Whistleblower on Trump-Ukraine contacts is a CIA officer: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The whistleblower who said U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden is a CIA officer and at one point was assigned to work at the White House, two sources familiar with the probe into his complaint confirmed on Thursday.

The New York Times first identified the whistleblower as a CIA officer, which Reuters has independently confirmed.

Mark Zaid, a Washington lawyer who represents the whistleblower, declined to confirm the identity or occupation of his client.

“Publishing details about the whistleblower will only lead to identification of someone, whether our client or the wrong person, as the whistleblower. This will place this individual in a much more dangerous situation, not only in their professional world but also their possible personal safety,” Zaid told Reuters.

A CIA spokesman referred inquiries to the office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.