Nearly 100 former national security officials are publicly calling on the U.S. government and the media to help keep the identity of the whistleblower at the heart of Democrats’ impeachment inquiry anonymous.
In a letter signed by ex-officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations, including President Trump’s, the group urged caution and outlined the whistleblower’s rights.
“A responsible whistleblower makes all Americans safer by ensuring that serious wrongdoing can be investigated and addressed, thus advancing the cause of national security to which we have devoted our careers. What’s more, being a responsible whistleblower means that, by law, one is protected from certain egregious forms of retaliation,” they wrote. Whatever one’s view of the matters discussed in the whistleblower’s complaint, all Americans should be united in demanding that all branches of our government and all outlets of our media protect this whistleblower and his or her identity. Simply put, he or she has done what our law demands; now he or she deserves our protection.”
The group included former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. The letter comes on the heels of news that a second whistleblower has come forward with first-hand information concerning President Trump. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress, argued over the weekend that the whistleblowers should be forced to publicly testify as part of the impeachment inquiry.
