During the third day of open hearings in the impeachment inquiry, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) claimed that the whistleblower, whose complaint sparked the probe, has a “statutory right” to remain anonymous.
Schiff interrupted ranking member Devin Nunes’ (R-Calif.) line of questioning of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to suggest that the whistleblower has a “statutory right” to keep their identity a secret.
“The whistleblower has the right, a statutory right, to anonymity. These proceedings will not be used to out the whistleblower.”
.@repdevinnunes: “Mr. Vindman, you testified in your deposition that you did not know the whistleblower. ”
Lt. Col. Alex Vindman: “Ranking Member, it’s Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, please.”
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— CSPAN (@cspan) November 19, 2019
The Washington Post’s fact-checker looked into Schiff’s claim and gave him “Three Pinocchios.”
“It’s not a right spelled out in any statute. But national security experts warn that disclosing the whistleblower’s identity could expose him to danger and retribution, and chill whistleblowing in general.” – READ MORE