The testimony of National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman grew tense Tuesday under questioning from Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. — as the impeachment hearing witness eventually scolded the top intelligence committee Republican for not addressing him by his military title.
The moment came amid a back-and-forth over the identity of the anonymous whistleblower whose complaint about President Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky led to the impeachment proceedings.
“Mr. Vindman, you testified in your deposition that you did not know the whistleblower,” Nunes stated.
“Ranking member, it’s Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, please,” the witness responded.
Nunes corrected himself and repeated the statement, which followed questions regarding who Vindman had spoken with about Trump’s phone call. More than once, Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., interjected to advise Vindman that the purpose of the hearing was not to expose the identity of the whistleblower, who is afforded legal protection.
Vindman did say he spoke to two individuals regarding a readout of the call, and that both were government employees with a need to know. Nunes asked which agencies they were with, to which Vindman said he spoke to State Department official George Kent, and “an individual in the intelligence community.” –READ MORE