Chief Justice John Roberts refused to disclose the alleged whistleblower’s name at the Senate impeachment trial on Thursday.
The informant initially lodged a formal complaint against President Donald Trump with the Select Committee in August of 2019, setting the impeachment proceedings in motion.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has twice posed a question during the Q&A section of the impeachment proceedings Wednesday and then on Thursday, only to be blocked by Roberts.
Paul posed the queries to reveal further information about the original complainant.
Roberts, who is overseeing the trial, however, reiterated on Thursday that he would not enable parties to mention the whistleblower’s name in the Q&A segment of the Senate trial, which began Wednesday.
Paul’s adamant efforts to leak the name of the informant irked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and other top Republican leadership who also are in favor of concealing the identity of the whistleblower.
He complained that the question had been relevant because it precisely dealt with the origin of the Ukraine probe.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also asked a question, which would potentially reveal characteristics and the name of the alleged informant.
“We’ve got members who, as you have already determined I think, have an interest in questions related to the whistleblower,” Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-South Dakota) stated. “But I suspect that won’t happen. I don’t think that happens. And I guess I would hope it doesn’t.”
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) identified a person believed to be the whistleblower in the Judiciary Committee.
