House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is denouncing efforts by Republicans to win testimony in the impeachment probe from the whistleblower whose report triggered the House inquiry.

Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, called the efforts “despicable.”

{mosads}President Trump and congressional Republicans have been pushing to out the whistleblower, who remains anonymous, and demand the individual’s testimony.

“There is no need for this whistleblower, period,” Hoyer told reporters in the Capitol. “And every time Republicans continue to harp on the whistleblower is simply and solely and clearly an attempt to not only intimidate this whistleblower, but to intimidate others from coming forward. I think it’s despicable.“

Hoyer also pointed to Trump’s reported comments at a September event with diplomatic officials that the whistleblower is a “spy” who might have committed treason.

“There are criminal statutes which prohibit people from trying to intimidate witnesses,” Hoyer added.