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Golden Statement on Intelligence Community Whistleblower Complaint Allegations

September 24, 2019

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement today in regards to new reports of misconduct contained in an Intelligence Community whistleblower complaint:

"The willingness of the President to legitimize or even entertain the involvement of foreign entities in domestic affairs is of grave concern. As I stated about the findings of the Mueller investigation, we are seeing in this administration a fundamental failure to put the interests of the country ahead of political gain. I believe it is important to be honest that there has been a growing cancer among the Washington establishment for far too long that has enabled foreign interests to seep into our politics. But to be clear: the president's statements and reported actions raise novel and serious questions about his commitment to putting the good of the country before his own interests. I believe that any leader of this nation, at any level of government, who actively seeks to involve foreign entities in American politics, especially in our campaigns and elections, is betraying the good faith of the American people.

"We are a nation of laws, and it would be dangerous to ignore the importance of process in making political decisions. Congress has a duty to seek out and carefully examine all of the available evidence before taking action. The more serious the matter at hand, the more important that principle is. A whistleblower complaint has been filed by a member of our nation's Intelligence Community. What we know about its content is primarily based on speculation and anonymous media sources. Congress must acquire all of the facts. That is why Congress must insist upon receiving full access to the whistleblower's complaint.

"The law is clear: the Acting Director of National Intelligence (ADNI) must forward the whistleblower's complaint to both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. Intelligence Committee members from both parties must have an opportunity to fully examine the information. The ADNI must also ensure that the whistleblower is protected against retaliation by the White House. This isn't negotiable—it's the law. The House of Representatives must take every action necessary to combat this administration's stonewalling of the rule of law. Ensuring that the Intelligence Committees receive the full text of the whistleblower's complaint is a necessary first step." - Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)