Coming up today: Bill Taylor to testify as part of the #impeachmentinquiry. Recall: Taylor is the senior diplomat who sent a text to Sondland and Volker saying it was "crazy" for the U.S. to condition military aid in exchange for opening an investigation into Dems.
More to come for @CourthouseNews.
@CourthouseNews "Are we now saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations?” Bill Taylor to U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, Sept. 2019
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@CourthouseNews STORY: William Taylor finally appeared before lawmakers to share what some described as the most impactful insights yet to emerge from depositions regarding the quid pro quo that is the beating heart of the President Donald Trump impeachment inquiry.
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@CourthouseNews EXCERPT: “Are we now saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations?” Taylor, America’s top diplomat in Ukraine, wrote on Sept. 1 to Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union.
“Call me,” Sondland replied.
“Call me,” Sondland replied.
During the phone call, Taylor testified, Sondland described Trump as having informed him that he wanted Zelensky to state publicly Ukraine would investigate Burisma and the alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
Sondland conceded he made a mistake by earlier telling the Ukrainian officials that a WH meeting with Zelensky was dependent on a public announcement of invstgns.
“In fact, Ambassador Sondland said, everything was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance."
“In fact, Ambassador Sondland said, everything was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance."
He said that President Trump wanted President Zelensky in a “public box” by making a public statement ordering such investigations,” Taylor testified.
President Trump was adamant that President Zelensky himself had to ‘clear things up and do it public,’” Taylor also of the coveted announcement by Zelensky.
“President Trump said it was not a quid pro quo. Ambassador Sondland said that he had talked to President Zelensky and Mr. Yermak and told them, although this was not a quid pro quo, if President Zelensky did not clear things up in public, we would be at a stalemate.”
Andriy Yermak is an adviser to President Zelensky.
Taylor understood the stalemate would mean Ukraine would not get its military assistance. It was after this call that Taylor aired his concerns over a nightmare scenario.
Taylor understood the stalemate would mean Ukraine would not get its military assistance. It was after this call that Taylor aired his concerns over a nightmare scenario.
“The nightmare is they give the interview and don’t get the security assistance,” Taylor wrote. “The Russians love it. (And I quit).”
A full copy of Taylor's opening remarks available here: documentcloud.org/documents/6509…
This particular segment: 
