One of the lawyers representing the unnamed “whistleblowers” at the center of the impeachment inquiry “reported directly” to James Clapper when the CNN analyst served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under the previous administration, the attorney’s professional biography revealed.

CNN contributor Clapper served as former U.S. President Barack Obama’s DNI from August 9, 2010, to January 20, 2017, when Donald Trump took office.

On Wednesday, the Federalist linked one of the lawyers representing the so-called “whistleblowers” to Clapper.

The revelation came a day after the Washington Examiner reported that the intelligence community (IC) inspector general (IG) told congressional investigators the first “whistleblower” had a previous “professional relationship” with an unnamed 2020 Democrat candidate.

News reports have also identified the original “whistleblower” as a “registered Democrat.” Moreover, that “whistleblower” reportedly shared his complaint with the Democrat-led House Intelligence Committee before reaching out to the IC IG, a move that suggests he violated the law.

Two “whistleblowers” have surfaced accusing President Donald Trump of coercing Ukraine into investigating former Vice President Joe Bide and his son, Hunter, by threatening to withhold aid.

The first “whistleblower” is a member of the intelligence community. The same lawyers represent both leakers.

Citing the attorney’s biography published by his current employer, the Federalist revealed that the lawyer used to report directly to Clapper, adding:

Charles McCullough, an attorney now representing the whistleblowers with Andrew Bakaj, a former staffer for Sens. Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, was previously the inspector general of the intelligence community (ICIG) at the height of the Clinton email scandal. Now a partner at the Compass Rose Legal Group, McCullough’s professional biography on the law firm’s website notes that he reported directly to Clapper as ICIG and “oversaw intelligence officers responsible for audits, inspections, investigations.” Clapper, who joined CNN as a national security analyst after leaving government in 2017, was a central figure in perpetuating the Russia hoax against Trump and lied to Congress about mass surveillance on Americans.

In an interview with Fox 5 last December, McCullough commended the former DNI, saying, “I enjoyed a very good relationship with Jim Clapper, we got along fabulously.”

Clapper is a retired lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force. The former intelligence community chief is one of Trump’s fiercest critics.

The “whistleblowers” claim that Trump threatened to withhold aid from Ukraine if it refused to investigate corruption allegations against Biden, and his son is at the center of the impeachment probe.

According to the “whistleblowers,” Trump made the so-called quid pro quo offer during a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, both Trump and Zelensky have denied the “whistleblowers” characterization of their conversation.

Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, has also said there was not quid pro quo during the call.

Michael Atkinson, the IC IG, noted in an August 26 letter that the first “whistleblower” was found to have harbored “political bias” in favor of a rival political candidate to President Trump. Atkinson did not name the rival.