20 September 2019

The Plot Thickens and Thicken

In the two days since I wrote about the intelligence whistleblower controversy, it has now blown up into a full-bore scandal.

That resulted after the Washington Post broke the story late Wednesday (link here) that the whistleblower report did identify Donald Trump as the problem.

"Trump’s interaction with [a] foreign leader included a 'promise' that was regarded as so troubling that it prompted an official in the U.S. intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint with the inspector general."

Based on Trump's call and meeting logs, the foreign leader is very likely one of the following: Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean dictator Kim Jong, the prime minister of Pakistan, the prime minister of the Netherlands, and the emir of Qatar.

The New York Times added to the story with their own reporting (link here) that the complaint involved multiple acts by Trump.

As of this writing, that's all we know about the report itself. More important: both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence are blocking both the whistleblower and the inspector general from testifying about its substance.

After initially refusing to appear, the Director of National Intelligence has agreed to testify before Congress next week. It's a safe bet he'll refuse to say anything about the report and will strive to keep it hidden.

This is a developing story, so keep your eyes on the headlines for the latest updates.

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