The explosive whistleblower complaint at the center of Democrats’ impeachment inquiry raises concerns about more than just an apparent “promise” President Trump made during a call with the president of Ukraine in July, The New York Times reported.
According to two people briefed on the complaint who spoke to the Times, the document also raises concerns about how the White House handled its records of the call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The whistleblower reportedly points out several White House officials who observed Trump’s behavior and could help corroborate the points made in the grievances outlined in the complaint, according to the Times.
The document was finally delivered to Congress on Wednesday. Several Democratic lawmakers have called for the complaint to be made public. The complaint reportedly centers on Trump’s call with Zelensky in which he reportedly pressured the Ukrainian president into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, believed to be one of Trump’s top political rivals.
Both Trump and Zelensky denied that Zelensky was pressured and the White House released its version of the call on Wednesday. In the memo, Trump asked Zelensky for a “favor” when the Ukrainian president broached the topic of military defense weapons. He also repeatedly asked Zelensky to work with the U.S. attorney general to look into Biden and help discredit special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
