Sammy The "Whistleblower"
When one of my sons was very young he had an imaginary friend whom he called Sammy. My wife and I have taken to referring to the Dems' imaginary "whistleblower" as Sammy.
And it turns out, according to the WaPo (via GP) that the Dems want to keep Sammy imaginary:
House Democrats are weighing extraordinary steps to secure testimony from a whistleblower whose complaint prompted an impeachment inquiry, masking his identity to prevent President Trump’s congressional allies from exposing the individual, according to three officials familiar with the deliberations.
The steps under consideration include having the whistleblower testify from a remote location and obscuring the individual’s appearance and voice, these officials said.
Also:
Andrew P. Bakaj, a lawyer representing the whistleblower, sent a letter to acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire expressing fears for his client’s safety. Bakaj also noted that “certain individuals” have issued a $50,000 “bounty” for “any information” relating to his client’s identity.
Um, is there a problem with an accuser's identity being known? In the past Trump has had many accusers. To the best of my knowledge their identities have all been revealed--indeed, these accusers appeared eager to have their identities known. Their accusations were regularly claimed by the Dems' media surrogates to be a threat to Trump's presidency, yet they didn't appear to fear for their safety. In the circumstances, I think the American public is owed an explanation--a very specific explanation--for why this lawyer Bakaj has "fears for his client's safety." Further it seems distinctly Un-American to withhold the identity of an accuser without such an explanation.
I understand this isn't a criminal proceeding-although Dems are expressing the desire that Trump be placed in solitary confinement. Nevertheless, it seems reasonable to me that in such a consequential proceeding the spirit of the Sixth Amendment should govern:
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
It seems only a matter of time before the American people will reject this patently unfair inquisition.