‘Second whistle-blower in Trump scandal comes forward’

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A second whistle-blower has come forward with first-hand knowledge of President Donald Trump’s attempts to get the Ukrainian president to investigate a political rival, lawyers for the official said on Sunday.

Lawyer Mark Zaid said the person, also an intelligence official, has direct knowledge of some of the allegations involving the initial whistle-blower complaint, which triggered impeachment proceedings against the Republican president.

The emergence of a second protected witness complicates efforts by Trump and his Republican supporters to dismiss the complaint as politically motivated hearsay and may strengthen the Democrats’ case against him.

The complaint, filed with the inspector general on August 12, cited information received from half a dozen US officials expressing concern that Trump was using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country as he seeks reelection to a second term in 2020.

It also alleged that Trump leveraged $400 million in aid to secure a promise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate a Democratic rival, former vice president Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

“I can confirm that my firm and my team represent multiple whistle-blowers in connection to the underlying August 12, 2019, disclosure to the Intelligence Community Inspector General,” Andrew Bakaj, a second lawyer, said on Twitter. Bakaj declined further comment.

Zaid said the whistle-blower had spoken with the inspector general as part of an initial examination of the whistle-blower complaint. An interview with the inspector general affords protection against reprisal.

Confirmation of another whistle-blower followed stirrings of discontent within Trump’s own Republican Party after he called on Beijing on Friday to investigate Biden’s son, who had business dealings in China.

Republican US senators Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Susan Collins have expressed concerns about Trump reaching out to foreign countries to help him in his 2020 reelection bid.

However, other Republicans stood firmly in support of Trump on news shows on Sunday, echoing the president’s insistence that there was nothing wrong with his Ukraine call and dismissing his entreaty to China as a joke, even though Trump continues to raise the issue.

Trump has alleged that Hunter profited in his business dealings from his father’s position, although there has been no evidence of any wrongdoing.