By A Democratic career intelligence officer with more than a decade on the House Intelligence Committee says he repeatedly warned the FBI—beginning in 2017—that then-Rep. Adam Schiff authorized the leaking of classified information to politically wound President Donald Trump during the now-discredited Russiagate investigation. The charges, detailed in newly declassified FBI memoranda provided to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel and obtained by Just the News, outline a pattern of conduct the whistleblower called “unethical,” “illegal,” and “treasonous.”
FBI 302 interview reports describe the staffer—who said he was friendly with both Schiff, now a California senator, and former Republican Chairman Devin Nunes—attending a meeting where Schiff allegedly instructed aides to leak material damaging to Trump, asserting that it could be used to indict the president. When the whistleblower questioned the legality, other participants allegedly assured him they would “not be caught,” according to a bombshell report from Just The News.
The staffer took his concerns to the FBI’s Washington field office in early 2017, just weeks after Trump’s inauguration, and repeated them in a 2023 interview with agents in St. Louis. The memos also implicate Rep. Eric Swalwell, noting his “reputation” for leaking and citing a specific incident where a “particularly sensitive document” viewed by Schiff, Swalwell, and a small group of staffers was reported in the press almost verbatim within 24 hours.
Despite the claims, the Justice Department declined to investigate, citing the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause—an interpretation Schiff allegedly believed would shield him from prosecution. The whistleblower rejected that reading, noting there is no public legal opinion from the Attorney General or Solicitor General supporting it. He also alleged he was fired for lacking “party loyalty” after opposing the leak plan, a claim a Republican colleague corroborated to the FBI.
The declassified notes describe a “systematic process” in which Schiff’s staff director routed committee notes to Schiff for final decisions on what to leak. “For years, certain officials used their positions to selectively leak classified information to shape political narratives,” Patel told Just the News. “It was all done with one purpose: to weaponize intelligence and law enforcement for political gain. Those abuses eroded public trust in our institutions.”
In January 2023, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed both Schiff and Swalwell from the Intelligence panel, citing Schiff’s promotion of the Steele dossier and Swalwell’s reported ties to a suspected Chinese spy. McCarthy argued their conduct compromised the committee’s integrity; Democrats denounced the removals as political payback.
Further allegations surfaced in May 2023, when reports indicated Schiff pressured academics to substantiate false Trump-Russia allegations, leveraging federal funding for research. According to the Durham report, Schiff’s staff pressed Georgia Tech researchers in 2018 to dig into supposed Trump-Russia links, with one researcher saying a Schiff aide implied repercussions for non-compliance.
This was not Schiff’s only alleged dirty dealings while serving in the House of Representative. In July 2022, the now senator from California was also accused of trying to shield himself from oversight by adding language to the National Defense Authorization Act that would limit scrutiny of intelligence activities—an amendment critics saw as an attempt to cover tracks tied to his role in advancing the Russiagate storyline.
The whistleblower’s account adds to Schiff’s legal and political troubles, including a Justice Department referral for possible mortgage fraud. While the statute of limitations likely precludes prosecution for the alleged leaks, the disclosures could drive further congressional review—particularly as some DOJ officials who opted against action remain in senior roles.
The staffer also described to Just The News that the committee’s mood in the wake of the 2016 election, claiming Schiff expected to be named CIA director if Hillary Clinton won and was “deeply shaken” by Trump’s victory, which he viewed as a “constitutional crisis.” By February 2017, the whistleblower recalled, “all hell broke loose,” with a coordinated effort to push the Russia-interference narrative.
A central architect of the Trump-Russia storyline, Schiff championed the now-debunked Steele dossier and clashed openly with Nunes over its use. The 2019 Mueller report found no evidence of collusion; the 2023 Durham report criticized Schiff’s handling of intelligence, including his staff’s pressure on researchers. Schiff was censured by the House later that year for promoting false claims. The current architects of the “Russian Hoax” are currently facing investigations from the Department of Justice, including former president Barack Obama.
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