President Donald Trump and many Republicans have said that the whistleblower who launched the Democrats' impeachment inquiry should be revealed – and forced to testify.
Newly elected Republican Congressman Dan Bishop of Charlotte has gone a step further – naming the person whom he believes is the whistleblower.
On social media Monday evening, Bishop wrote that he refuses "to cower before the authoritarian intimidation campaign."
He added that the whistleblower is "not Voldemort" – a reference to a character in the Harry Potter novels who was so frightening that no one would say his name.
Bishop also wrote that the person who reported the president’s call about Ukraine is "not a bona fide whistleblower." And that, "even if he were, he wouldn’t be entitled to secrecy."
Bishop then wrote the name of a person, whom he said is a "deep state conspirator." He wrote that person needs to testify now.
Bishop and his staff didn’t return phone calls from WFAE on Tuesday.
So far, major media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR and Fox News have not named the whistleblower. However, a Fox News contributor did mention the name of the alleged whistleblower on the network’s Media Buzz panel Sunday.
Some conservative media outlets such as the Washington Examiner have reported on the name of an intelligence officer – the same person Bishop mentioned -- as the alleged whistleblower.
David Colapinto is an attorney with The National Whistleblowers Center in Washington D.C., which provides legal assistance to whistleblowers – although it’s not representing the person at the center of the Ukraine investigation.
He said he hasn't see another member of Congress go as far as Bishop, in putting out a name of whom they believe the whistleblower is.
"I think that (Republican Kentucky Senator) Rand Paul came close to doing it, and said he might do it, but I haven't seen anyone else," he said.
Colapinto said that he believes Bishop's post was meant to discredit the whistleblower – and to silence other people from coming forward.
"This is a very dangerous process, and it's a game that could be very, very dangerous that could end up in physical harm," he said. "It should end immediately."
Bishop won the 9th District Special Election in September. President Trump has called for the whistleblower to testify, but has not made an allegation as to who the person is.
The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., did retweet an article that alleged who the whistleblower is.
Copyright 2021 WFAE. To see more, visit WFAE. 9(MDAxNzg0MDExMDEyMTYyMjc1MDE3NGVmMw004))
