SECOND TRUMP WHISTLE-BLOWER COMES FORWARD: LAWYER
WASHINGTON: The legal team representing a whistle-blower whose complaint had led to the impeachment probe against President Donald Trump said on Sunday that they are now representing a second whistle-blower.
The president, who had questioned the credibility of the first whistle-blower, is yet to respond to reports on the second as he continued to focus his ire on Mitt Romney, one of the few Republicans to criticise him over Ukraine, calling for impeachment of the senator instead.
In a tweet, Trump said he was hearing that people in Utah regretted electing Romney to the Senate in 2018. “I agree! He is a fool who is playing right into the hands of the Do Nothing Democrats! #IMPEACHMITTROMNEY,” Trump wrote.
Attorney Andrew Baka, whose team is representing the first whistle-blower, said on twitter, “I can confirm that my firm and my team represent multiple whistleblowers in connection to the underlying August 12, 2019, disclosure to the Intelligence Community Inspector General. No further comment at this time.”
Mark S Zaid, a member of the team, said in a separate post that the second whistle-blower “has first hand knowledge”. But he added that although the new whistle-blower does possess firsthand “knowledge of certain info, there is NO legal requirement for any (whistle-blower) to have such knowledge. Law only requires a “reasonable belief”.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry (as different from an impeachment proceeding) against Trump on the complaint filed by the first whistle-blower on Trump’s alleged efforts to force Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, who could be the Democratic candidate against Trump in 2020.
Trump continued to attack Biden on Sunday, alleging in a tweet, “The Biden family was paid off, plain and simple.”