Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell said Democrats should deny any Republican request to subpoena the whistleblower to testify in the ongoing impeachment proceeding against President Trump.
Any witnesses suggested by the minority must be approved by the Democratic committee chairman or by a committee vote under House rules adopted for impeachment proceedings in an Oct. 31 vote. Swalwell sits on the House Intelligence Committee at the center of the impeachment investigation.
“I look at the whistleblower like someone who pulled the fire alarm,” Swalwell said. “First responders show up, and they see flames, smoke, burning building, an arsonist holding the gasoline can with matches. You don’t really need to know who pulled the fire alarm.”
Swalwell said the GOP is intent on trying to “punish the whistleblower, put the whistleblower in harm’s way.”
Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said the whistleblower will be at the top of the list of potential witnesses proposed by House Republicans.
GOP leadership is attempting to place Jordan on the House Intelligence Committee led by Schiff. It is unclear whether Republicans will try to make Jordan the ranking member on the committee, knocking Republican California Rep. Devin Nunes out of the spot, or whether Jordan will simply replace another member of the committee.
