Donald Trump Jr. Tweets Possible Identity of White House Whistleblower

By Nolan Hicks, New York Post

08 November 19

resident Trump’s son on Wednesday sent a tweet that contained the purported name of the anonymous government whistleblower who set off the investigation into whether the White House attempted to strong-arm Ukrainian officials into probing a political rival of the commander in chief.

Donald Trump Jr.’s post followed the president himself asking news outlets to expose the identity of the CIA analyst who filed the complaint, as reports of the whistleblower’s possible identity ­circulate online.

Trump Jr.’s tweet linked to a news article published by Breitbart — once run by former top Trump adviser Steve Bannon — that implied the whistleblower was pro-Democrat and anti-Trump.

“There is no Whistleblower,” the president claimed Monday on Twitter. “There is someone with an agenda against Donald Trump.”

Yashar Ali — a contributing writer at The Huffington Post and New York magazine — also posted on Twitter that three sources confirmed the name, but he later deleted the message.

The Post could not independently verify the person’s identity.

Andrew Bakaj, the whistleblower’s lawyer, would not confirm or deny the reported name, but said Trump Jr. and others were endangering the person as well as the system built to protect whistleblowers.

“Identifying any name for the whistleblower will simply place that individual and their family at risk,” Bakaj told Agence France-Presse.

News Web site RealClearInvestigations first reported the circulating name and claimed the whistleblower’s identity is an open secret among ­Washington circles.

The New York Times first detailed the whistleblower biography, reporting that the person is a CIA officer once detailed to the White House who possessed extensive knowledge of Ukrainian politics.

Trump and Sen. Rand Paul pressed news organizations to report the agent’s name at a political rally Monday in Kentucky.

“We also now know the name of the whistleblower,” the Kentucky Republican told the crowd and the reporters gathered in back. “I say tonight to the media, do your job and print his name.”

Democrats and some Republicans — including the GOP’s most senior senator, Iowa’s Charles Grassley, a staunch advocate for whistleblowers — have pushed back, citing worries that the threat of exposure would discourage future whistleblowers from exposing potential wrongdoing and hurt congressional oversight efforts for years to come.

“This person’s life could be in danger, and I think they know that. And I think that’s not responsible,” said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine).

Trump and Paul’s remarks ignited another political firestorm as the White House battles near-daily revelations that Trump and his close allies held up defense aid desperately needed by Ukraine to pressure the country’s leaders into probing Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.

Ukrainian officials have said there is no evidence of illegal activity by the Biden family.

The quid-pro-quo allegations sit at the heart of the whistleblower’s complaint and led Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch an impeachment inquiry.

That probe is where current and former Trump administration officials have delivered damning testimony.

Both the inspector general from the intelligence community and the acting director of national intelligence said the whistleblower followed proper procedures and acted in good faith.

Trump’s push to reveal the CIA officer’s identity would not violate any laws, experts said.

Laws protect the whistleblower from workplace retaliation, but revealing the identity would not be illegal unless the person is undercover. However, those exposing the name could open themselves up to liability for any negative consequences for the whistleblower.

“If Trump thinks he knows the name, he can come out and say it, and he’s probably as protected as anyone is,” Robert Litt, a former top lawyer for the Director of National Intelligence, told National Public Radio.