Whistleblower Aid’s Andrew Bakaj spoke out forcefully in the wake of today’s Oval Office confrontation between President Trump and President Zelensky. He addressed the parallels between the infamous “Ukraine phone call” reported by a whistleblower he represented and today’s events in the Oval Office, as well as the past month’s dismantling of government oversight and accountability mechanisms. In many respects, today’s events are a climax to President Trump’s attempted 2019 extortion of Ukraine:

“Today’s events in the Oval Office are a culmination of President Trump’s attempted 2019 extortion of Ukraine when President Trump tried – in secret – to hold hostage a desperate Ukraine fighting for its survival. A whistleblower – who I advised and represented – came forward to the Intelligence Community Inspector General, triggering an independent investigation. Today is different – and in many ways much worse. 

“Over the past month’s dismantling of the oversight mechanisms that ensure that our nation’s leaders conduct themselves ethically and with integrity, the President became emboldened to extort Ukraine in public view. By referencing the Javelins he held hostage for dirt on a political opponent during the 2019 phone call as well the accountability he faced for his misconduct during his first term, the President underscored the dangers our nation and the world face when a president has unchecked power. We as a nation crossed a vast rubicon that moves us all toward a more precarious place – the fight for accountability will never stop.”