistleblower
Many Republicans have called for the “whistleblower” to testify as part of the impeachment process, with Schiff repeatedly refusing at each turn.
On Wednesday, Schiff told the Senate that the “whistleblower” testifying was no longer relevant because President Trump released the transcript of the call.
“There’s no need for that whistleblower any more except to further endanger that person’s life,” Schiff said.