A second whistleblower reportedly may file a complaint containing even more details of President Donald Trump’s attempt to strong-arm the Ukrainian president into investigating his 2020 rival Joe Biden.
The New York Times reported on Friday night that the second whistleblower, who has more direct information than the first whistleblower on the scandal, is considering filing a complaint of his own.
Two unnamed sources told the Times that the second whistleblower is also weighing whether to give a testimony to Congress.
Intelligence Inspector General Michael Atkinson reportedly met with the second whistleblower when he was verifying the first whistleblower’s complaint.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly tried to cast doubt on the first whistleblower’s credibility, claiming that he or she only had “second hand information.” However, having first hand information is not required to file a complaint, and Atkinson had found that the complaint was credible when he submitted it to acting Director of National Intelligence Joe Maguire.
Now the Republicans may need to modify their “hearsay” horseshit as they continue to put party over country.
Edited with much thanks to @fasolt
At which point the sound of the dominoes all falling down would be audible even in the Senate.
Of course there will be more whistleblowers. Everyone who talked to the original one and informed him of key details needs their own individual protection, there is no blanket protection for the event.
The irony here is their own disrespect of the IC has actually created a “deep state”. Please proceed.
Dems obviously have a massively strong hard evidence-based legal case for impeachment, on multiple counts–more so if you include other crimes like those having to do with Russia/Mueller, family separation and emoluments, but even just on this one scandal.
The real question at this point is whether they can make the political case for it as well, to the point where a significant majority of Americans support impeachment and even removal, including enough Repubs to make Trump & Repub pols very nervous.
That’s the only way to make removal even remotely possible. If the public’s not overwhelmingly for it, Repubs have no reason to convict. If the public is for it, Repubs will have a really hard choice to make, and that’s precisely where Dems want them to be next year.
Impeachment is NOT merely about doing the right thing, or even removal. Impeachment is also, and I’d argue especially, about doing serious and lasting political damage to Trump and the GOP.