It’s known as the Confrontation Clause; the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution says that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right… to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”
But not for President Trump, according to Rep. Adam Schiff.
Schiff is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Chairman that next week will hold the first public impeachment inquiry hearings. He has denied Republicans’ request to call the whistleblower that helped kick off the inquiry, saying his or her testimony was “redundant and unnecessary.”
“The committee … will not facilitate efforts by President Trump and his allies in Congress to threaten, intimidate and retaliate against the whistleblower who courageously raised the initial alarm,” Schiff said in a letter to Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (D-CA). “… The whistleblower has a right under laws championed by this committee to remain anonymous and to be protected from harm.”
The intelligence community whistleblower — whose name has been circulating for weeks in Washington — filed an anonymous complaint about a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky. The whistleblower claimed Trump demanded a quid pro quo: either investigate the business dealings in Ukraine of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, or give up nearly $400 million in U.S. aid.
His or her testimony would likely be crucial in any hearing, but Schiff said in his letter that there is no need to call the whistleblower. – READ MORE