WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A second whistle-blower emerged in the impeachment case against President Donald Trump, U.S. media reported quoting Mark Zaid, the lawyer representing the first one. This was first reported by ABC.
'Attorney representing whistle-blower who sounded the alarm on Pres. Trump's dealings with Ukraine tells ABC News he is now representing a second whistle-blower who has first-hand knowledge of events', This Week host George Stephanopoulos wrote on Twitter.
'The attorney said Sunday that he is representing a second whistle-blower, who was also an intelligence official,' he added.
Zaid conformed this later. 'I can confirm this report of a second whistle-blower being represented by our legal team. They also made a protected disclosure under the law and cannot be retaliated against. This whistle-blower has firsthand knowledge,' he tweeted.
Zaid did not disclose what the second whistle-blower's claims are, but said he has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general.
CNN quoted Zaid as saying that the second whistle-blower has not filed any complaint and doesn't need to as anyone who speaks to the inspector watchdog is considered to have made a protected disclosure and is a whistle-blower under law.
According to him, the second whistle-blower had direct knowledge of allegations made by his predecessor regarding Trump's July 25 telephone call with his Ukrainian counterpart to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
House Democratic leaders launched an impeachment inquiry against Trump regarding allegations that he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate corruption charges against former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump's potential Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump also allegedly sought investigation targeting Biden's son Hunter Biden, who was on the board of a gas company in Ukraine.
Democrats allege that White House tried to suppress a record of Trump's phone call, and that it was a cover-up.
White House responded to the development: 'It doesn't matter how many people decide to call themselves whistle-blowers about the same telephone call -- a call the President already made public -- it doesn't change the fact that he has done nothing wrong,' said Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.
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