Trump Says "Shifty Schiff" Helped Write Whistleblower Complaint After Spokesman Admits Advance Knowledge

A spokesman for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, confirmed Wednesday that the whistleblower claiming misconduct in the White House had contacted Schiff’s panel before filing a complaint. This prompted President Trump to hold a news conference at the White House, accusing Schiff directly of helping to write the whistleblower complaint.
“It shows that Schiff is a fraud. I think it’s a scandal that he knew before,” Trump said. “I’d go a step further. I’d say he probably helped write it. That’s a big story. He knew long before, and he helped write it to. It’s a scam.”
President Trump referred to Schiff, who claimed to have surefire evidence that Trump illegally conspired with the Russians, as “Shifty Schiff” and stated that the Democrats impeachment inquiry was a “fraudulent crime on the American people.”
Earlier this morning, Trump described the inquiry as “BULLSH*T” and called Schiff a “lowlife.” He also mocked Schiff for reciting an inaccurate, exaggerated version of the president’s call with the Ukraine President, something Schiff tried to then pass off as a parody.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179422987684077568
 
The President also called Joe and Hunter Biden “Stone cold crooked,” commenting on Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine while his father was vice president. Trump then went on to threaten litigation for false accusations by “the fake news media” and “in many cases, the corrupt media.”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179502966606352386
 
Bizarrely, it was the New York Times who broke the story that Schiff had learned about the whistleblower’s complaint days before it was filed. Speaking to Fox News, Schiff ‘s office denied the intelligence committee had reviewed or received the complaint in advance, but they did mainly confirm the Times article.
Republicans have suggested that others beside chef may have had advance notice. For example, House Republican Conference Chairman Liz Cheney demanded answers in a tweet of how much Nancy Pelosi knew after comments she made on CBS Sunday night.

Unfit ⁦@RepAdamSchiff⁩ and @SpeakerPelosi must come clean. The American people deserve the truth.

What did ⁦@RepAdamSchiff⁩, @SpeakerPelosi and other Dems know and when did they know it? https://t.co/QdVSxnTMDJ via @NYTimes

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 2, 2019