'A responsible whistleblower makes all Americans safer.'
A group of 90 former national security officials penned an open letter this week, showing support for the whistleblower who exposed Donald Trump's attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his 2020 election rival, CNN reported Monday.
Whistleblowers have "the right — and indeed the responsibility — to make known, through appropriate
channels, indications of serious wrongdoing," the letter stated. "[We] applaud the whistleblower not only for living up to that responsibility but also for using precisely the channels made available by federal law for raising such concerns."
The letter continued, noting that whistleblowers are good for a functioning democracy.
"A responsible whistleblower makes all Americans safer by ensuring that serious wrongdoing can be investigated and addressed, thus advancing the cause of national security to which we have devoted our careers," it stated.
While not calling out Trump or his fellow Republicans by name, the letter further demanded that all Americans "be united in demanding that all branches of our government and all outlets of our media protect this whistleblower and his or her identity."
The letter mirrors the support the whistleblower received from the acting director of national intelligence, who told Congress that the whistleblower "did the right thing" by coming forward through proper channels.
Since the whistleblower complaint first came to light last month, Trump has relentlessly attacked the unnamed and thus-far unidentified individual, demanding to know their identity. In late September, Trump went even further, suggesting the whistleblower was a traitor who should be executed.
Despite the attacks, the allegations in the whistleblower complaint have been largely verified. The White House released a memo on Sept. 25, summarizing a July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That memo showed Trump asking Zelensky for a "favor" -- an investigation into Biden, whom he claimed used his former role as vice president to benefit his son.
There is no evidence Biden was involved in any wrongdoing.
A few weeks later, Trump himself made the demand in front of reporters on the lawn of the White House, suggesting both Ukraine and China investigate Biden.
It is illegal to solicit election assistance from a foreign national, according to the Federal Election Commission.
The House of Representatives has opened an official impeachment inquiry in order to investigate Trump's actions.
This week's letter comes just over a week after more than 300 national security experts wrote another open letter calling Trump's actions with regard to Ukraine "an unconscionable abuse of power."
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
