The unnamed whistleblower whose complaint is at the center of the Democrats' self-described "impeachment inquiry" was a member of the team investigating Donald Trump and his relationship with Ukraine during the 2016 election, according to investigative reporter Paul Sperry.

Sperry wrote in a series of tweets Thursday that the whistleblower -- described in a New York Times report as a CIA officer who was detailed to the White House -- may have a grudge against Trump after losing his or her job when Trump became president.

"The Democrat whistleblower who complained about Trump digging up dirt in Ukraine was himself helping dig up dirt in Ukraine against Trump (and Manafort) while working in the Obama White House during 2016 campaign," he wrote.

Paul Manafort, who served as Trump's campaign chairman for three months in 2016, was sentenced to prison for his personal dealings with Ukraine long before the election.

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BREAKING: The whistleblower is a registered Democrat & CIA analyst who was detailed before the 2016 election to the Obama White House,where he worked on the NSC's Ukraine desk & met w anti-Trump Ukrainian officials before being sent packing by the Trump NSC & becoming disgruntled — Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) October 4, 2019

Last week, Sperry tweeted that rumors were "swirling" that the whistleblower was one of former CIA director and current NBC analyst John Brennan's "old CIA humps detailed over to — planted inside — the White House to spy on Trump and help thwart the investigation" of the origins of the Obama administration's false claim of Trump-Russia collusion, its spying on the Trump campaign and its "skullduggery in Ukraine."

CNN anchor Jake Tapper has reported the whistleblower, whose identity is protected by federal law, was a registered Democrat. The Intelligence Community inspector general who handled the complaint, Michael Atkinson, concluded the whistleblower gave indications of "political bias."

Breaking — A source familiar with the investigation prompted by the whistleblower tells me that the “indicia of bias of an arguable political bias on the part“ of the whistleblower referred to by the Intel Community IG, is that the whistleblower is a Registered Democrat. — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 3, 2019

Rumors swirling the anti-Trump whistleblower was one of Brennan's old CIA humps detailed over to -- planted inside -- the White House to spy on Trump and help thwart the investigation of #Spygate which also involves Obama DOS/FBI/CIA skullduggery in Ukraine — Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) September 26, 2019

The New York Times reported Wednesday that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., learned details of the CIA officer's allegations against the president days before the whistleblower complaint was filed.

The Times said Schiff's prior knowledge of the account by the future whistleblower "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 Times cited a spokesman and current and former American officials.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appointed Schiff to lead an "impeachment inquiry" into President Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although the full House has not voted to authorize a formal impeachment proceeding.

The Democrats allege Trump engaged in a quid pro quo, threatening to withhold aid to Ukraine if the country's leader did not investigate Hunter Biden's receipt of millions of dollars from a corrupt Ukrainian company while his father was the Obama administration's point man for relations with the country.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists he was not pressured, and the Justice Department concluded Trump broke no laws in his July 25 phone conversation.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is on video boasting of his success in pressuring Ukraine -- with the threat of withholding $1 billion in aid -- to fire the general prosecutor who was investigating the company that was paying his son.

Twitter news aggregator Twitchy reacted to Sperry's report.

"It sounds like there is so much more here than just a guy who votes for Democrats if what Paul Sperry is reporting is correct," said Twitchy.

"Detailed before the 2016 election to the Obama White House where he worked on the NSC's Ukraine desk and met with anti-Trump Ukraine officials. Wow. That's not fishy or anything, nope."