Thread by @ZoeTillman

NEW: EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland is testifying today in the House. Here are his introductory remarks: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6486…

And a letter from his lawyers explanining why he can't produce docs controlled by the State Dept.: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6486…

Sondland says Trump was initially skeptical of the new Ukrainian regime, and told him and others at a May meeting at the White House to talk to Giuliani: "It was apparent to all of us that the key to changing the President’s mind on Ukraine was Mr. Giuliani."

Sondland said he, Rick Perry, and Kurt Volker were "disappointed" Trump directed them to talk to Giuliani, but decided to do it because they believed in importance of strengthening US-Ukraine ties. He said he didn't realize Giuliani's Biden angle "until much later"

Sondland stresses that he wasn't on the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky, and that when he was briefed on it later, there was no mention of Burisma (the company Biden's son was connected to) or Biden

Sondland says Giuliani talked to him about the 2016 election and Burisma. He also says Giuliani never discussed Biden or his son. Burisma is the company Trump et al. have been focused on *because* of the Biden connection, but Sondland said he didn't know about that until recently

Sondland disputes he was trying to move convos about Ukraine off of text (see: buzzfeednews.com/article/elliev…) to prevent a written record: "The complexity of international relations cannot be adequately expressed in cryptic text messages. I simply prefer to talk rather than to text."

Acting on Bill Taylor's concerns that US military aid might be tied to Ukraine helping Trump with 2020, Sondland says he asked Trump what he wanted.

"The President responded, 'Nothing. There is no quid pro quo.' The President repeated: 'no quid pro quo' multiple times."

Sondland finishes that section with: "This was a very short call. And I recall the President was in a bad mood."