Democratic counsel for the House Intelligence Committee Daniel Goldman had a very rough day on Monday. In the absence of the repellent and cowardly Adam Schiff, he quickly became the target of Republicans’ anger and frustration with the sham impeachment hearings, and had several contentious exchanges with them.

In his capacity as the Intel committee’s top lawyer and director of investigations, he almost surely was in on or at the very least, aware of, the whistleblower’s interaction with the committee. Although all of Washington and Americans who have been following the impeachment story have known the identity of the so-called whistleblower for months, Democrats continue to insist that his testimony is irrelevant. Republicans argue that he is not a true whistleblower and anyone who triggers the impeachment of the President of the United States needs to testify.

In the clip below, freshman Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) questions Goldman about the whistleblower, who is believed to be CIA officer Eric Ciaramella.

Steube asks, “On October 2, the New York Times reported that a whistleblower approached a House Intelligence Committee aide with his concerns about Mr. Trump. Is that accurate?

Goldman pauses, then responds, “Sorry, say. that again.”

Steube repeats the question and Goldman replies, “I think the whistleblower’s concerns about President Trump are from the threats – ”

His words are then drowned out by an increasingly annoyed Steube who says, “No, that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking did the whistleblower approach a House Intelligence Committee member. Let me ask you a different way. Have you had any communications with the whistleblower?”

Goldman dodges again. “As I said earlier in response to questions from your colleagues, I’m not going to get into any – ”

Goldman is immediately interrupted by Steube. “So, you’re refusing to answer whether you’ve communicated with the whistleblower?”

Goldman answers, “The whistleblower is not relevant to this report.”

Steube pounces on that statement. “He’s the whole basis of the beginning of this investigation. He’s absolutely relevant.”

Goldman: “The whistleblower’s complaints, for the reasons that Mr. Castor said, are not included, they’re not included because the evidence has been outstripped and surpassed by the seventeen witnesses that we have had come in to testify directly about the conduct that the whistleblower blew the whistle about.”

Steube: “So, as you sit here today, do you know the identity of the whistleblower?”

Goldman: “I’m not going to talk to you about the identity of the whistleblower.”

Steube: “So, you’re also refusing to whether you had communications – this is my time not yours – you’re refusing to answer whether you had communications with the whistleblower. Has any other staff member had communications with the whistleblower?”

Goldman: “Sir, in the intelligence community – ”

Steube: “You’re refusing to answer that question and unfortunately the American people want to know those answers and unfortunately my time is up.”

Great job, Congressman!

(Note: Completely irrelevant fun fact about Daniel Goldman from Heavy.com. He is a descendant of Levi Strauss. Goldman’s great grandmother was an heiress to the Levi Strauss fortune. He attended the elite Sidwell Friends School in D.C., where his mother Susan Sachs served as chairwoman until 2000. Afterward, Goldman earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University and his law degree from Stanford.)

WATCH: The Democrat lawyer refuses to answer:

❌If he has communicated with the whistle blower

❌If he knows the identity of the whistle blower

❌If other staff on the intel committee has communicated with the whistle blower

What are the Democrats hiding? pic.twitter.com/axeaao3VME

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