Adam Schiff

House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Friday subpoenaed Acting DNI Chief Joseph Maguire and accused him of illegally withholding a whistleblower complaint from Congress that could potentially be covering up the president’s misconduct.

Politico reported:

Schiff issued a subpoena for the complaint, accusing acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire of taking extraordinary steps to withhold the complaint from Congress, even after the intel community’s inspector general characterized the complaint as credible and of “urgent concern.” “A Director of National Intelligence has never prevented a properly submitted whistleblower complaint that the [inspector general] determined to be credible and urgent from being provided to the congressional intelligence committees. Never,” Schiff said in a statement. “This raises serious concerns about whether White House, Department of Justice or other executive branch officials are trying to prevent a legitimate whistleblower complaint from reaching its intended recipient, the Congress, in order to cover up serious misconduct.”

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“The Committee can only conclude, based on this remarkable confluence of factors, that the serious misconduct at issue involves the President of the United States and/or other senior White House or Administration officials,” Schiff said in a letter to Maquire on Friday.

The whistleblower complaint was filed last month shortly after Maquire was chosen to be acting DNI Chief.

According to the subpoena, Maquire must turn over the requested information by September 17 otherwise he will be compelled to appear before lawmakers on Capitol Hill on September 19.

Last month Dan Coats resigned as DNI and President Trump appointed Joseph Maguire as the Acting DNI as he made his decision on who would permanently replace Coats.

Joseph Maguire, who was the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center was named Acting Director of National Intelligence on August 15th.

Maguire’s office responded to Schiff’s subpoena.

“We received the HPSCI’s subpoena this evening. We are reviewing the request and will respond appropriately,” said a senior intel official. “The ODNI and Acting DNI Maguire are committed to fully complying with the law and upholding whistleblower protections and have done so here.”