The New York Post named the suspected “whistleblower” — Eric Ciaramella — in a column published by the newspaper’s editorial board and called for the partisan CIA analyst to answer questions about his knowledge regarding allegations of corruptions against former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden.
In the Thursday op-ed entitled “Here’s the likely whistleblower — and the questions he should answer,” the Post credits journalist Paul Sperry for positing that Ciaramella is the likely “whistleblower” who, relying on second-hand information, accused President Donald Trump of attempting to pressure the leader of Ukraine to probe the Biden family in exchange for U.S. military aid. Both world leaders deny any pressure was applied and the White House released a transcript of their July 25 as evidence that no unlawful behavior occurred.
“Ciaramella has put out no statement denying these reports. Whistleblower lawyers refuse to confirm or deny Ciaramella is their man. His identity is apparently the worst-kept secret of the Washington press corps,” the Post notes. “In a sign of how farcical this has become, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said his name as part of a series of names during a live hearing Wednesday night aired on television.”
While several Republican lawmakers have named Ciaramella, who was reportedly the Ukraine director on the National Security Council in the early months of the Trump administration, some media outlets such as the Fox News Channel have reportedly forbidden its hosts and analysts from uttering his name. In an attempt to keep Ciaramella’s identity a secret, Facebook is also systemically removing all content with the intelligence analyst’s name, including Breitbart News articles, claiming they violate the social media giant’s Community Standards and Policies.
Nonetheless, the Post said Ciaramella should not only be named, but he must answer pressing questions at the center of the impeachment inquiry against President Trump.
“[I]f Ciaramella is the whistleblower, isn’t it also relevant that he, according to Sperry, previously worked with CIA Director John Brennan, a fierce critic of Trump, and Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s political opponent and the crux of the impeachment inquiry? That he’s a registered Democrat and that he was — again, according to Sperry — accused of leaking negative information about the Trump administration and that’s why he was transferred back to Langley?” the op-ed reads.
“What, if anything, did he leak? Did he work with Biden on Ukraine, apparently Ciaramella’s area of expertise? Did he know about Burisma and Hunter Biden? Who told him about the call, and why did that person not complain instead of him? How did Schiff’s staff help him tailor the complaint?” it asks.
Biden co-hosted a dinner with then-Secretary of State John Kerry for then-Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and Ciaramella accepted an invitation to attend, according to the Washington Examiner.
The op-ed comes as House Democrats move expeditiously to impeach President Trump, citing two articles: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Earlier Friday, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance the articles to the full House of Representatives, setting the stage for a likely vote next week.
Reacting to the development, the president accused the House Democrats of “trivializing impeachment.”
“And I tell you what, someday there will be a Democrat president and there will be a Republican House, and I suspect they’re going to remember it,” he said amid an Oval Office meeting with Paraguay’s President Mario Abdo Benítez.
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