For years, Adam Schiff made a career out of accusing Donald Trump of corruption, Russian collusion, and obstruction of justice. Now, the tables have turned — and the longtime Democrat lawmaker is the one under a cloud of suspicion, scrambling to defend himself against allegations that go far beyond politics.
The latest bombshell centers on a newly declassified FBI whistleblower testimony. According to the documents, Schiff — then the powerful chair of the House Intelligence Committee — allegedly approved leaking classified information during the Russia probe with the explicit purpose of damaging Trump.
The whistleblower, a Democrat who had worked for committee staff for more than a decade, told the FBI in 2017 that Schiff had openly discussed leaking derogatory intel about the president to trigger an indictment. When the staffer objected that leaking would be illegal, others reportedly brushed it off, assuring him they wouldn’t get caught.
Schiff, now a U.S. Senator, flatly denies the charge, calling it “categorically false.” His office dismissed the testimony as the grudge of a “disgruntled former staffer” who was later fired, pointing to past inspector general reports that found the whistleblower’s claims “unsubstantiated.” Still, the allegations are damning — and they add to a long list of voices over the years accusing Schiff of being Washington’s most notorious leaker.
Former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said flatly in 2023: “Adam Schiff lied to the American people, and during my time as CIA director and secretary of State, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him.” Former DNI Ric Grenell said much the same, recalling that Schiff and his team “regularly leaked” and even refused to coordinate on reforms. Trump himself blasted Schiff in 2018 as “one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington.”
And the controversies don’t stop at leaks. Schiff is also under investigation for alleged mortgage fraud, after federal housing regulators flagged suspicious documents tied to favorable loan terms he secured on properties in Maryland and California.
That inquiry, combined with the whistleblower revelations, was serious enough that Schiff quietly set up a legal defense fund in August, a move rarely seen outside of embattled politicians staring down real legal jeopardy.
The White House wasted no time weighing in. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the whistleblower’s account a “bombshell,” while spokesman Harrison Fields was even more blunt: “Adam Schiff is a sleazy and corrupt politician who betrayed his oath to the Constitution by prioritizing his selfish and personal animosity toward the president over the interests of the American people. No amount of money can shield Adam from the truth that he is a fraud.”
For a man who spent years leading the charge against Trump — censured by Congress in 2023 for peddling collusion claims that collapsed under scrutiny — the irony is heavy. Schiff now finds himself the subject of the very kind of accusations he so gleefully lobbed at others.
