Rand Paul/Justice Roberts Clash Over Whistleblower Question

Sen. Rand Paul and a question about the Ukraine whistleblower was shut down by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts.

Press Conference During the Trial

“The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted,” Roberts said when Paul’s question was presented.

After the shutdown, the senator stormed out of the trial to have a press conference on the spot, in which he read the question anyway:

“As you may have noticed we had something slightly atypical downstairs. I asked a question and the question was refused,” Paul told reporters.

“How do you respond to reports that [they] may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings?” Paul said was the question he wrote.

The question includes two names, which were not read, but describes a close relationship between an intel committee staff member and the alleged whistleblower while they were on the National Security Council. Another question Paul had was whether or not the White House counsel and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff were aware of the two’s connection, and since Schiff reportedly doesn’t know who the whistleblower is, how do you decide who deserves whistleblower protections and who doesn’t?

“It makes no reference to anybody who may or may not be a whistleblower,” Paul said.

The shutdown of Paul’s question was not unexpected, as Roberts refused to answer another of the senator’s questions the day before, as well as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hinting at trouble in his Thursday afternoon’s opening comments.

“We were able to get through nearly a hundred questions yesterday. Senators posed constructive questions and the parties were succinct and responsive. So I’d like to compliment all who participated yesterday. We’ve been respectful of the Chief Justice’s unique position in reading our questions and I want to be able to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue,” he said.

Today remains a very important date for both parties in the trial as senators will hold a vote on whether or not to open up the floor to new witnesses and documents.