WASHINGTON – Joseph Maguire, acting director of national intelligence, was at the center of a firestorm Thursday when he testified before Congress over a whistleblower complaint about President Donald Trump’s communication with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding a political rival. 

The whistleblower, who has not been identified publicly, filed the complaint Aug. 12 to the inspector general for the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, who found it credible and urgent. Maguire and the Justice Department blocked Atkinson from passing the complaint to Congress immediately as required by law.

Trump raised allegations that former Vice President Joe Biden tried to interfere with a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the founder of a Ukrainian gas company where Biden’s son Hunter served on the board.

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The whistleblower complaint arrived on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and was made public Thursday. Congressional Democrats criticized Maguire for not passing along the full complaint to Congress earlier. 

Revelations that Trump pushed the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden kicked off an impeachment inquiry.

“I am committed to protecting whistleblowers and ensuring every complaint is handled appropriately,” Maguire said in a statement Tuesday. “I look forward to continuing to work with the administration and Congress to find a resolution regarding this important matter.”

What does the director of national intelligence do? 

The director of national intelligence is a Cabinet-level official who leads the U.S. intelligence community and briefs the president on its findings. The position was created in 2005 after a panel set up to examine intelligence failures post-9/11 recommended it. 

Who is Joseph Maguire? 

Maguire assumed the position this year after Director Dan Coats resigned. The Trump administration opposed Coats’ second-in-command, Sue Gordon, opting instead to elevate Maguire, who had served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. 

Maguire, a retired naval officer, was a vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton and president and CEO of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Maguire attended Manhattan College for his bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s degree in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Controversy leading up to Maguire’s appointment

Trump announced Maguire’s appointment by tweet after Gordon’s resignation. Conservatives saw Gordon as part of an intelligence establishment that often clashed with Trump. 

Donald Trump Jr., one of her critics, tweeted about concerns that Gordon had worked with John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s intelligence chief, who has been harshly critical of President Trump.

Trump had initially floated the name of Rep. John Ratcliffe to lead the office, but the Texas Republican withdrew his name amid questions about his résumé. 

Contributing: Bart Jansen, David Jackson, John Fritze and Michael Collins