When an anonymous whistleblower, reported to be CIA analyst Eric Ciaramella, filed a complaint based on second-hand information charging President Trump withheld aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Democrats launched an impeachment probe
Democrats assured the public that the whistleblower's testimony was coming and soon.
But when the Intelligence Community inspector general revealed the whistleblower had a bias against the president and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff was forced to acknowledge his office had contact with him, Democrats changed their minds.
Now, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the committee's ranking member, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, have written to Schiff with a request for information about the drafting and filing of the whistleblower complaint, Rosemont Seneca Bohai LLC and its affiliates, and Democratic National Committee communications with Ukrainian government officials.
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Democrats allege Trump withheld U.S. aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden's receipt of more than $3 million for his association with a corrupt Ukrainian natural gas firm while his father was Obama's point man for Ukraine policy.
Joe Biden is on video boasting that he threatened the Ukrainian president with the loss of American aid if he did not fire the nation's top prosecutor, who was investigating the firm paying his son, Burisma Holdings.
Wednesday's letter to Schiff contended that even though Democrats promised "fairness" during the "impeachment inquiry," there hasn't been any.
"You have repeatedly prevented Republicans from fully and fairly examining issues central to the Democrats' 'impeachment inquiry,'" the GOP members told Schiff. "We therefore write to inform you that we intend to subpoena testimony and records in an attempt to inject some semblance of fairness and objectivity into your one-sided and partisan inquiry."
The letter noted the Democrats' initial enthusiasm for the whistleblower testimony.
"However, following revelations that the whistleblower has a bias against President Donald Trump and the disclosure that you had received an early account of the whistleblower allegations, you reversed course to deny the whistleblower an opportunity to testify," they said.
But that information is needed "for a full and fair understanding of all relevant facts."
The lawmakers point out discrepancies between the whistleblower's claims and evidence.
"We must assess the whistleblower's credibility and the sources he or she utilized to develop the anonymous complaint."
Other issues need examination, they said.
For example, no evidence has been allowed yet even though there are reports "about Ukrainian government's effort to 'sabotage' the Trump campaign in 2016 by working closely with the media and a Democratic National Committee consultant named Alexandra Chalupa."
And then there is Hunter Biden.
"According to the New York Times, Hunter Biden was 'part of a broad effort by Burisma to bring in well-connected Democrats during a period when the company was facing investigations backed not just by domestic Ukrainian forces but by officials in the Obama administration."
Even Obama's administration "raised concerns."
To seek a "basic level of fairness," "we intend to subpoena the anonymous whistleblower and Hunter Biden," the Republicans said.
Schiff's refusal to cooperate "shall constitute evidence of your denial of fundamental fairness and due process," they warned.
The Daily Caller reported Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Thursday he might force a vote to bring Hunter Biden as a witness.
The report said Senate Republicans "do not appear to be concerned about House Democrats’ ongoing efforts to impeach Trump, with many saying even if the House were to move forward with impeachment, that there is no way the Senate would vote to impeach the president."
Fox News called it a "scathing letter."
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