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Trump denies promise that led to formal complaint from intelligence official Trump denies promise that led to formal complaint from intelligence official
(about 3 hours later)
Donald Trump has denied a report alleging he made a promise to a foreign leader, something that sparked a whistleblower's formal complaint.Donald Trump has denied a report alleging he made a promise to a foreign leader, something that sparked a whistleblower's formal complaint.
The Washington Post said the intelligence official found the comment "so troubling" they went to the department's inspector general.The Washington Post said the intelligence official found the comment "so troubling" they went to the department's inspector general.
In a tweet, Mr Trump dismissed the claims as "fake news".In a tweet, Mr Trump dismissed the claims as "fake news".
Democrats are trying to get the complaint turned over to Congress, with the details still unknown.Democrats are trying to get the complaint turned over to Congress, with the details still unknown.
What do we know about the complaint?
Only a few details about the complaint, which was filed on 12 August, have been made public.
Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson said the complaint consists of a "serious or flagrant problem, abuse or violation of the law" that involves classified information, a letter to lawmakers revealed.Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson said the complaint consists of a "serious or flagrant problem, abuse or violation of the law" that involves classified information, a letter to lawmakers revealed.
It is not yet known who made the complaint, which foreign leader Mr Trump was speaking to, what promise - if any - was made and whether Mr Trump took any action as a result.It is not yet known who made the complaint, which foreign leader Mr Trump was speaking to, what promise - if any - was made and whether Mr Trump took any action as a result.
However, the Washington Post and the New York Times both said at least part of the complaint related to Ukraine, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.However, the Washington Post and the New York Times both said at least part of the complaint related to Ukraine, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.
The complaint was filed on 12 August, and Mr Trump had spoken by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy two and a half weeks before that. The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has so far refused to share any details of the complaint with lawmakers, leading to an outcry among Democrats.
House Democrats have been investigating whether Mr Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani tried to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate former Vice-President Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden, who previously served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. What sort of allegations have there been involving Ukraine?
Earlier this month, before the whistleblower's complaint came to light, House Democrats launched an investigation into Mr Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani's interactions with Ukraine.
Three Democratic panel heads - Eliot Engel (foreign affairs), Adam Schiff (intelligence) and Elijah Cummings (oversight) - said Mr Trump and Mr Giuliani had attempted "to manipulate the Ukrainian justice system to benefit the president's re-election campaign and target a possible political opponent".
They allege that Mr Trump and Mr Giuliani attempted to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who previously served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.
Joe Biden is currently seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.Joe Biden is currently seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
Mr Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call on 25 July, two and a half weeks before the complaint was filed.
Is Ukraine's leader being punished?
Analysis by Jonah Fisher, BBC Kiev correspondent
No-one in Ukraine's presidential administration wants to talk about the 25 July phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, or respond to the claims that Mr Trump asked Ukraine to investigate his possible opponent in 2020 in return for continued US military support.
There are a few circumstantial clues.
Firstly, the Ukrainian readout of the call refers to Mr Trump being "convinced" that the new government will "complete (the) investigation of corruption cases, which inhibited the interaction between Ukraine and the USA".
Is that a diplomatic reference to the US president asking for a probe into Mr Biden?
There's then the question as to why President Trump has kept Ukraine's new leader at arms' length since his election in April.
Two hundred and fifty million dollars in US military assistance for Ukraine was mysteriously held up by the White House this summer, and a long-mooted visit for President Zelensky to Washington has still not materialised.
Is Ukraine's leader being punished for refusing to play ball?
How have Trump and Giuliani responded?
On Thursday afternoon, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that he knew all his phone calls to foreign leaders were listened to by US agencies.On Thursday afternoon, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that he knew all his phone calls to foreign leaders were listened to by US agencies.
"Knowing all of this, is anybody dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader," he asked."Knowing all of this, is anybody dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader," he asked.
Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire has so far refused to share any details of the complaint with lawmakers, leading to an outcry among Democrats. Meanwhile, Mr Giuliani gave an interview to CNN where he both confirmed, and denied, that he had asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democratic California congressman, praised the whistleblower for coming forward after a closed hearing with Mr Atkinson on Thursday. He explained the contradiction by saying that he had asked Ukraine "to look into the allegations that related to my client, which tangentially involved Joe Biden in a massive bribery scheme".
He also accused the White House and justice department of intervening to block the complaint from being shared with Congress. Mr Trump and his fellow Republicans have questioned whether it represented a conflict of interest that Hunter Biden had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.
"I believe that there is an effort to prevent this information getting to Congress," said Mr Schiff. In May, Ukraine's prosecutor general said there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe or Hunter Biden.
"And if the assertion is accurate... then at one level or another, it likely involves either the president or people around him." Why hasn't the whistleblower's complaint been shared?
Trump vs spies The whistleblower shared their complaint with Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who is responsible for conducting independent audits and investigations across the intelligence community.
Analysis by Tara McKelvey, White House reporter Under US law, if the complaint is considered to be of "urgent concern", and if the inspector general considers the complaint to be "credible", then it is submitted to the head of that department, who is expected to share the information with Congress within seven days.
Many of those who work in the US intelligence services don't trust Trump. They don't think that he can keep a secret (he apparently revealed classified information to Russians in the Oval Office), and they don't like the way he talks about them (in a tweet about a news leak, he compared them to Nazis). However, the acting director of national intelligence (DNI), Joseph Macguire, has so far not released the information.
The controversy over the president's "promise" to a foreign leader during a phone call - and a whistleblower complaint about the matter - is a reminder of the acrimonious relationship between the president and those who work in the intelligence services. A lawyer for Mr Macguire's office said in a letter to lawmakers that the complaint "does not meet the definition of urgent concern".
Yet like much of what happens in the world of intelligence, the matter is shrouded in mystery. It's still unclear whom the president spoke to, for example, or what he said. In this case, though, some of these questions will be addressed during a House intelligence committee scheduled for next week, and more information may be available to the public. The complaint "concerned conduct by someone outside the intelligence community and did not relate to any 'intelligence activity' under the DNI's supervision", the letter said.
As Trump himself would say: stay tuned. It also involved "potentially privileged matters", the letter added.
Mr Atkinson told lawmakers in a letter that he disagreed with the DNI's assessment, and believed the complaint "relates to one of the most significant and important of the DNI's responsibilities to the American people".
However, Mr Atkinson added that he was bound by the acting director of national intelligence's decision.
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