Trump whistleblower is reportedly a CIA officer

New information about the whistleblower who filed a complaint alleging abuses of power by President Trump has been revealed by The New York Times.

The anonymous whistleblower whose complaint sparked an official impeachment probe in the House of Representatives is a CIA officer who was once detailed to work at the White House, the Times reports.

The Times writes that while "little else" is known about the whistleblower, the complaint "suggested he was an analyst by training," and his "expertise will likely add to lawmakers' confidence about the merits of his complaint."

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Released publicly Thursday, the declassified complaint alleges Trump pushed for Ukraine's president to interfere in the 2020 presidential election by investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and that the White House then moved to restrict access to the transcript of that call.

The whistleblower's lead counsel slammed the Times for reporting information that might help identify the whistleblower, calling it "deeply concerning and reckless." Dean Baquet, executive editor of the Times, defended the decision in the report, saying the whistleblower's "credibility and his place in the government" is "essential to understanding one of the most important issues facing the country." Read the full report at The New York Times.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.