EDITORIAL
The case for identifying the whistleblower
by Washington Examiner | October 12, 2019 09:43 AM
The identity of the person who filed the intelligence community whistleblower complaint that sparked the drive to impeach President Trump remains a secret. Democrats leading the impeachment campaign say his or her identity (for brevity, the whistleblower will hereafter be referred to as "he") must remain closely guarded. Advocates of whistleblower laws, such as Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, agree.
The New York Times came under heavy criticism when it reported that the whistleblower is a CIA officer. "Any decision to report any perceived identifying information of the whistleblower is deeply concerning and reckless, as it can place the individual in harm's way," Andrew Bakaj, the whistleblower's lawyer, told the Times. "The whistleblower has a right to anonymity."
Does he? And does that right outweigh the rights of the public to know salient facts in a proceeding designed to lead to the impeachment and removal of the president?
The answer to the first question is yes, the whistleblower does have a right to anonymity. But the answer to the second question is no, that right does not outweigh other rights in an impeachment battle. Here are three reasons the whistleblower should be publicly identified:
1. The public has a right to know. There is no higher public concern than a debate that could lead to the president's removal. Simply put, everything should be public, because the public should be aware of everything that figures into the process. The whistle has not been blown on a mid-level bureaucrat using a government credit card for personal expenses. The whistleblower has accused the president of serious wrongdoing, and in doing so, has set off a proceeding of the highest public concern on Capitol Hill.
What were the circumstances of that accusation? Who gave the whistleblower the information he included in his complaint? Was that information cherry-picked? Did the whistleblower have contacts with others in the effort to bring the complaint against the president? Those are all valid questions for the public to ask and to which they deserve answers. The president is their president, not simply of a small number of privileged people at the Capitol.
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READ MORE: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/the-case-for-identifying-the-whistleblower
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Some will argue that the whistleblower cannot be identified because exposure would bring threats to his safety. It is true that people of great notoriety sometimes face threats. But it is also true that the whistleblower's name is already out there; if threats are coming, they are coming whether or not a news organization reports his identity. If much of Washington already knows who he is, which it does, then anonymity ceases to be about protecting the whistleblower and becomes instead a shield that protects him from scrutiny in an effort to topple the president.
In the big picture, it is the public's right to know that should prevail. It's time for the whistleblower to be identified.
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