Democratic debates: Democrats prepare for fifth debate after key impeachment witness says Trump directed Ukraine 'quid pro quo' in bombshell testimony
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Your support makes all the difference.Gordon Sondland has implicated a number of White House officials who were “in the loop” with Donald Trump's direction to withhold aid to Ukraine in an exchange for a meeting and a public statement announcing an investigation into the president’s political opponents.
The testimony came as Democrats were preparing to hold their fifth debate of 2020 in Atlanta, where they will undoubtedly be asked about the freshly sprung impeachment inquiry that has dominated headlines.
Mr Sondland, a US ambassador to the EU, affirmed that there was a so-called quid pro quo, dropping a bombshell testimony into another pivotal hearing in the House impeachment inquiry into the president’s alleged abuses of power in his dealings with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to his testimony, Mr Sondland worked under the president’s order to work with Rudy Giuliani “not because we liked it but because it was the only constructive path” to building a relationship with a vulnerable Ukraine. In emails and other conversations with US officials — including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Energy Secretary Rick Perry — Mr Sondland established a clear link from the president, through Giuliani, and efforts to engage Ukraine with investigations into the 2016 election and Burisma.
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Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House that he barely knows Mr Sondland, who he previously called a "great American", and that he seems like a “nice guy".
The president read from a stack of papers in his hand, which included, in capital letters, his recollection of a conversation with Mr Sondland in which Trump said "I WANT NOTHING. I WANT NOTHING. I WANT NO QUID PRO QUO."
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said that "the US aid to Ukraine flowed, no investigation was launched, and President Trump has met and spoken with President Zelensky. Democrats keep chasing ghosts."
Mr Pence and Mr Perry also released statements during the hearing denying Mr Giuliani’s influence in their dealings with Ukraine. They’ve refused to testify in the impeachment probe.
Mr Trump also lashed out at his Democratic opponents conducting the House impeachment inquiry, mocked key witnesses giving testimony for their sartorial choices and denied that the onset of a heart attack was what prompted his sudden trip to hospital on Saturday.
"These people are sick. They’re sick. And the press really in this country is dangerous. We don’t have freedom of the press in this country. We have the opposite. We have a very corrupt media," the president ranted from the Cabinet Room of the White House on Tuesday.
The inquiry heard from four witnesses on Tuesday who detailed the administration’s coercion of Ukraine.
Joaquin Castro argues there is a big distinction between holding up foreign aide to countries for political investigations, and otherwise.
Castro now noting that the aide was withheld without using proper channels, which would likely have been to inform Congress.
Democrat Denny Heck says that Pompeo's refusal to comment on attacks on Marie Yovanovitch are a "betrayal". He asks Hale if he would like to stand up for Yovanovitch
Hale says: "I endorse entirely your description of ambassador Yovanovitch. I only met her when I took this job but immediately understood that we had an exceptional officer doing exceptional work... in Kiev."
"I support and believe in the institution of the State Department. ... All of us are committed to America's national security."
Hale says that what happened to Yovanovitch was wrong, and that he wished she could have continued on in her post.
Jim Jordan is up, and attempting to argue that it was ok to withhold aide to Ukraine because the country got a new government earlier this year.
"And that's exactly what played out for a short time, less than two months... our government evaluated the new situation. Pretty radical change," Mr Jordan says.
Cooper says that around $35 million was not "obligated" to Ukraine because of the delay. That comes out to around 87 per cent of the total, before the end of the fiscal year.
Hale says that, as ambassador, he was never asked to issue a letter praising the president personally.
He says he thinks it would be unusual if he were asked to do that to "improve" his job. Yovanovitch had been asked to do something similar.
We're nearing the end of this hearing, with just Democrats left to ask questions.
Hale is now confirming that Sondland was a key member of the freshly named crew in charge of Ukraine policy.
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