WASHINGTON • The whistle-blower who revealed that United States President Donald Trump sought foreign help for his re-election bid and that the administration sought to cover it up is a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer who was detailed to work at the White House at one point, according to three people familiar with his identity.
The man has since returned to the CIA, they said.
Little else is known about him. His complaint, made public on Thursday, suggested that he was an analyst by training and made clear that he was steeped in details of US foreign policy towards Europe, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of Ukrainian politics and at least some knowledge of the law.
The whistle-blower's expertise will likely add to lawmakers' confidence about the merits of his complaint, and tamp down allegations that he might have misunderstood what he learnt about Mr Trump.
He did not listen directly to a July call between Mr Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that is at the centre of the political firestorm over Mr Trump's mixing of diplomacy with personal political gain.
Lawyers for the whistle-blower refused to confirm he worked for the CIA and said publishing information about him was dangerous. "Any decision to report any perceived identifying information of the whistle-blower is deeply concerning and reckless, as it can place the individual in harm's way," said lead counsel Andrew Bakaj, adding that he "has a right to anonymity".
A spokesman for Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire said protecting the whistle-blower was his office's highest priority. Mr Maguire said on Thursday: "We must protect those who demonstrate the courage to report alleged wrongdoing, whether on the battlefield or in the workplace."
He added that he did not know the whistle-blower's identity.
Mr Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times, said the paper was right to publish information about the whistle-blower.
"The role of the whistle-blower, including his credibility and his place in the government, is essential to understanding one of the most important issues facing the country - whether the President of the United States abused power and whether the White House covered it up."
Agents, officers and analysts from the military, intelligence and law enforcement communities routinely work at the White House. Often, they work on the National Security Council or help manage secure communications.
The CIA officer did not work on the communications team that handles calls with foreign leaders, according to the people familiar with his identity. He learnt about Mr Trump's conduct "in the course of official inter-agency business", according to the complaint.
Mr Trump took aim at his credibility on Thursday, attempting to dismiss his revelations because they were second-hand.
He also obliquely threatened the whistle-blower or his sources with punishment. "I want to know who's the person who gave the whistle-blower the information because that's close to a spy," he said.
"You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right?" he added. "We used to handle it a little differently than we do now."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday voiced concern over Mr Trump's comments. She said the House panels conducting the impeachment probe will make sure there is no retaliation against people who provided information in the case.
