Whistleblower spoke to Schiff aides before filing complaint

MARY CLARE JALONICK
Updated
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., pauses for a question at a news conference with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as House Democrats move ahead in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A whistleblower who raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine spoke to staffers on the House Intelligence Committee before filing the formal complaint.

That’s according to a spokesman for the committee’s chairman, California Rep. Adam Schiff.

Spokesman Patrick Boland said the whistleblower contacted the committee for guidance on how to report “possible wrongdoing,”

Boland issued the statement after The New York Times first reported the interaction.

He said that “at no point did the committee review or receive the complaint in advance” and that it is a regular occurrence for whistleblowers to seek guidance from the committee.

Trump seized on the interaction to criticize Schiff, who has a leading role in the Democratic impeachment investigation. Schiff said his office acted appropriately.