Gabbard Makes Criminal Referrals Linked To First Trump Impeachment

“I determined that the complaint related to an urgent concern,” Atkinson said in his testimony. He said the determination was based on the information available at the time.

Atkinson acknowledged that the whistleblower did not have firsthand knowledge of the events described. He said the complaint relied on accounts from multiple U.S. officials who were deemed credible.

“I was not a direct witness to most of the events described,” the whistleblower complaint stated. Atkinson said those secondhand accounts were consistent and supported further review.