Thread by @mkraju

New - Bill Taylor testified that he was told by Ambassador Gordon Sondland that security aid to Ukraine could have been held up in part because of a push for Ukraine to publicly announce an investigation that could help Trump politically, per sources in both parties.

Taylor said that he and Sondland spoke by phone about why the aid was frozen, and Sondland cited the need for Ukraine to open an investigation among other reasons, according to the sources

Asked about Taylor’s comments, a source familiar with Sondland’s testimony said that Sondland cited, in addition to the investigations, that the aid may have been frozen because the Europeans weren’t giving Ukraine enough and corruption generally.

The source said Sondland was only speculating when he referenced the political investigations into the 2016 election and Burisma.

Sondland told Taylor that the investigations potentially included both Ukraine's involvement in the 2016 election and Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company that hired former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, the sources said. cnn.com/2019/10/22/pol…

Three members taking part in closed Taylor interview told me that Gordon Sondland testimony was inconsistent with what they heard today. They did not get into specifics.

Gerry Connolly: “I think Gordon Sondland may very well have to come back. He’s got some explaining to do.”

GOP Rep. Francis Rooney on whether it throws into question Sondland testimony: “Yeah I think there is asymmetry on what we heard today and what Sondland had to say....There were some things that seemed a little at variance here.”

Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch said there were “inconsistencies” in testimony and “factual assertions.”

“I would be extremely surprised and dumbfounded if Chairman Schiff didn’t ask for him to come back,” Lynch told me, referring to Sondland.
cnn.com/2019/10/22/pol…

Got a copy of Taylor’s opening statement who said Trump wanted Zelensky to “state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election - and “everything,” including security assistance was conditioned on it, per what Sondland said

“He said that President Trump wanted President Zelensky ‘in a public box’ by making a public statement about ordering such investigations,” Taylor said Sondland told him.

“In fact, Ambassador Sondland said ‘everything’ was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance” Taylor testified, referring to the probes that could help Trump politically. cnn.com/2019/10/22/pol…

Here’s a copy of the very detailed opening statement we obtained from Trump’s top diplomat in Ukraine. cnn.com/2019/10/22/pol…

“President Trump did insist that President Zelensky go to a microphone and say he is opening investigations of Biden and 2016 election interference, and that President Zelensky should want to do this himself,” Taylor says of a Trump-Sondland call cnn.com/2019/10/22/pol…

Will Hurd joins the chorus of lawmakers who say Gordon Sondland needs to clarify his testimony. “Sondland needs to come back and answer some questions,” he tells @wolfblitzer

Sources say that there are at least two inconsistencies that Dems are zeroing in on: One is how Sondland described a July 10 meeting about Ukraine - and Sondland’s conversations with Trump about “no quid pro quo.” Taylor said Sondland told him Trump wanted Ukraine to open probes

Mark Meadows to me: “I’ve been in there for 10 hours, I can assure you there’s no quid pro quo.”

When I asked about Taylor testifying that Sondland told him Trump wanted aid tied to declaring investigations into Bidens and 2016, he noted that was only what Taylor “was told”

Bill Taylor is done testifying after nearly 10 hours