Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has released the question that was blocked Wednesday and Thursday by Chief Justice John Roberts in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. Paul’s question deals with the origins of the impeachment inquiry and employs the name of the alleged whistleblower, not in that context but with regard to his relation with a NSC co-worker who moved on to the staff of Lead House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and whether they plotted to impeach Trump before the House impeachment proceedings started.
The question and answer sessions of the impeachment trial involve senators submitting written questions to Roberts who then reads them aloud for the House Managers and/or the President’s legal team to answer.
Paul tried to have the question asked on Wednesday, but Roberts had reportedly informed the Senate he would not ask questions that mentioned the name of the alleged whistleblower, Eric Ciaramella, prompting the GOP leadership to not allow the question to be submitted to Roberts. Paul could be heard from the gallery arguing about the cesnsoring of his question. He later said he would fight to get his question asked and succeeded on Thursday, speaking to Roberts that he was submitting the question. After the card with the question was delivered by a page to Roberts, Roberts read the question silently then announced, “The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted.”
NEW: "The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted," Chief Justice John Roberts said after Sen. Rand Paul submitted a question.
Paul left the chamber after Roberts declined to read his question. https://t.co/T1f9qedcWT pic.twitter.com/JCUpkvL7Uo
— ABC News (@ABC) January 30, 2020
Paul’s statement and the censored question:
My question today is about whether or not individuals who were holdovers from the Obama National Security Council and Democrat partisans conspired with Schiff staffers to plot impeaching the President before there were formal House impeachment proceedings.
My exact question was:
“Are you aware that House intelligence committee staffer Shawn Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together and are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings.”
My question is not about a “whistleblower” as I have no independent information on his identity. My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun.
My question today is about whether or not individuals who were holdovers from the Obama National Security Council and Democrat partisans conspired with Schiff staffers to plot impeaching the President before there were formal House impeachment proceedings.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020
My exact question was:
Are you aware that House intelligence committee staffer Shawn Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together 1/2
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020
and are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings. 2/2
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020
My question is not about a “whistleblower” as I have no independent information on his identity. My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020
Note: There is no legal requirement for the name of the alleged whistleblower to be kept secret, except by the Intelligence Community Inspector General to whom he reported Trump’s alleged Ukraine issues.
