We Watched The Whistleblower Hearing So You Don’t Have To: Here’s What We Learned Editors’ Blog – Talking Points Memo / by Nicole Lafond

We Watched The Whistleblower Hearing So You Don’t Have To: Here’s What We Learned

Editors’ Blog – Talking Points Memo / by Nicole Lafond / 56min

On top of joking that he wouldn’t have taken the job as acting director of national intelligence had he known ahead of time what he’d have to deal with, Joseph Maguire revealed a bit of news during his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday.

There are still plenty of lingering questions about the whistleblower complaint and how the White House went about concealing the complaint and other records of Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president — but here’s what we learned from Maguire’s congressional appearance:

Maguire’s first move: Upon first receiving the complaint, the acting DNI’s first move was to take the matter to the White House for advice, a decision heavily criticized by panel Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA). During that initial discussion about the complaint, White House officials told him the complaint was subject to executive privilege and couldn’t be shared with Congress. Maguire said he was able to hand it over after the White House released a memo on the call between Trump and the Ukrainian president.

Acting DNI acknowledges his actions were unprecedented: During an exchange with Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) Maguire admitted this was the first time a whistleblower complaint had been withheld from Congress, adding that his own action, to bring it to the White House before the Justice Department, “might be” unprecedented as well.

Intelligence community inspector general thinks he can’t probe Trump: Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community inspector general who initially made Congress aware of the complaint, apparently believes he does not have the jurisdiction to investigate President Trump. Schiff revealed on Thursday that Atkinson told the committee that he determined he could not investigate Trump due to the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion, which concluded that the President is not part of the intelligence community, and therefore not under Atkinson’s jurisdiction.

Since the explosive hearing ended early Thursday afternoon, we’ve also learned that President Trump told a private group gathered  in New York that the source for the whistleblower’s complaint was akin to a “spy,” and he suggested that that person should be executed. The New York Times reported later Thursday afternoon on the identity of the whistleblower: a CIA officer who was previously detailed to the White House.

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