Schiff accuses chief intelligence official of illegally detaining "urgent" whistleblower complaint

The country's top intelligence chief is illegally retaining a complaint, presumably to protect President Donald Trump or senior White House officials, House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said Friday.

Schiff issued a subpoena, accusing Acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, to take extraordinary measures to withhold the Congressional complaint, even after the Inspector General of the Information Community called the complaint credible and "urgent concern".

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"A director of national intelligence has never prevented a whistleblowing complaint duly filed that the [inspector general] determined to be credible and urgent to be forwarded to congressional intelligence committees. Never, "said Schiff in a statement. This raises serious concerns about whether the White House, the Department of Justice or other executive officials are trying to prevent a legitimate whistleblower complaint from reaching its intended recipient, the Congress, to cover serious misconduct. "

Schiff said he had learned that "potentially privileged communications from people outside the intelligence community" might be "confidential" to "protect the president or other officials of the community." 39; administration. " In addition, Schiff criticized Maguire for consulting the Department of Justice about the whistle-blower complaint "although the law does not give you the discretion to revise, appeal, annul or otherwise contradict the [inspector general’s] independent determination, let alone to involve another entity in the executive branch. "

"The Committee can only conclude, on the basis of this remarkable convergence of factors, that the serious misconduct in question involves the President of the United States and / or other senior officials of the White House or the United States. administration, "writes Schiff in a letter to Maguire.

The initial whistle-blower complaint was filed last month and Schiff said the law required that it be reported to Congress almost two weeks ago. His subpoena requires that the information be transmitted to him by September 17 at the latest, otherwise he intends to compel Maguire to appear before the Congress at a public hearing on September 19.

Schiff stated that Maguire had refused to confirm or deny that the whistleblower's complaint related to a matter currently being investigated by the Intelligence Committee or whether White House lawyers had participated in the decision.

Officials at Maguire's office acknowledged Schiff's summons Friday night.

"We received the invitation from the HPSCI tonight. We review the request and respond appropriately, "said a senior intelligence official. "The Interim ODNI and DNI, Maguire, are committed to fully respecting the law and upholding whistleblower protections, and have done so here."