A Democrat whistleblower’s claims, backed up by newly released FBI interview reports, are now putting Sen. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) political career in danger. If the whistleblower’s story is true and prosecutors go after the case, Schiff could face not only the end of his political career, but also huge fines and long prison sentences.
Tolman said that the legal risks could grow quickly: “It depends on the counts in the indictment…” Every leak that is charged can cost up to $250,000.
The accusations go back to Schiff’s time in the U.S. House, when he was the top member of the House Intelligence Committee during the Trump-Russia investigation and later became its chairman.
The whistleblower, who had worked for Democrats on the committee for more than ten years, told the FBI many times starting in 2017 that Schiff had given the go-ahead for leaking classified information to the press to hurt then-President Donald Trump.
The whistleblower said that Schiff told everyone at an all-staff meeting that “the group would leak classified information that was bad for President Donald J. Trump” and that “the leaks would be used to indict President Trump.”
The whistleblower said he immediately spoke out against the plan, telling Schiff that it was “unethical and possibly treasonous.” But other people told him that “we would not be caught leaking classified information.”
The source told federal agents that Schiff thought he had been promised the job of CIA Director if Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election. The whistleblower said that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was probably the source of the leaks and that he was fired right away after talking to the FBI about it.
The whistleblower says that even though the accusations were serious, FBI leaders, including Director Christopher Wray, did nothing. He says he told the same story to agents from the bureau’s St. Louis office in 2023, and nothing happened again.
Former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman is now warning Schiff about the possible penalties he could face if prosecutors decide to file charges. Tolman told political commentator Benny Johnson that leaking classified information can lead to serious criminal and financial penalties.
“Yeah.” “The fine is up to $250,000 for every leak that’s charged,” Tolman told Johnson. “It depends on how many counts are in the indictment.” “Also, remember that some of the punishment depends on why the classified information was leaked or why someone had it illegally. The goal becomes very important.
Tolman said that the circumstances surrounding the leak could be very important in deciding what punishment to give.
“I think this was basically the start of a plot to bring down a president and make it harder for him to lead,” he said. “Other laws exist, such as those against conspiracy and interfering with official proceedings. Many people want to know, “Is it treason?” You probably don’t meet the requirements for treason, but there are some other crimes that could apply.
Tolman said that if prosecutors found an intent “to undermine the United States,” the penalties could be “up to 20 years in federal prison.”
Critics say that the FBI’s lack of action on the allegations is part of a pattern under Director Wray of protecting people with political connections. Kash Patel, who used to work for Trump, says the FBI is ignoring serious wrongdoing while going after political opponents with a lot of force.
Patel says that the FBI’s use of secret informants before the January 6 protests shows that the agency knew what would happen but didn’t do anything about it.
Schiff has not yet made a public statement about the new claims. In the past, he has denied leaking classified information and called such accusations partisan attacks meant to undermine his work as an overseer.
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