It's easy to see why the GOP wanted Morrison as a witness.
He said things that support some of the GOP defenses.
He also offered testimony that contradicted those same defenses.
His deposition is here: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6551…
He learned he was getting the job on July 1.
Previously he had “limited exposure to Ukraine.”
Morrison googled Burisma and “Hunter Biden” came up.
He agreed with Hill that he should “stay out of politics.”
He knew nothing about the July 10th meeting. (What meeting? Click here and scroll down: impeachment-trump.com )
He didn't have time to catch up on those meetings.
He was concerned that Zelensky seemed “obsequious.”
He knew that Sondland had briefed the president for the call, so when he heard Trump mention Biden, he thought “Fiona was right, there is this parallel process.”
He didn't think the focus of the call should be on Biden, and he worried how contents of the call would used in “Washington’s political process.”
At a July 26 meeting with OMB, Mulvaney explained that Trump wanted to make sure Ukraine was doing enough to manage that corruption.
This made sense to Morrison.
Morrison encouraged them to hold true, continue with corruption reform.
The meeting was cordial. Pence conveyed support for what Zelensky was trying to do, and focussed on "Trump's concerns" about corruption.
No one mentioned the hold on the aid or the Bidens.
Sondland said, “what could help them move the aid was if the prosecutor general would go to the mike and announce that he was opening the investigation.”
Bolton told Morrison to “stay out of it, brief the lawyers.”
Morrison and Bolton were frustrated that Sondland’s direct boss (Pompeo) wasn't reigning him in.
Morrison and Bolton “strategized on how to get the President to yes on the security assistance.”
Morrison's hope was that the top levels of the administration (I assume meaning Trump) wouldn't end up listening to Sondland.
September 11: Morrison attended a meeting where it was decided to lift the freeze on the assistance. Trump, Pence, Senator Portman, and Mulvaney were present.
(In other words, Yay Morrison 👏)
Of course, Morrison's theory ignores the timeline Pelosi talks about here:
Morrison’s regret is that Ukraine ever learned of the review. He thinks the aid should have been transferred and everything hushed.
With this impeachment inquiry, "Ukraine is subsumed in the US political process" . . .
My view: he replaced Fiona Hill, but doesn't quite fill her shoes.
All typos are entirely the fault of keyboard gremlins.
Talk to the gremlins if you don't like how I type.
I always wondered what they look like.
To be fair, sometimes my errors are because of autocorrect, and sometimes the universe is out to get me.
I can't put all the blame on gremlins.
Next up, Jennifer Williams.
If the news would stop for a day, I could catch up with my reading. 🤓