www.zerohedge.com Update (1920ET): In what is likely to spoil the Democrats’ week, President Trump – having already authorized the release of the “complete, unredacted” transcript of his call with Ukraine’s president – is now set to release both the whistleblower complaint and the Inspector General report that are at the center of the impeachment inquiry by the end of the week.
Politico reports, according to a senior administration officials, The White House is preparing to release the documents to Congress over the next few days. The president has agreed to this move, the official added.
Additionally, the so-called whistleblower has sought legal advice and has released a statement:
Statement Concerning the Intelligence Community Whistleblower
Our firm has represented our client from the outset, and he/she has diligently followed the processes and laws that afford the greatest legal protections against reprisal. As legal counsel, it is our duty to ensure our client is fully protected.
We support the bi-partisan, unanimous resolution passed by the Senate regarding our clientās lawful whistleblower complaint and call upon the Acting Director of National Intelligence to transmit the complete disclosure to the two Intelligence Oversight Committees.
Additionally, in order to ensure maximum legal protections for our client, we can confirm press reports that, today, we wrote to the Acting Director of National Intelligence to request specific guidance as to the appropriate security practices to permit a meeting, if needed, with the Members of the Intelligence Oversight Committees. We await a timely response from the Acting Director providing such guidance.
Trump’s move would seem to pour cold water on Pelosi’s plan, as Politico notes, liberal lawyers and Democratic lawmakers say that only the whistleblower complaint can fully lay out the allegations against the president; and now that he is releasing all of the relevant documents – an act he would hardly be likely to do was there any “there, there” – we can’t help but wonder what happens next.
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Nancy Pelosi finally succumbed to her Democratic peers, and did what she was trying so hard for years to avoid: just after 5pm on Tuesday, Pelosi announced the launch of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump.
“Today, I’m announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. I’m directing our six committees to proceed with their investigations under that umbrella … The president must be held accountable,ā Pelosi said in a press conference.