Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan sparred with Democratic New York Rep. Daniel Goldman over disclosing the identity of whistleblowers at the House Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Thursday.
Goldman asked Jordan, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, when they will receive information and transcripts of whistleblowers who had been called to testify before him and his staff as evidence in the House Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing.
“Mr. Chairman, could I have a point of order?” Goldman asked. “There have been a lot of mention of information and testimony that you all have received from whistleblowers, but when are you planning on providing that to the minority?”
“You could have been for the very first deposition, or seen me transcribe the interview of the whistleblower, I was there when he testified on Tuesday.”
“Okay, that’s fine, I assume you’ll turn those over,” Goldman said. “But you talk about dozens of whistleblowers, when are we gonna get that information?”
“When they testify, I’ll work with the ranking member on that issue,” Jordan said. (RELATED: Rep. Jim Jordan Says Former Twitter Execs ‘Got Played By The FBI’)
Jordan said the first testimony from whistleblowers occurred Wednesday, the rest will happen Friday and another will happen the next week and the transcriptions will be provided then. Goldman asked if the Democratic members will be handed a transcript in order to have knowledge on the matter.
The chairman argued that House Republicans did not receive transcripts or the identity of whistleblowers during the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump, in which Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff denied he had had any contact with a whistleblower. It was later revealed that the whistleblower met with an unidentified Schiff aide.
“We’re doing it the way we’re supposed to be doing it, Mr. Goldman,” Jordan continued.
“No, you’re supposed to turn it over to the minority,” the Democratic congressman pushed back.
“When they come and testify, you’ll have access to the transcript like everyone on the committee will,” Jordan said.
“You mean your staff is not going to turn it over to our staff, we’re just in the dark?” he asked.
“No, when the transcript is done, you will get the transcript,” Jordan said.
“I mean of the dozens of whistleblowers you have already talked to, that came to talk to your staff,” he said.
He asked Jordan if his staff recorded any notes regarding when the whistleblowers came to testify, and the chairman said he will schedule a deposition and provide all of the information. Goldman then told Jordan he did not know about the first deposition and thus did not show up, to which Jordan argued there were Democrats present.