A Democrat whistleblower’s allegations, backed by newly declassified FBI interview reports, are now threatening to upend the political career of Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA)
If the whistleblower’s account is accurate and prosecutors pursue the case, Schiff could face not only career-ending political consequences but also staggering financial penalties and lengthy prison terms. As Tolman noted, the legal exposure could multiply quickly: “It depends on the counts in the indictment… The fine is up to $250,000 for every leak that’s charged.”
The claims date back to Schiff’s time in the U.S. House, when he served as the ranking member — and later chairman — of the House Intelligence Committee during the Trump–Russia investigation.
According to Just The News, the whistleblower, who worked for Democrats on the committee for more than a decade, repeatedly told the FBI starting in 2017 that Schiff had authorized leaking classified intelligence to the media to damage then-President Donald Trump.
The whistleblower said that in an all-staff meeting, Schiff declared that “the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States Donald J. Trump” and that the leaks “would be used to indict President Trump.”
The whistleblower claimed he immediately objected, telling Schiff the plan was “unethical and possibly treasonous,” but was assured by others that “we would not be caught leaking classified information.”
The source also told federal agents that Schiff believed he had been promised the position of CIA Director if Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election. The whistleblower identified Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) as a likely conduit for the leaks and said he was abruptly fired after raising the issue with the FBI.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the whistleblower says FBI leadership, including Director Christopher Wray, did nothing. He claims to have repeated the same account to agents from the bureau’s St. Louis office in 2023, again with no action taken.
Now, former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman is warning of the potential penalties Schiff could face if prosecutors were to bring charges. In a conversation with political commentator Benny Johnson, Tolman explained that leaking classified information carries steep financial and criminal penalties.
“Yeah. I mean, the fine is up to $250,000 for every leak that’s charged, so it depends on the counts in the indictment,” Tolman told Johnson. “Also, keep in mind, some of the punishment hinges on the purpose of the classified leak or the possession of classified documentation illegally. The purpose becomes very important.”
Tolman said the context of the leak could prove decisive in determining punishment.
“I believe this was, in essence, the beginning of a conspiracy to take down a president, to impact his ability to lead,” he said. “There are other statutes — conspiracy statutes, interference with official proceedings, et cetera. A lot of people have a question about treason — ‘Is it treason?’ You probably don’t satisfy the elements for treason, but there are some related crimes that could come into play.”
Tolman added that if prosecutors found an intent “to undermine the United States,” the penalties could reach “up to 20 years in federal prison.”
The FBI’s inaction on the allegations fits into what critics describe as a pattern under Director Wray of shielding politically connected figures. Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official, has accused the bureau of ignoring serious misconduct while aggressively targeting political opponents.
Patel has pointed to the FBI’s use of confidential informants ahead of the Jan. 6 protests as proof that the agency had foreknowledge of events but failed to act appropriately.
Schiff has not yet issued a public response to the newly surfaced allegations. In the past, he has denied leaking classified material and characterized such claims as partisan attacks meant to discredit his oversight work.
President Donald Trump on Saturday went after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), again invoking her Somali heritage and urging her to “go back,” a line he has used several times since taking office.“She should go back!” Trump said on Truth Social, alongside a video clip of Omar speaking to a crowd in which she said her allegiance would always be with her native country.
It was not immediately clear when the video was recorded, but the footage has circulated for weeks on conservative-leaning social media accounts.Omar was born in Somalia and fled the country’s civil war at age 8, later spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before coming to the United States in 1995.She became an American citizen in 2000 and has served in Congress since 2019.Trump’s latest post quickly gained traction online, with supporters including conservative activist Laura Loomer amplifying it across social media platforms.
The former president’s comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Omar’s record in Congress and her frequent clashes with House Republicans.It is not the first time in recent months that Trump has suggested Omar should be removed from the country.
“You know, I met the head of Somalia, did you know that?” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in September.
“And I suggested that maybe he’d like to take her back,” Trump said. “He said, ‘I don’t want her.’”
exchange echoed comments Trump made during his first term, when he accused Omar and other members of the so-called “Squad” of “telling us how to run our country.”
Omar has often been one of Trump’s most frequent critics, accusing him of using race and religion as political weapons.
Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest remarks.
Speaking Friday on “The Dean Obeidallah Show,” Omar dismissed talk of deportation or citizenship challenges.
“I have no worry,” she said. “I don’t know how they’d take away my citizenship and, like, deport me.”
“But I don’t even know why that’s such a scary threat,” Omar added. “I’m not the 8-year-old who escaped war anymore. I’m grown, my kids are grown. I could go live wherever I want if I wanted to.”
“It’s a weird thing to wake up every single day to bring that into every single conversation — ‘we’re gonna deport Ilhan,’” she said.
Omar faced new calls for her removal from office and even the revocation of her U.S. citizenship last month after she reposted a video online that accused Kirk of denying “the genocide happening in Palestine” and spreading “racist dog whistles.”
In a separate interview with broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, she described herself as “mortified” by Kirk’s murder and expressed empathy for his wife and two children, but also criticized his positions on race relations and gun rights, particularly in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Her remarks drew immediate backlash from Republicans, who accused Omar of downplaying the tragedy and fueling political division. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), whose office is near Omar’s on Capitol Hill, introduced a resolution to censure her and remove her from House committees. That motion failed by a single vote, 214–213, after four Republicans joined Democrats to table it.
Mace has since gone further, suggesting Omar’s U.S. citizenship should be revoked. “We would love to see you deported back to Somalia next,” Mace wrote in a social media post. Others online echoed similar calls, citing longstanding allegations that Omar committed immigration and marriage fraud.
Adding to the controversy is renewed attention to Omar’s late father, Nur Omar Mohamed. Somali-language obituaries described him as a senior officer in the regime of dictator Siad Barre, which ruled Somalia for decades and carried out atrocities against rival ethnic groups.
Fact-checking organizations like Snopes and Politifact disputed those claims in 2019, describing Nur as a “teacher trainer.