House Republicans are complaining that House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff has blocked efforts to uncover whom Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman spoke with about concerns that President Trump abused his power in dealings with Ukraine, efforts Democrats charge were designed to discover the identity of the whistleblower.
Democrats who heard at least some portion of the testimony Tuesday by Vindman said the Republicans were pressuring him to reveal the identity of the whistleblower, whose complaint first surfaced the allegations that sparked the impeachment process. Republicans did not deny the claim.
Vindman, whose portfolio on the National Security Council was Ukraine, has come forward with allegations that Trump endangered national security when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation to investigate political rival Joe Biden. Vindman further alleged that the president withheld military aid that had been appropriated by Congress in an attempt to force Kyiv to cooperate.
Both Democrats and Republicans who listened to Vindman said he claimed not to know who the whistleblower is.
Republican members of the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight and Government Reform committees who participated in the closed-door questioning of Vindman said Schiff prevented questions about who he confided in about the matter before testifying on Tuesday. Schiff also prohibited Republicans from asking Vindman, on staff at the White House National Security Council, about whether Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Republicans are accusing Schiff of running a “Soviet style” impeachment process.
“Chairman Schiff has prevented the witness from answering certain questions we have during the deposition,” Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio told reporters. “We’re just trying to get information that we’re entitled to get.”
Vindman is a combat veteran who was wounded during the Iraq War, and Republicans were hesitant to challenge his credibility. Some Republicans pointedly declined to answer whether they found Vindman believable. Others indicated that they found him credible but that they simply do not share his assessment of Trump’s interaction with Zelensky, publicized in a summary transcript of the call previously released by the White House.
“He did not contradict the transcript,” said Republican Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas. “His opinion is his opinion. I have an opinion as well.”
Schiff would not comment on the Republicans’ criticism of his handling of the Vindman hearing late Tuesday afternoon.
“When we have a question that might go within six degrees of a topic that may yield information that they don’t want us to touch, they’re going to block the question,” Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York said. “These are not legitimate objections.”
