With the dispensing of “firsthand” knowledge as a requirement for making a whistleblower complaint, ICIG Michael Atkinson unleashed what he must have known would result in multiple complaints where the basis was purely political. And in doing so, he has converted whistleblowers into nothing more than leakers and complainers.

Think about it. If there is no requirement for actually having witnessed the actions a “whistleblower” is complaining about, complaints can include anything because the protections afforded a whistleblower provides him not only anonymity but also immunity from any repercussions for making claims that aren’t true -- absent provable malice, of course.

Schiff recently justified keeping testimony to his sham “impeachment inquiry” secret by saying that according to the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act, “The whistleblower has the right in the statute to remain anonymous.”

The ability to remain anonymous, coupled with a presumption of purity and innocence, and no firsthand knowledge requirement, means there is zero risk for the scurrilous among the administrative state in propagating outright lies. Apparently, what they complain about must solely clear the very low threshold of rumor.

Look for a deluge of new complaints, including gossip complainers who may or may not have heard from someone with firsthand information, as well as stuff told to them by others with nefarious motives who are only claiming to have firsthand knowledge. It also can be anything leakers were told that someone else said they heard from someone who said they heard it from someone with firsthand information, or even just chatter heard around the office.

Now, a disgruntled government employee can compel an opposition party to begin impeachment proceedings (real or imagined) against any president he doesn’t like based on actions he merely suspects, or even just wishes were true. Heck, isn’t that the pettifoggery Schiff is engaging in today?

In addition, should a leaker believe in his heart that the Orange Man is not only a bad president, but bad for the nation, why not roll the dice with any old allegations, outright fabrication even, just to damage him politically in the runup to November’s election?

Some might say, it’s even his duty.

The possibility of purely partisan political mayhem is not merely high but guaranteed. The resulting avalanche of complaints will be a mephitic miasma of obloquy against a president the leakers don’t agree with, and the complaints will be about esoterica from both within and without a “whistleblower’s” ambit. People forget that the current complaint was from a CIA employee and given to ICIG Atkinson even though it had nothing to do with the intelligence community -- of which Trump is not even a member. The phone call in question was standard diplomacy between two heads of state. The leaker reached outside his direct domain to include hearsay that had nothing to do with his department.

It begs the question, was the leaker IG shopping? Well, at least he found the right man, one willing to change the rules specifically for him, and in a way that will promote serial hearsay complaints.

To see how this could turn out, note the prevalence of fake hate crimes. People report false instances of themselves as victims of hate crimes all the time -- in fact, more times even than actual hate crimes. These people believe that society is rife with hateful bigotry and they were merely unlucky enough so far to not have been victims, so they make up a crime.

To repeat; what’s to prevent unhappy idiots who politically oppose a president from making false allegations and hiding behind the whistleblower statue? The answer is nothing.

As the eminent diagnostician Dr. Gregory House often said, “Everybody lies.” Now, confident that the despised Trump must be guilty of something, some will surely believe much as the fake hate crime victim does, that their lying isn’t really lying, it’s justice.

The Washington Post has reported there already is another whistleblower’s complaint. Coincidentally, both the current and new complainer are represented by the same lawyer. When it comes to Democrat coup attempts, there are always a lot of coincidences. Expect many more of both.

And we will owe it all to ICIG Atkinson, who apparently decided that he knew best and that even though he was opening the floodgates to false reports it would be worth it because it would serve his political purposes.

Because, Trump…

Please follow William L. Gensert on Twitter @williamlgensert