I just saw the "went to a congressional aide" thing. I'm thinking the aide insulated the process from Schiff directly.
This NYPost article doesn't seem to support your assertion:
"The House aide, following the panel’s procedures, then suggested the whistleblower find a lawyer to advise him on how to file a complaint."
https://nypost.com/2019/10/02/adam-schiff-knew-about-whistleblowers-complaint-before-it-was-filed-report/Edited by TigerJackSwartz at 16:35:06 on 10/02/19