The whistleblower who levied explosive claims about President Trump’s interactions with Ukraine is a CIA officer who was detailed to the White House.
The New York Times first reported the man, who has a sophisticated understanding of politics in Europe and Ukraine, has returned to the agency based in Langley, Virginia.
Mr. Trump and his GOP defenders have attempted to discredit the whistleblower, saying the complaint is based on “secondhand” information and another “Democratic scam.”
The complaint, released Thursday, says White House officials were so concerned about Mr. Trump’s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president, in which Mr. Trump brought up former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, that they moved details of the call to a computer system for sensitive information.
The Times report suggests the whistleblower had the type of background that would equip him to understand the complex interplay between agencies and what was at stake in the call or other actions by people in Mr. Trump’s orbit.
Attorneys for the whistleblower criticized the paper’s decision to publicize details about their client as “reckless,” though Dean Banquet, the Times’ executive editor, defended the decision.
“The role of the whistle-blower, including his credibility and his place in the government, is essential to understanding one of the most important issues facing the country — whether the president of the United States abused power and whether the White House covered it up,” he said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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