- a CIA employee whose second-hand account of a phone conversation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky sparked impeachment proceedings. 

"Have you heard from the whistleblower? Do you want to hear from the whistleblower? What protections could you provide to the whistleblower?" Schiff was asked during a Sept. 17 interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." 

"We have not spoken directly with the whistleblower. We would like to," replied Schiff, adding "But I am sure the whistleblower has concerns that he has not been advised, as the law requires, by the inspector general or the director of national Intelligence just how he is supposed to communicate with Congress, and so the risk to the whistleblower is retaliation."