It sounds like the whistleblower is high up in the chain of command of their agency

[eleny]

At a high level they wouldn't have done the foot work themselves but would have received reports from those who are at lower levels. Those people who work "on the ground" would report it up the chain to the person who ultimately decided to blow the whistle.

That's why the current DNI believes that the report is credible, imo.

The administration will try to minimize or dismiss the whistle blower as a nobody. But that's just spin. I believe that the person has to be very high up.

[Claritie Pixie]

1. I think it's Coats.

[cynatnite]

2. Wasn't Coats gone when this phone call happened? n/t

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Apparently the whistleblower had information relayed to him/her from others.

So that may or may not be a factor.

[Claritie Pixie]

6. Ok I found this:

Coats says he didn't know the whistleblower complaint was working through the system. The inspector general's three-day review period ended August 15, Coats' last day as intelligence director. Coats says the complaint reached the desk of his acting successor the next day.

https://www.wibc.com/news/local-news/coats-no-prior-knowledge-whistleblower-complaint-which-led-impeachment-probe

[eleny]

5. I did, too

I figure that Maguire would have to have enormous respect for the whistle blower. If it was his predecessor, especially Coates with his credibility, accepting the allegations would be a no brainer.

[GusBob]

3. Yep-good call

The breadth depth and width of the detail of the WB report indicates someone with authority

[Leghorn21]

7. Agreed, eleny

I don’t know nuttin, but have heard that a lot of this kind of intel work is “compartmentalized”, so that workers “on the ground” are not privy to what their fellow ground-workers are doing - so that, yes, only a higher-up-the-chain (agent?) would have access to “the big picture”.

[Blue_Tires]

8. Yeah, whoever this WBer is has his or her shit together

and covered all the bases...

Makes you wonder how they ever got hired in the Trump administration in the first place, since slavish loyalty is always hired above job competency...

[eleny]

9. Well, some people remember their oath to our Constitution

There have to be a few, at least!