New York Times reports whistleblower met with Schiff’s staff prior to filing the report

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A New York Times report revealed Wednesday that the whistleblower met with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) staff just days before the CIA officer filed a whistleblower complaint.

President Donald Trump reacted to the news during a joint press conference with Finland President Sauli Niinistö, calling Schiff “a fraud.”

“There’s a report that came out before you and President Niinisto walked out here that the whistleblower met with a staff member of Adam Schiff,” Fox News White House Correspondent John Roberts said.

TRUMP: I love that question. It shows that Schiff is a fraud. Thank you, John.

ROBERTS: Can I finish asking it?

TRUMP: There’s nothing to finish.

ROBERTS: The whistleblower, according to the report, met with members of Adam Schiff’s staff.

TRUMP: President Trump: I hate to say it’s ‘The New York Times.’ I can’t believe they wrote it. Maybe they’re getting better.

ROBERTS: Your response to the fact that that happened and that Schiff may have learned what the whistleblower knew?

TRUMP: I think it’s a scandal that he knew before. I’d go a step further. I think he probably helped write it, okay? That’s what the word is, and I think it’s, I give a lot of respect for ‘The New York Times’ for putting it out. Just happened as I’m walking up here. They handed it to me and I said to Mike. I said whoa, that’s something. That’s big stuff. That’s a big story. He knew long before, and he helped write it too. It’s a scam. It’s a scam. Just to finish on this, I appreciate it, I love that second question by the way. Should’ve asked it first.

But let me just tell you the whole thing is a scam. The Mueller deal was a scam. The Russian collusion was a scam. You can ask Putin. Nobody’s been rougher on Russia than Donald Trump. Okay? With that being said, it would be great to get along with Russia and we will get along with Russia because it’s smart. Nobody’s been tougher on Russia. Ask one please.

According to the New York Times:

The Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, learned about the outlines of a C.I.A. officer’s concerns that President Trump had abused his power days before the officer filed a whistle-blower complaint, according to a spokesman and current and former American officials.

The early account by the future whistle-blower shows how determined he was to make known his allegations that Mr. Trump asked Ukraine’s government to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 election. It also explains how Mr. Schiff knew to press for the complaint when the Trump administration initially blocked lawmakers from seeing it.

The C.I.A. officer approached a House Intelligence Committee aide with his concerns about Mr. Trump only after he had had a colleague first convey them to the C.I.A.’s top lawyer. Concerned about how that initial avenue for airing his allegations through the C.I.A. was unfolding, the officer then approached the House aide. In both cases, the original accusation was vague.

The House staff member, following the committee’s procedures, suggested the officer find a lawyer to advise him and meet with an inspector general, with whom he could file a whistle-blower complaint. The aide shared some of what the officer conveyed to Mr. Schiff. The aide did not share the whistle-blower’s identity with Mr. Schiff, an official said.

“Like other whistle-blowers have done before and since under Republican and Democratic-controlled committees, the whistle-blower contacted the committee for guidance on how to report possible wrongdoing within the jurisdiction of the intelligence community,” said Patrick Boland, a spokesman for Mr. Schiff.