Trump ally, Senator Rand Paul, is claiming that the Constitution provides the basis for the partisan whistleblower to be revealed to the public.
According to The Daily Caller:
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul brought up the Constitution and the Sixth Amendment when a reporter challenged his efforts to publicly reveal the identity of the whistleblower whose allegations kicked off a renewed interest in impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Paul addressed the question Tuesday after taking the stage at Trump’s Monday rally in his home state and demanding that the press publish the whistleblower’s name.
Question: “Your colleagues, Republicans, say that it’s irresponsible and dangerous for your call to out the whistleblower.”
Sen. Rand Paul: “You’ve heard of the Constitution, right? The Constitution has the Sixth Amendment.” pic.twitter.com/IVWLmuTr0F
— The Hill (@thehill) November 5, 2019
Paul went on to explain that the Sixth Amendment included the right of the accused to confront any accusers, suggesting that allowing the whistleblower to remain anonymous would then be a de facto denial of Trump’s Sixth Amendment rights.
Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham also argued that the whistleblower was not guaranteed anonymity, telling reporters, “The whistleblower statute was never meant to give you anonymity. It was meant to allow you to come forward without being fired.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham: “The whistleblower statute was never meant to give you anonymity.” pic.twitter.com/rt67pie3Tl
— The Hill (@thehill) November 5, 2019
Many have argued that the whistleblower should be made anonymous in order to incentive people to come forward to expose government corruption. Paul argues that should end when someone is accused and tried for a crime.
