Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to block a motion to subpoena the “whistleblower,” whose complaint prompted Democrats to launch the impeachment inquiry.
During the committee’s first impeachment inquiry hearing, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) moved to subpoena “the individual commonly referred to as the ‘whistleblower.’”
After his motion, Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) gaveled him down and asked, “Do I hear a motion to table” — or postpone consideration of the motion to subpoena the “whistleblower.”
A Democrat congresswoman then said, “I move to table the motion.”
The vote fell predictably along party lines, with 24 Democrats voting to table the motion, and 17 Republicans voting against tabling it.
House Democrats have not allowed the whistleblower to testify, despite his role in launching the impeachment inquiry.
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee earlier in the hearing voted down another Republican motion to call House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry.
Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) made the motion to require the attendance and testimony of Schiff before the House Judiciary Committee, transmitting a letter requesting the same.
House Intelligence Committee Republicans had requested Schiff testify during the initial phases of the impeachment inquiry, due to revelations the whistleblower who kickstarted the House Democrats’ launch of an impeachment inquiry went to Schiff’s committee before filing his complaint.
The New York Times reported the whistleblower went to Schiff’s aide before filing a complaint, and that the aide instructed the whistleblower to obtain legal counsel and then file a formal complaint with the intelligence community inspector general (ICIG). The Times also reported that the aide passed on the “outlines” of the whistleblower’s complaint to Schiff.
Schiff then later disclosed the existence of the whistleblower complaint, and demanded for the ICIG to hand the complaint over to Congress. He also denied he or his office ever communicated with the whistleblower before he filed the complaint. His staff later walked back Schiff’s comments, claiming he meant that they never held a formal interview, and that Schiff has never met with the whistleblower himself.
Schiff has denied knowing who the whistleblower is, but has stopped Republicans questioning witnesses on who they spoke with in the intelligence community about concerns that the president was withholding aid from Ukraine.
Schiff first said he would bring the whistleblower in to testify, then later said it was not necessary. So far, he has refused to call the whistleblower in to testify despite Republican requests.
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