The courageous actions of whistleblowers at all levels of influence bring things to light that would otherwise remain hidden. Each wrong that a whistleblower exposes can provide an opportunity for businesses or governments to mitigate some of the consequences that could be caused by the wrongdoing, outcomes that have the potential to be widespread and devastating without intervention.
Sometimes, whistleblowers expose threats or concerns to our national security. The House Intelligence Committee just released a declassified document containing a whistleblower complaint against President Trump. The document was released shortly before the director of national intelligence was set to testify regarding that complaint. The complaint, filed by an as yet unidentified whistleblower, alleges that the President of the United States is soliciting interference with the 2020 Presidential election from a foreign country.
In their complaint, the whistleblower claims to have received information from multiple United States officials regarding that solicitation. The information is said to have come to light over the past four months, by more than six officials who conduct official interagency business with the whistleblower. That official business routinely includes the sharing of information that would inform those individuals and equip them to carry out their policymaking duties regarding their areas of responsibility.
The whistleblower speaks to potential concerns about the validity of their complaint by explaining how the pieces of information that were revealed to them were each revealed by multiple sources and corroborate with each other. Some of the information also corroborates with publicly reported information. The whistleblower’s complaint, which they claim they have filed in fulfillment of their duty to report this matter, which they say falls within the definition of an urgent concern as defined by 50 U.S.C. §3033(k)(5)(G). The whistleblower’s complaint also implicates other individuals besides the President in the solicitation efforts, including the President’s personal attorney and the Attorney General of the United States.
Much of the complaint focuses on a July 25th telephone conversation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the individuals who shared their concerns with the whistleblower, President Trump used the majority of the phone call to advance his personal interests. During the conversation, the President is alleged to have pressured Zelensky to investigate the activities of Joe Biden and his son. He also asked Zelensky to provide information about the Russian interference with the D.N.C.’s computer networks in 2016. Trump also asked the Ukrainian President to meet with individuals that he has selected to serve as his envoys. Approximately a dozen government officials listened to the conversation, which is customary procedure for routine calls with foreign leaders, which is what everyone thought that phone call would be.
The content of the President’s July 25th telephone call with Volodymyr Zelensky is just one concern raised by the whistleblower complaint. There are also concerns about the actions of officials in the White House following that conversation. We will explore those concerns in a separate article.
The integrity of the election process in the United States has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. National security is also at risk when the election process is tampered with by foreign countries. The Mississippi Whistleblower Protection Attorneys of Barrett Law PLLC support whistleblowers in their efforts to maintain our nation’s integrity and keep America safe. To learn more about whistleblower protection, call 1 (800) 707-9577 to arrange an initial consultation with the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys of Barrett Law PLLC.