Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 20 September 2019
House chairman: Whistleblower complaint may involve Trump

By MARY CLARE JALONICK from the administration to
and LISA MASCARO withhold information from
Associated Press Congress.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- Trump named Maguire, a
dent Donald Trump's direc- former Navy official, as act-
tor of national intelligence ing intelligence director in
is refusing to turn over to August, after the depar-
Congress a whistleblower ture of Director Dan Coats
complaint that reportedly who often clashed with the
concerns Trump making president, and the retire-
an unspecified promise to ment of Sue Gordon, a ca-
a foreign leader. It's a mat- reer professional in the No.
ter of urgent concern, the 2 position.
intelligence community's Maguire has refused to
inspector general said. discuss details but he has
Trump, though giving no been subpoenaed by the
details about any incident, panel and is expected to
denied on Thursday that he testify publicly about the
would ever "say something whistleblower complaint
inappropriate" on such a next Thursday. Both Magu-
call. ire and Atkins are also ex-
The committee chairman, pected next week at the
California Democrat Adam House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks to reporters after the panel Senate Intelligence Com-
met behind closed doors with national intelligence inspector general Michael Atkinson about a
Schiff, said he could not whistleblower complaint, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. mittee.
confirm whether the report Associated Press House lawmakers on the in-
from The Washington Post telligence panel appeared
was accurate because the vent this information from complaint to Congress. It's nity's inspector general, Mi- frustrated as they left the
administration was claim- getting to Congress," Schiff unclear if the White House chael Atkinson, appeared closed session.
ing privilege in withholding said, describing it as an un- was also involved, he said. behind closed doors Thurs- "There's a lot more we have
the complaint. But letters precedented departure Because the director is day but declined to tell the to learn," said Rep. Mike
from the intelligence com- from law. claiming privileged infor- panel the substance of the Quigley, D-Ill.
munity's inspector general Schiff said the acting direc- mation, Schiff said he be- complaint. In calling the inspector
to the committee released tor of national intelligence, lieves the whistleblower's The chairman said he general to testify, Schiff said
Thursday said it was an "ur- Joseph Maguire, in a further complaint "likely involves would go to court, if nec- Atkinson determined the
gent" matter of "serious or departure from standard the president or people essary, to try to force the whistleblower complaint
flagrant abuse" that must procedure, consulted with around him." administration to turn over was "credible and urgent"
be shared with lawmakers. the Justice Department, in Schiff spoke to reporters af- the information in the com- and should be "transmitted
"There is an effort to pre- deciding not to transmit the ter the intelligence commu- plaint. to Congress."
The Washington Post re- Atkinson wrote in letters
ported the complaint in- the committee chairman
volves an intelligence offi- released Thursday that he
cial's allegation that Trump and Maguire had hit an
made the promise to an "impasse" over the acting
unidentified foreign leader director's decision not to
in a telephone call. The share the complaint with
Post cited two anonymous Congress.
former U.S. officials. While Atkinson wrote that
The Associated Press has he believed Maguire's po-
not confirmed the report. sition was in "good faith" it
Trump dismissed it all. did not appear to be con-
"Another Fake News story sistent with past practice.
out there - It never ends!" Atkinson said he was told
Trump tweeted. "Virtually by the legal counsel for the
anytime I speak on the director of national intelli-
phone to a foreign leader, I gence that the complaint
understand that there may did not meet the definition
be many people listening of an "urgent concern." He
from various U.S. agencies, said the Justice Depart-
not to mention those from ment said it did not fall un-
the other country itself. No der the intelligence direc-
problem!" tor's jurisdiction because
He asked: "Is anybody it did not involve an intelli-
dumb enough to believe gence professional.
that I would say something Atkinson said he disagreed
inappropriate with a for- with the Justice Depart-
eign leader while on such ment's view. The complaint
a potentially 'heavily popu- "not only falls under DNI's
lated' call." jurisdiction," Atkinson wrote,
But the situation raised "but relates to one of the
Democrats' concerns that most significant and impor-
the intelligence community tant of DNI's responsibilities
might be under pressure to the American people."q