Whistleblower alleges White House coverup

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire said he has not investigated the truthfulness of the whistleblower's complaint.

He was responding to a question from GOP Rep. Devin Nunes.

Here's how the exchange went down:

Nunes: "I just want to get one thing straight, because one of the quotes they're going to use from you is you saying that this was a credible complaint. That will be used and spun as you're saying that it was true. And I want to give you an opportunity to — you do not — you have not investigated the veracity or the truthfulness of this complaint."

Maguire: "That's correct, ranking member."

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire said he knew the whistleblower's complaint was a "serious matter" as soon as he read it and the Inspector General's report about it.

House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff asked Maguire: "Did that conflict of interest concern you?"

The Inspector General wrote a report on the whistleblower's complaint.

You can read the full document for yourself here.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire said he believes both the whistleblower who filed the complaint against President Trump and the inspector general who handled it "acted in good faith."

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire said the whistleblower's complaint centered around a phone call between President Trump and a foreign leader — a kind of conversation that is "typically subject to executive privilege."

He said executive privilege is a "privilege that I do not have the authority to wave."

"Because of that, we were unable to immediately share the details of the complaint with this committee," he said.

In his opening remarks, acting spy chief Maguire said he has done his duty and defended the whistleblower.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, testifying before the House Intelligence Committee, said he's "not political" and cited his oath to protect the US Constitution.

He continued:

In a cover letter accompanying the whistleblower's complaint that ICIG Michael Atkinson wrote that the alleged conduct "would also potentially expose" Trump "to serious national security and counterintelligence risks with respect to foreign intelligence services aware of such alleged conduct. 

Atkinson also writes that the whistleblower's complaint amounts to a "serious or flagrant problem [or] abuse" under US statutes regarding the inspector general's office.

The comments were made in a letter sent to the the Acting DNI on August 26. Atkinson explains the reasoning behind his determination that the information amounted to an "urgent concern" writing.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire was just sworn in for his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.