A second whistleblower with more direct knowledge of President Donald Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is contemplating filing a formal complaint, the New York Times reported. Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson is said to have interviewed this second person who corroborated the first whistleblower's allegations.
It's unclear whether or not the second person needs to file a formal complaint in order to obtain whistleblower protections. According to the Times, those who meet with the inspector general "are protected by federal law that outlaws reprisals against officials who cooperate with an inspector general."
The first whistleblower is a registered Democrat and member of the CIA who had no direct knowledge of President Trump's call with Zelensky. Instead, his complaint was based off of second and third-hand information.
According to Atkinson, it was obvious the first whistleblower had a political bias against Trump and preferred a different presidential candidate. Still, Atkinson believed the complaint was credible. The second person may bolster the first whistleblower's credibility.
Democrats used Trump's call with Zelensky to launch an impeachment inquiry. They claim Trump threatened to withhold military aid if Zelensky failed to investigate Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Hunter sat on the board of directors of a Ukrainian gas company, despite having no experience in natural energy. The company was paying Hunter $50,000 a month while veep Biden handled international relations with Ukraine.
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