*quick thread*
Another day, another impeachment witness delivering a load of unhelpful claims for Trump.
America’s ousted Ukrainian ambassador gave testimony today and Washington Post got her opening statement.
👇👇Here are the key bits in case you missed it...
Another day, another impeachment witness delivering a load of unhelpful claims for Trump.
America’s ousted Ukrainian ambassador gave testimony today and Washington Post got her opening statement.
👇👇Here are the key bits in case you missed it...
The context. Marie Yovanovitch has been a diplomat for 33 years, serving both Dem and GOP presidents.
She was given the Ukraine role in Aug2016, in Obama’s final year.
Stayed until abrupt sacking this May (before the saga really kicked off with delayed aid, July25 call etc)
She was given the Ukraine role in Aug2016, in Obama’s final year.
Stayed until abrupt sacking this May (before the saga really kicked off with delayed aid, July25 call etc)
During her tenure she became target of allegations loosely centred on idea she was somehow thwarting a Ukrainian investigation into Biden.
That she was disloyal to Trump, trying to stop corruption probes, had helped the Clinton campaign. Basically working against Trump.
That she was disloyal to Trump, trying to stop corruption probes, had helped the Clinton campaign. Basically working against Trump.
In her written testimony, Yovanovitch firmly knocks down a load of these claims emanating from the wider Trump world.
1/ She denies ever lobbying Ukraine not to start probes into real corruption.
1/ She denies ever lobbying Ukraine not to start probes into real corruption.
2/ Denies ever being disloyal to Trump
3/ Denies ever being asked to help Clinton campaign / thwart Trump campaign before 2016 election
4/ Says she has never met or talked to Hunter Biden (whose work in Ukraine is at centre of all this)
4/ Says she has never met or talked to Hunter Biden (whose work in Ukraine is at centre of all this)
She then goes further.
Discussing Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney pushing Ukraine claims, she says his contacts may have had a “financial” motive to get rid of her.
(Unclear who exactly she means).
Discussing Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney pushing Ukraine claims, she says his contacts may have had a “financial” motive to get rid of her.
(Unclear who exactly she means).
Then she points the finger directly at Trump.
Says State Department deputy secretary told her Trump was personally pushing for her removal.
Was told there was a “concerted” campaign against her; Trump had been pushing for almost a year; She had “done nothing wrong”.
Says State Department deputy secretary told her Trump was personally pushing for her removal.
Was told there was a “concerted” campaign against her; Trump had been pushing for almost a year; She had “done nothing wrong”.
Why does this matter?
Core of impeachment debate is whether Trump used arms of the state to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
Yovanovitch is suggesting Trump personally lobbied for her removal as allies said she was thwarting corruption probes.
Core of impeachment debate is whether Trump used arms of the state to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
Yovanovitch is suggesting Trump personally lobbied for her removal as allies said she was thwarting corruption probes.
In other words, that Trump sacked Yovanovitch because she was seen as a roadblock to getting the Bidens investigated.
(To repeat, this is an allegation, boiled down from the claims in the testimony.)
(To repeat, this is an allegation, boiled down from the claims in the testimony.)
Trump and White House yet to comment.
Important to note he has total right to choose ambassadors and there’s no categoric proof of Trump’s motive in Yovanovitch testimony.
Important to note he has total right to choose ambassadors and there’s no categoric proof of Trump’s motive in Yovanovitch testimony.
But here is how the former ambassador squared her dismissal with the right for a president to pick his diplomats...
Our write-up is here: telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/1…
Pic credit: AP PHOTO/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Full opening statement here:
games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/def…
A load more depositions expected next week - if State don’t block them. On it goes.
Pic credit: AP PHOTO/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Full opening statement here:
games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/def…
A load more depositions expected next week - if State don’t block them. On it goes.
Final tweet - Yovanovitch finished her statement with an ode to the importance of diplomacy.
... which ended with this barbed paragraph. “Our nation is the worse off”.
(end)
... which ended with this barbed paragraph. “Our nation is the worse off”.
(end)
