GOP Rep. Gohmert publicly names person some Republicans say is whistleblower

Image: Louie Gohmert
Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill. on Dec. 11, 2019. Copyright Jacquelyn Martin AP
By Dareh Gregorian and Dartunorro Clark with NBC News Politics
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Democrats had asked the name not be mentioned for safety and privacy reasons.

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Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on impeachment, said the name of a person whom Republicans believe is the whistleblower who sparked the inquiry against President Donald Trump.

The Texas lawmaker said the person's name while rattling off a list of witnesses he said should have been called in the impeachment inquiry.

"Now that we have the articles of impeachment — a vague abuse of power, obstruction of Congress — the very things the majority has done in preventing us from having the witness that could shed light on this, not opinion but fact witnesses, we need to hear from those witnesses," Gohmert said. He then proceeded to say a list of names of witness he wanted to testify which included the person alleged to be the whistleblower.

NBC News is not reporting the name.

In his remarks, Gohmert did not specifically identify the person as the person as the whistleblower.

Democrats have repeatedly asked Republicans not to say the name of anyone believed to be the whistleblower, citing legal privacy and safety issues. Gohmert was the first to do so.

"House Republicans just committed an incredible and outrageous breach. The President threatened the whistleblower with violence, and whether the person just named is the whistleblower or not they were just put in real danger," Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., tweeted after Gohmert's statement. "This is unacceptable and there should be consequences."

Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, had called for the media to out the whistleblower last month at a rally for the president, who's repeatedly lashed out at the whistleblower.

"I say tonight to the media, do your job and print his name," Paul said.

That got some pushback from other Republicans.

"I believe in personal privacy, particularly as it relates to a whistleblower, and think that would be most unfortunate," Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said then.

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