Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“The whistleblower statement paints a stark picture of a president severely abusing his power. He twisted the tools of American foreign policy to pressure a foreign government into smearing his political opponent. The very credible detail in the document only underscores the concerns that led the Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight Committees to launch a joint investigation earlier this month. Indeed, the allegations match up point for point to the record of President Trump’s phone call with the President of Ukraine. Worse, the allegations provide troubling new information of a coverup, that the record of the phone call was classified to hide it at the direction of White House officials.

“As Chairman of the Committee that oversees the State Department and the conduct of American foreign policy, I’m especially concerned that Trump appointees at the Department are deeply entangled in this scandal. The State Department is facing a deadline today to produce records about this situation that we requested weeks ago. Make no mistake: whether the Department cooperates or not, we will get the information we’re seeking. Along with Chairmen Schiff and Cummings, I will continue to press ahead full-steam on this investigation until the American people get the answers they deserve.

“Whoever the whistleblower is, that person is a patriot. The Director of National Intelligence told the country today that he or she acted in good faith under the law. This person must be protected at all costs so that others who witness abuses and violations of the law feel confident when coming forward. The information this person provided may prove pivotal as our Constitution is being tested and our democracy is in crisis.”

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