What he heard firsthand on the call between President Donald Trump & Ukraine President Volodoymr Zelensky so alarmed Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, he went straight to his superiors on the National Security Council to report it.
STORY: courthousenews.com/national-secur…
STORY: courthousenews.com/national-secur…
While Vindman’s testimony corroborates the account of events to which Hill testified earlier this month, it also casts a massive shadow of doubt over Sondland.
Sondland told lawmakers on Oct. 17 that no one, including Bolton and Hill, “harbored any misgivings about the propriety of what we were doing.”
“They never shared those misgivings with me, then or later,” Sondland said during his testimony.
“They never shared those misgivings with me, then or later,” Sondland said during his testimony.
SONDLAND: “We had reg. communications w/the NSC about Ukraine, both before and after the July meeting; and neither Ambassador Bolton, Dr. Hill, nor anyone else on the NSC staff ever expressed any concerns to me about our efforts..."
(Sondland continued) " or any complaints about coordination between State and the NSC, or, most importantly, any concerns that we were acting improperly. Furthermore, my boss Secretary Pompeo was very supportive of our Ukraine strategy.”
Vindman’s remarks also line up w/testimony by Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine.
Taylor told lawmakers last wk that both Vindman & Hill described the meeting w/Sondland to him & that Sondland tied the investigations sought by Trump to an Oval Office mtg for Zelensky.
Taylor told lawmakers last wk that both Vindman & Hill described the meeting w/Sondland to him & that Sondland tied the investigations sought by Trump to an Oval Office mtg for Zelensky.
NEW - Senate Maj. Leader Mitch McConnell wouldn’t comment on Vindman’s patriotism or the loyalty of any of the other individuals coming forward to testify for lawmakers moments ago.
He didn’t hold back on criticism for the inquiry, suggesting it part of a long awaited plan. “The first headline I saw when he was elected was ‘The Impeachment Process is Beginning’ or something like that. This is further evidence of what they had in mind from the very beginning"
McConnell weighs in on the upcoming House resolution to open the #impeachmentinquiry
“We’ll see what the House comes up with. It’s about how they deal with the case. Not the merits of it, but the process," he says.
“We’ll see what the House comes up with. It’s about how they deal with the case. Not the merits of it, but the process," he says.
He continued: "We’ll see if what the House comes up with passes the smell test for due process protections that President Trump and his team are entitled to just like President Clinton was and President Nixon.”
McConnell expressed doubt that House Dems would be able to get the votes to pass the House resolution.
“We’ll see whether they actually open it,” he said. “It will be a very interesting vote.”
cc: @CourthouseNews
“We’ll see whether they actually open it,” he said. “It will be a very interesting vote.”
cc: @CourthouseNews
@CourthouseNews Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer weighed in on Vindman today: "Vindman made a very strong case that what the President did happened and it was very, very wrong."
On Vindman's patriotism and those who have questioned it, Schumer says: "Sometimes you wonder how low this president can go and he just keeps going lower and lower, and some of my colleagues follow him."
Notes how Fox pundits accused Vindman of espionage. Incredulously, Schumer: "A man whose got a Purple Heart and served us in Iraq."
Says GOP complained about procedures not content but Pelosi "met those objections" w/the decision to vote on resolution to open inquiry.
Says GOP complained about procedures not content but Pelosi "met those objections" w/the decision to vote on resolution to open inquiry.
Then moments later, Schumer sowed a bit of doubt for POTUS about allegiances: "When you're in the gym, you hear Republicans talk about Trump a lot differently," he says.
Schumer the resolution: "We want a fair proceeding, a balanced proceeding. We hope McConnell will talk to we Democrats about how to do it."
Should say: Schumer *on the resolution.
Regret the typo.
Regret the typo.
NEW - The House has published its draft resolution for the #impeachmentinquiry. A mark up session, where lawmawkers debate amendments etc, is slated for Wednesday. The vote on the resolution is expected Thursday. RESOLUTION: documentcloud.org/documents/6532…
DEVELOPING: The impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump marched another step forward as House Dems published a resolution to formalize the inquiry & set more standards about how public hearings and interviews will be conducted.
courthousenews.com/democrats-unve…
cc: @CourthouseNews
courthousenews.com/democrats-unve…
cc: @CourthouseNews
UPDATED.
And here we have a copy of the House Judiciary's supplement on the resolution which outlines the due process available to the president: documentcloud.org/documents/6532…
