A Second Ukraine Call Whistleblower (Allegedly With Firsthand Knowledge Of The Event) Has Stepped Forward
President Donald Trump has consistently belittled and attacked allegations made by a whistleblower with information about a phone call he made with the leader of Ukraine by labeling it as “second-hand” information that shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Experts have decried that notion, the Washington Post reported, saying that the information gathered by the whistleblower isn’t disqualifying simply because the person wasn’t a direct witness to the events. Nevertheless, Trump has sent out myriad tweets against the whistleblower based on that idea.
Ask and ye shall receive.
Rumors swelled over the weekend that a second “Ukraine call” whistleblower was considering stepping forward. Trump dared that person to do so, alleging that their information would also be second-hand.
“The first so-called second hand information ‘Whistleblower’ got my phone conversation almost completely wrong, so now word is they are going to the bench and another ‘Whistleblower’ is coming in from the Deep State, also with second hand info,” Trump wrote.
The first so-called second hand information “Whistleblower” got my phone conversation almost completely wrong, so now word is they are going to the bench and another “Whistleblower” is coming in from the Deep State, also with second hand info. Meet with Shifty. Keep them coming!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2019
Sure enough, the second whistleblower did come forward on Sunday, and according to attorney Mark Zaid (who represents the first, and now also the second whistleblower), their information is not second-hand.
According to ABC News, Zaid said that the second whistleblower has already talked with the intelligence community inspector general (ICIG), but has not yet spoken with any members of various committees in Congress who are looking into the July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenski.
Furthermore, this second individual has first-hand knowledge of some of the allegations made in the original Ukraine whistleblower’s complaint, which was made public late in September.
NEWS UPDATE: I can confirm this report of a second #whistleblower being represented by our legal team. They also made a protected disclosure under the law and cannot be retaliated against. This WBer has first hand knowledge. https://t.co/zYkUYgJ0mE
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) October 6, 2019
Within that complaint, the first whistleblower alleged that “the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election,” per prior reporting from HillReporter.com.
The first whistleblower trusted the information passed onto them because, “in almost all cases, multiple officials recounted fact patterns that were consistent with one another,” they added.
A memo detailing aspects of the phone call — not a true transcript, but outlining basic elements of the conversation — also showcased Trump making requests from Zelensky, including opening an investigation into Biden, as well as searching for a supposedly lost email server from Hillary Clinton that Trump believes to be in Ukraine, a notion that has been found to be an unfounded conspiracy theory (there is also no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden).
It’s likely that this second whistleblower will be asked to provide details to House committees, particularly the House Intelligence Committee, which is spearheading the impeachment inquiry into Trump.