October 6, 2019

A Second Whistleblower Is Coming Forward in Ukraine Scandal, Attorneys Say

The second whistleblower has first-hand knowledge of events surrounding impeachment.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Young Black Leadership Summit 2019 at the White House on Friday. Tasos Katopodis/CNP via ZUMA

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The lawyers representing the first whistleblower, whose complaint about Donald Trump’s behavior provoked an impeachment inquiry, said Sunday that they now representing another whistleblower with knowledge of the Ukraine scandal. The second whistleblower poses a threat to the president’s attempts to downplay the scandal because the second person supposedly has first-hand knowledge of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. 

Attorneys Mark Zaid and Andrew Bakaj at the DC firm Compass Rose Legal Group together represent both whistleblowers.

The first whistleblower’s complaint was based in large part on second-hand information. Attacks on the whistleblower from President Donald Trump and his allies have focused on this fact, dismissing the complaint as “hearsay.” But according to Zaid, this second whistleblower has first-hand knowledge of Trump’s Ukraine dealings. 

After the first whistleblower, whose identity remains unknown, filed his complaint with the intelligence community inspector general, Michael Atkinson, on August 12, Atkinson launched his own investigation to try to corroborate the complaint. Atkinson found the original whistleblower’s complaint urgent and credible.

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