President Trump admits he wants to know identity of whistleblower
Whistleblower's attorney expresses concern for client's safety; Kristin Fisher has the details.
Congressional lawmakers who want to hear from the Ukraine call whistleblower are looking at the possibility of conducting a secret session away from the U.S. Capitol complex, Fox News has learned.
Talk of such a meeting comes amid concerns about protecting the identity of the whistleblower, along with worries over safety and media scrutiny.
TRUMP PRESSES FOR DETAILS ON WHISTLEBLOWER’S IDENTITY
Fox News is told nothing is nailed down, but lawmakers hope to have a meeting of some sort next week.
“Bringing someone up here [to Capitol Hill] is tough,” said one congressional source who asked to not be identified.
It’s unclear where lawmakers could hold such a forum with the whistleblower. A secure facility exists on Capitol Hill, as well as in various quarters of government – ranging from the Department of Justice to the intelligence community.
Democrats formally launched an impeachment inquiry last week after the anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint about President Trump pressing Ukrainian officials this summer to investigate 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business activities in Ukraine.
REPUBLICANS WANT WHISTLEBLOWER'S SOURCES, AS INCONSISTENCIES IN COMPLAINT EMERGE
Trump has pushed for information on the identity of the Ukraine whistleblower. In tweets Tuesday, the president asked, “why aren’t we entitled to interview & learn everything about the Whistleblower, and also the person who gave all of the false information to him.”
Lawyers for the whistleblower have expressed concern over the individual’s safety.
In a Sept. 28 letter to acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, the legal team wrote: “The purpose of this letter is to formally notify you of serious concerns we have regarding our client’s personal safety. We appreciate your office’s support thus far to activate appropriate resources to ensure their safety.”
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Should such an off-campus meeting take place, Fox News has learned there is some concern that lawmakers who become privy to the identity of the whistleblower might leak the name. However, those who serve on the intelligence committees typically take their roles very seriously and keep a close hold on sensitive information related to those duties.
Fox News’ Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
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