Two lawyers representing the U.S. intelligence agency whistleblower, who accused Donald Trump of pressuring Ukraine to investigate 2020 Democratic front-runner Joe Biden, have been virulent critics of the president.
Andrew Bakaj, a former CIA officer heading the legal representation of the whistleblower through his Compass Rose Legal Group, previously worked for the Defense Department, the State Department, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bakaj was joined by Mark Zaid, the founder of Whistleblowers Aid and a Freedom of Information Act expert currently battling the Justice Department for more access to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act documents related to former Trump campaign associate Carter Page. Neither is commenting to the media, but both Bakaj and Zaid have harshly criticized Trump in the past.
Bakaj, recently found to have been the subject of an improper “retaliatory investigation” by the CIA’s office of inspector general, has criticized Trump’s desire to rescind former CIA director John Brennan’s security clearance.
I believe us representing @GenMhayden and others would be important. I hope WH stands down. @realDonaldTrump would make a mistake to proceed as it would have the opposite effect of what POTUS would want. It’ll result in ACTUAL leaks. @GenMhayden @JohnBrennan did nothing wrong.
— Andrew P. Bakaj (@AndrewBakaj) July 24, 2018
In a tweet aimed at Zaid and his law firm partner Bradley Moss, Bakaj claimed Trump “does not understand the role of the Office of Inspector General.”
Clearly @realDonaldTrump does not understand the role of the Office of Inspector General. What do you think, @MarkSZaidEsq & @BradMossEsq ?
— Andrew P. Bakaj (@AndrewBakaj) March 1, 2018
Bakaj also condemned Trump’s May 2017 disclosure of intelligence on the Islamic State to the Russians, which the attorney said “harms our intelligence sources.”
@realDonaldTrump‘s disclosure harms our #intelligence sources, compromising ICs relationships with sensitive partners in hostile region.
— Andrew P. Bakaj (@AndrewBakaj) May 16, 2017
Zaid has repeatedly criticized Trump over special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, calling the president’s actions “Unpatriotic even in best light.”
On subject of collusion/conspiracy w/Russia, not surprised by lack of legal criminality. But doesn’t remove stigma of naivete, incompetence, arrogance & evidence that accepting assistance from Russia – an enemy – didn’t bother Trump or his family. #Unpatriotic even in best light.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) March 25, 2019
Zaid, whose law firm partner Bradley Moss has hit back at the administration over the case, had previously called the president and his allies “the danger to our Democratic system of governance.”
The chaos facing our country is not political. It is a small minority faction that can be defeated by will of majority. This isn’t GOP v. DEM. #Trump and his allies are the danger to our Democratic system of governance. GOP leaders, step up to the plate and do the right thing. https://t.co/y9WHRKqsIQ
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) April 10, 2018
The involvement of Bakaj and Zaid suggests a heated legal battle with the Trump administration ahead.
The whistleblower complaint was allegedly prompted by a conversation Trump had with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in July during which Trump reportedly urged Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his lobbyist son, Hunter.
Biden bragged in 2018 that, as vice president, he threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees if Ukraine didn’t fire top prosecutor Viktor Shokin. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani alleged for months that Biden wanted Shokin fired because Giuliani says Shokin undertook an investigation into Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma Holdings, which employed Biden’s son as a board member starting in 2014, reportedly paying him $50,000 a month.
Zaid has also criticized Giuliani’s involvement in this controversy.
Why have @POTUS personal lawyer talk abt subject matter he knows nothing abt factually or legally? These allegations pertain to official acts (& classified) that @RudyGiuliani should not have been briefed on. Nor does he know anything, to my knowledge, abt #whistleblower laws. https://t.co/hLkU1jmZMB
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) September 20, 2019
Democrats countered the claims made by Giuliani and Trump’s allies by pointing out that the governments in the United States and many European countries saw Shokin as a hindrance to Ukraine’s anti-corruption investigations and called for his ouster, and Ukraine removed Shokin in 2016. Former Ukrainian and U.S. officials said the Burisma case was dormant before Shokin was fired, and Shokin’s successor, Yuri Lutsenko, has said there wasn’t evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned stonewalling would “take us into a whole new stage of investigation.” Three Democrat-led committees threatened Monday to issue subpoenas for information on whether Trump pressured Ukraine by withholding over $250 million to battle Russian aggression unless they agreed to investigate the Bidens.
The foreign aid was released earlier this month.
