Lawyers for ‘Whistleblower’ Decline to Confirm or Deny His Identity

The legal team for the “whistleblower” in a statement on Thursday declined to confirm or deny that he is likely CIA analyst Eric Ciaramella, as first reported by RealClearInvestigations on Wednesday.

“[We neither confirm nor deny the identity of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower. Our client is legally entitled to anonymity,” Andrew P. Bakaj, Esq. and Mark S. Zaid, Esq. said in a statement:

Disclosure of the name of any person who may be suspected to be the whistleblower places that individual and their family in great physical danger. Any physical harm the individual and/or their family suffers as a result of disclosure means that the individuals and publications reporting such names will be personally liable for that harm. Such behavior is at the pinnacle of irresponsibility and is intentionally reckless.

IC WB STATEMENT: In light of the increasing and irresponsible speculation about the Intelligence Community Whistleblower's identity, we are issuing the following statement: https://t.co/04OdmWl6mq

— Andrew P. Bakaj (@AndrewBakaj) November 1, 2019

They did not threaten any action against RealClearInvestigations, which first published Ciaramella’s name as the likely whistleblower, but said that members of the media have a role in “protecting those who lawfully expose suspected government wrongdoing.”

RealClearInvestigations reported that Ciaramella is 33-years-old, a registered Democrat who began working at the White House during the Obama administration and previously worked with former Vice President Joe Biden and former CIA Director John Brennan.

Ciaramella left the Trump administration’s National Security Council in mid-2017 over concerns about negative leaks to the media and then returned to the CIA, the outlet reported.

“He was accused of working against Trump and leaking against Trump,” a former NSC official told RealClearInvestigiations.

The outlet also reported that Ciaramella huddled for “guidance” with the staff of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), including former NSC colleagues who now work for Schiff.

Ciaramella also worked with a Democratic National Committee operative, Alexandra Chalupa, who dug up dirt on the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, and he invited her into the White House for meetings, former White House colleagues told RealClearInvestigations.

“He knows her. He had her in the White House,” one former co-worker told the outlet.

A handful of former colleagues have compiled a roughly 40-page research dossier on Ciaramella, which has been circulating on Capitol Hill, the outlet reported.

“Everyone knows who he is. CNN knows. The Washington Post knows. The New York Times knows. Congress knows. The White House knows. Even the president knows who he is,” Fred Fleitz, former CIA analyst and NSC chief of staff, told RealClearInvestigations.

“They’re hiding him,” he added. “They’re hiding him because of his political bias.”

Ciaramella is reportedly a CIA officer specializing in Russia and Ukraine who was detailed over to the National Security Council in the summer of 2015, working under former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice. He also reportedly worked closely with Biden.

 

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