Revealed: Rand Paul's Question That Chief Justice Roberts Refused to Read

As PJM’s Megan Fox reported earlier, Chief Justice Roberts appeared to be “running interference for Democrats who continue to claim that ‘whistleblower’ Eric Ciaramella cannot be named in the Senate impeachment trial” when he blocked a question from Senator Rand Paul that mentioned Ciaramella by name. Roberts had previously agreed, at the urging of Democrats, to not allow any questions about the whistleblower, whether he was named or not. Here is Chief Justice John Roberts refusing to read Senator Paul’s question.

Senator @RandPaul sends question to the desk during Impeachment Trial.

Chief Justice Roberts: "The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted." pic.twitter.com/CCeB33HnRP

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 30, 2020

What was Senator Rand Paul’s question that wasn’t allowed by Chief Justice Roberts? Rand Paul posted his question on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

“My question today is about whether or not individuals who were holdovers from the Obama National Security Council and Democrat partisans conspired with Schiff staffers to plot impeaching the President before there were formal House impeachment proceedings,” Rand tweeted.

“My exact question was: Are you aware that House intelligence committee staffer Shawn Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together […] and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings.”

“My question is not about a ‘whistleblower’ as I have no independent information on his identity,” Senator Paul tweeted later. “My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun.”

My exact question was:

Are you aware that House intelligence committee staffer Shawn Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together 1/2

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020

My question is not about a “whistleblower” as I have no independent information on his identity. My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun.

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020

It seems like a perfectly valid question to me.