Lawyer: Trump whistleblower willing to take written questions

WASHINGTON — A lawyer for the whistleblower who raised alarms about US President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine says his client is willing to answer written questions submitted by House Republicans.

The surprise offer, made to Representative Devin Nunes of California, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, would allow Republicans to ask questions of the whistleblower, who spurred the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry, without having to go through the committee’s chairman, Representative Adam Schiff of California.

Attorney Mark Zaid tweets that the whistleblower would answer questions directly from Republican members “in writing, under oath & penalty of perjury,” part of a bid to stem efforts by Trump and his GOP allies to unmask the person’s identity. Only queries seeking the person’s identity won’t be answered, he says.

“Being a whistleblower is not a partisan job nor is impeachment an objective. That is not our role,” Zaid tweets. “So we have offered to @DevinNunes.”

“We will ensure timely answers,” he says.

Nunes’ office doesn’t have immediate comment.

The offer comes as Trump has repeatedly demanded the release of the whistleblower’s identity, tweeting today that the person “must come forward.” The whistleblower raised concerns about Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which he pressed Zelenskiy to investigate Trump’s political rivals. That call became the catalyst for the impeachment inquiry.

“Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!” Trump writes.

— AP