The formal whistleblower complaint by a U.S. official that Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire has refused to turn over to Congress was reportedly sparked by an alarming “promise” President Donald Trump made to a foreign leader in recent weeks.
The Washington Post, citing two anonymous former U.S. officials familiar with the matter, reported late Wednesday that Trump’s promise “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 for the intelligence community.”
“It was not immediately clear which foreign leader Trump was speaking with or what he pledged to deliver, but his direct involvement in the matter has not been previously disclosed,” according to the Post. “It raises new questions about the president’s handling of sensitive information and may further strain his relationship with U.S. spy agencies. One former official said the communication was a phone call.”
Though it revealed for the first time the president’s direct involvement in the whisteblower complaint that has sparked frenzied speculation and public scrutiny by members of Congress, the Post‘s bombshell story may have raised more questions than it answered.
Warning that Trump will likely attempt to distract from the whistleblower story “with his usual theatrics and tweets,” New York Times contributor Wajahat Ali asked on Twitter: “What was the alleged ‘promise’ Trump made? Who did he make it to? What was the agreement? How come the WH and DOJ [have] interfered in this process?”
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