Ethics complaint filed against Democrat lawmaker who attempted to discredit FBI whistleblowers

Former Trump advisor Kash Patel's lawyer filed an ethics complaint against New York Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman, who claimed the FBI whistleblowers were "bought and paid for" by Patel. 

Patel’s attorney also sent a criminal referral to Attorney General Merrick Garland, according to The Federalist.

On May 18, Goldman put out a tweet that the FBI whistleblowers testifying before the Subcommittee on Weaponization were paid for by Patel. 

“The clear implication” of Goldman’s tweet, according to Patel, was “that the witnesses lied under oath in exchange for payment by Mr. Patel.” In the same tweet, which was viewed by more than 4 million users, Goldman asserted Patel was “under investigation by the DOJ for leaking classified information.”  

"By publishing lies about a private citizen on his official Twitter account, Goldman violated Rule XXIII of the House of Representatives rules, which provides that a member shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House,” the ethics complaint, obtained by The Federalist, read. 

The three whistleblowers testifying before the committee earlier this year lost their security clearances after speaking out against alleged FBI corruption.

During the hearing, Goldman asked one of the whistleblowers, Steve Friend, if he was a charitable organization. 

“I was an unpaid, indefinitely suspended man trying to feed his family,” whistleblower Steve Friend answered. “And he’s reached out to me and said he wanted to give me a donation.”

Kash Patel told Just the News in a statement that the witnesses had their lives destroyed and he set up a fund for them so they could feed their families after the FBI suspended them without pay and left them unable to afford groceries.

"The Kash Foundation is Mission First, all day every day," the statement reads. "We provide support to brave Patriots who protect our nation while the radical left and government gangsters destroy the essence of our republic with their two tier system of justice. Having a charitable foundation is not a monopoly they own."

"We are committed to the truth and give financial assistance to those in need, especially the courageous Americans who shed sunlight on government corruption," the statement concluded.