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A complaint from one of the whistleblower’s lawyers sparked the impeachment process against Donald Trump. He alleged a leading Republican politician of lying during a hearing. Andrew P Bakaj took exception to claims by GOP congressman Jim Jordan (one of the president’s most loyal allies) for claiming the anonymous official had had inappropriate communications with Democrats. Bakaj said in a Tweet, “Congressman @Jim_Jordan – I AM TIRED OF YOU LYING IN A HOUSE COMMITTEE ROOM IN FRONT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. My client hired ME – no one else in leading up to filing the disclosure with the ICIG. I have made that clear TIME AND TIME AGAIN and you ignore the FACTS”!

Bakaj added, “And one more thing, @Jim_Jordan NO ONE even within my firm, except for ME, knew the identity of my client until weeks, weeks later. Only I was involved and there was NO coordination with anyone in Congress on anything involving the complaint”. He also said, “I see it simply troubles a number of individuals that the disclosure was made properly, through and through. That’s why I was hired – because I know the Intelligence Community and the LAWFUL whistle-blowing process within the community”. Jordan had been questioning Lt Col Alexander Vindman (a National Security Council expert) who listened in to a controversial 25 July call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky (the Ukrainian president).

The probe was originally launched after an anonymous official, thought to be a member of the CIA, made an official complaint regarding Trump’s behavior. The official hasn’t been publicly identified and is entitled to remain anonymous. Moreover, revelations that the whistleblower had reached out to the Intelligence Committee (chaired by Democrat Adam Schiff) for guidance on the complaint have been seized on by allies of Trump as proof of a conspiracy. Schiff repeatedly admonished Republican members for apparently trying to unmask the whistleblower, in Tuesday’s testimony. Jordan said fears by Tim Morrison (a senior National Security Council member) who was due to testify on Tuesday afternoon, that details of the call would leak had been proved correct.