Mark Zaid, the attorney for the whistleblower who called into question President Donald Trump's July 25th call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said their legal team is prepared to answer written questions Republicans have.
According to the attorney, the legal team has reached out to House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) to provide answers to any questions Republicans may have.
Zaid explained his team's efforts in a Twitter thread:
WBer NEWS ALERT:
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
1/Our legal team offered GOP direct opportunity to ask written questions of #whistleblower.
Recent GOP messaging, led by President Trump (incl this morning), has been to highlight original #WBer & demand disclosure of identity.
2/Despite long standing policy of HPSCI to protect #whistleblowers, especially anonymity (btw, this was consistent with my efforts w/GOP on #Benghazi), GOP has sought to expose our client's identity which could jeopardize their safety, as well as that of their family.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
3/We have directly engaged GOP as to the irrelevance of the whistleblower's information and identity (including addressing any issue of bias), but with little effect in halting the attacks. Btw, countless OIG complaints are filed anonymously & full of hearsay. It's common.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
4/We offered HPSCI (& SSCI), both Majority & Minority, to have #whistleblower answer questions in writing, under oath & penalty of perjury. Obviously, per House rules GOP is beholden to DEMs.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
We, however, are not.
5/Being a whistleblower is not a partisan job nor is impeachment an objective. That is not our role.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
6/So we have offered to @DevinNunes, Ranking HPSCI Member, opportunity for Minority to submit through legal team written questions to WBer. Qs cannot seek identifying info, regarding which we will not provide, or otherwise be inappropriate. We will ensure timely answers.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
END/We stand ready to cooperate and ensure facts - rather than partisanship - dictates any process involving the #whistleblower.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 3, 2019
President Trump and a handful of Republicans have wanted to know the identity of the whistleblower because his account, which he received second and third-hand, is vastly different from the transcript the White House released last month.
The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2019
Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!