President Donald Trump said the whistleblower report is a scam, after reading reports that the whistleblower has a past relationship with one of the Democratic presidential contenders vying for the nomination to oppose Trump.
According to multiple reports, the person who filed the complaint, who has not been named, had a professional relationship with a 2020 contender.
Trump reacted to one of the reports, published by the Washington Examiner, late Tuesday.
“Wow, Just Breaking: ‘The (big deal) Whistleblower had a ‘PROFESSIONAL TIE’ to 2020 Democratic Candidate,'” he wrote on Twitter. “In other words, was working with someone who was potentially running against me. Why wasn’t this reported by the ICIG? A Witch Hunt Scam!”
He added on Wednesday: “The Whistleblower’s facts have been so incorrect about my ‘no pressure’ conversation with the Ukrainian President, and now the conflict of interest and involvement with a Democrat Candidate, that he or she should be exposed and questioned properly.”
This is no Whistleblower…..” he continued. “The Whistleblower’s lawyer is a big Democrat. The Whistleblower has ties to one of my DEMOCRAT OPPONENTS. Why does the ICIG allow this scam to continue?”
Wow, Just Breaking: “The (big deal) Whistleblower had a ‘PROFESSIONAL TIE’ to 2020 Democratic Candidate.” Washington Examiner, @ByronYork In other words, was working with someone who was potentially running against me. Why wasn’t this reported by the ICIG? A Witch Hunt Scam!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019
The Whistleblower’s facts have been so incorrect about my “no pressure” conversation with the Ukrainian President, and now the conflict of interest and involvement with a Democrat Candidate, that he or she should be exposed and questioned properly. This is no Whistleblower…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019
…..The Whistleblower’s lawyer is a big Democrat. The Whistleblower has ties to one of my DEMOCRAT OPPONENTS. Why does the ICIG allow this scam to continue?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2019
Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, said in a memo to Joseph Maguire, acting director of national intelligence, that his office found in a review of the whistleblower complaint “some indicia of an arguable political bias on the part of the Complainant in favor of a rival political candidate.”
The “rival political candidate” was not named and Atkinson still found that the allegations appeared credible.
Atkinson reportedly told members of the House in a closed testimony session that the indications included the professional relationship with a Democratic presidential contender.
The testimony has not been released to the public as of yet.
12/I understand @jaketapper at @CNN reported my client’s pol bias, as stated in @ODNIgov IG memo, was nothing more than #whistleblower registered Democrat. We won’t comment on identifying info but if true, give me a break! Bias? Seriously? Most ppl are.https://t.co/d3ZNeOK9n0
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) October 3, 2019
Mark Zaid, one of the attorneys representing the whistleblower, has scoffed at claims his client is biased.
After CNN reported, citing an anonymous source, that the indications of bias were solely that the whistleblower is a registered Democrat, Zaid shared the story and wrote, “We won’t comment on identifying info but if true, give me a break! Bias? Seriously? Most ppl are.”
Zaid has also repeatedly trumpeted that he has represented both liberal and conservative clients, including MSNBC and the Daily Caller.
