A Democratic whistleblower has told the FBI that Adam Schiff, a senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, approved leaking classified information to discredit President Donald Trump. The claims, revealed in newly-released documents obtained by media outlet Just The News and provided to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel, have sparked renewed scrutiny into the role of intelligence committees in politically sensitive investigations.
The whistleblower, who spent over a decade working on the Intelligence Committee, reported Schiff’s alleged conduct to the FBI in 2017. According to the documents, the individual described the leak as ‘treasonous’ and ‘illegal’, citing its potential to damage national security. The whistleblower’s account was recently corroborated during an interview with FBI in 2023, leading to the release of the findings.
Key details from the released documents indicate that the whistleblower attended a meeting where Schiff explicitly authorized the leak of classified materials. The whistleblower reported that Schiff informed the group that the information would be used to investigate Trump’s alleged wrongdoing, with the goal of ‘indicting the President’. While the whistleblower raised ethical and legal concerns, unnamed members of the meeting reassured that the leaks would not be traced back to them. The documents emphasize the whistleblower’s belief that the act was both immoral and unlawful.
The allegations come amid ongoing investigations into the role of intelligence committees in shaping political narratives. John Solomon, co-author of the report with Just The News’ Jerry Dunleavy, shared his perspective on Fox News’ Hannity show, stating that this is the first of several significant leak investigations expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed the release of the documents, stating that the FBI ‘found it and declassified it.’ Patel’s post on X emphasized that the release allows Congress to assess whether classified information was manipulated to influence public opinion, asserting that ‘our institutions were weaponized against the American people.’ The release has reignited debates about the integrity and autonomy of intelligence agencies in the face of political pressures.