McConnell: Senate panel seeking closed-door session on whistleblower complaint – Washington Examiner

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of politicizing a whistleblower complaint involving President Trump’s phone call this summer with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

McConnell said senators on the Intelligence Committee are seeking a closed-door briefing on the matter.

“I’ve been disappointed to see our colleague, the Democratic leader, choose to politicize the committee’s ongoing efforts with respect to a recent whistleblower allegation, the specific subject of which is still unknown,” McConnell said.

McConnell criticized Schiff for public comments about the allegation and his plan to publicly grill the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, about the matter this week.

McConnell said the Senate Intelligence panel is working to get Maguire to talk to the panel in a classified session, out of the politicized public spotlight.

“It is regrettable that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Schiff and Senator Schumer have chosen to politicize the issue,” McConnell said, “Circumventing the established procedures and protocols that exist so the committees can pursue sensitive matters in the appropriate, deliberate, bipartisan manner.”

Maguire has blocked the release of the whistleblower transcript. Trump said he may release it and has called the allegations against him “fake news.”

Democrats believe Trump, in the July 25 call with Zelensky, dangled U.S. security aid in exchange for Ukraine investigating his top political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Schiff invited Maguire to testify in a rare open session before the secretive spy panel on Thursday in an effort to pressure Maguire to release the transcript of the call.

The United States released $250 million in military aid to Ukraine earlier this month after Trump threatened to withhold the money.

Trump said the delay sending Ukraine the money had nothing to do with his effort to get the government to investigate Biden.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Trump said.

McConnell said he has long pressured the White House to provide the aid to Ukraine.

“I raised it with the secretary of state,” McConnell said. “My staff also engaged senior officials at the Pentagon, at the State Department, at the National Security Council and at the Office of Management and Budget.”

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