Thread by @nickschifrin

.@RepAdamSchiff frames Day 3 of open hearings with the Democrats' key argument: @realDonaldTrump, by pushing Ukraine to deliver investigations that would help him politically, "put his interests above those of the nation.”

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump .@RepAdamSchiff describes how both Jennifer Williams and Lt. Col. Vindman had concerns about @realDonaldTrump's July 25 call, and both heard the word "Burisma," which had Hunter Biden on its board. Word was left out of White House memo detailing the call.

.@RepAdamSchiff notes @realDonaldTrump's calling Vindman and Williams, who was a Republican political appointee before joining the State Department, "Never Trumpers." "I hope no members of this committee repeat that argument, Schiff says.

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump .@RepDevinNunes begins his statement by criticizing media. Calls media "puppets of the Democratic Party," criticizes stories about last week's hearings and the connections between candidate @realDonaldTrump and Russia. Accuses media of "fevered rush to remove a President."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes But Nunes praises @jsolomonReports twice by name, as well as @kenvogel, for their reporting on Ukraine.

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel And @RepDevinNunes demands that the whistleblower must testify. "The Democrats put the whistleblower in their own witness protection program."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel Jennifer Williams describes how @VP accepted invitation to attend Ukrainian President Zelensky inauguration, but "@realDonaldTrump had decided that the @VP would not attend the inauguration."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Jennifer Williams says she learned that OMB put a hold on security assistance to Ukraine on July 3. Immideately after, "State and Defense departments advocated that the hold should be lifted... I have never learned what prompted that decision."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Jennifer Williams says the July 25 call between @realDonaldTrump and Ukrainian President Zelensky "unusual because, in contrast to other presidential calls I had observed, it involved discussions of what appeared to be a domestic political matter."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Jennifer Williams says at the September 1 meeting between Zelensky and @VP, Zelensky brought up the pause in security assistance, but "neither the Vice President nor President Zelensky mentioned the specific investigations discussed during the July 25 phone call."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Alex Vindman calls both Ukraine’s former Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani "disruptive actors" "promoting false information that undermined the US' Ukraine policy."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Vindman says during July 10 meeting at the White House, Sondland "emphasized importance of Ukraine delivering investigations into the 2016 election, the Bidens, and Burisma. I stated to Ambassador Sondland that this was inappropriate and had nothing to do with national security"

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Vindman: "I was concerned by the call, what I heard was inappropriate, and I reported my concerns to Mr. Eisenberg. It is improper for the President of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen and political opponent."

@RepAdamSchiff @realDonaldTrump @RepDevinNunes @jsolomonReports @kenvogel @VP Vindman ends w deeply personal statement: "In Russia my act of expressing my concerns to chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions and offering public testimony involving President would surely cost me my life...

"I am grateful for my father’s brave act of hope 40 years ago and for the privilege of being an American citizen and public servant, where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety...

"Dad, my sitting here today, in US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave Soviet Union and come here to USA in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth."

Vindman admits that he personally advised Ukrainian Zelensky to "stay out of US domestic politics." He will be challenged whether he was stepping out of line and not delivering @realDonaldTrump's policy priorities.

@realDonaldTrump Key point here: Vindman says it was clear Mulvaney and Sondland had coordinated about messages to Ukrainian officials, "but it wasn't clear whether there was a connection to @realDonaldTrump at that point."

@realDonaldTrump Vindman says Ukraine felt pressured. "In army...when a senior asks you to something... it's not to be taken as a request. It's an order... Given power disparity between the two leaders, in order to get a white house meeting, clear Zelensky had to deliver these two investigations"

@realDonaldTrump Extraordinary to see and hear an active duty Army foreign area officer criticize the commander in chief so pointedly. Vindman describes how his sense of duty is to the country, not the commander in chief.

@realDonaldTrump Vindman points out the White House call memo did not include the word "Burisma," but says that was "not a significant omission," says White House staff records as best it can.

@realDonaldTrump Vindman says there’s no factual basis to @realdonaldtrump’s bringing up “Crowdstrike” and 2016, and that Russia—not Ukraine—meddled in the 2016 election

@realDonaldTrump Vindman admits no Ukrainian officials ever expressed concern to him about the need to conduct investigations. Republicans will seize on this.

@realDonaldTrump Vindman says that in August – before Kurt Volker says heard from Ukrainian officials – the Ukrainian embassy in Washington knew military aid was on hold. Says (tentatively) that he told the embassy he wasn’t aware of the hold.

@realDonaldTrump Vindman describes that the decision to segregate the record of the July 25 call between @realDonaldTrump and President Zelensky to more secure location was an “on the fly decision” to “prevent leaks and limit access.”

@realDonaldTrump Vindman describes at July 10 White House meeting, Amb Sondland brought up Ukraine's need to conduct investigations. "First time I was aware that Ukrainians were approached directly by a government official." Q: Linking a White House meeting to the investigations? A: “Correct.”

@realDonaldTrump Nunes: "Mr. Vindman..."
Vindman: "Ranking member, it's Lt. Col. Vindman."

@realDonaldTrump Right at the top, @Jim_Jordan goes right after Vindman's reliability, citing Tim Morrison's "concerns about your judgement" and "concerns you were leaking to the press."

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan In response, Vindman reads from Fiona Hill's review of Vindman, saying he had "exceptional judgement."

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan .@jahimes reads @realDonaldTrump Twitter attack on Williams.
Himes: Are you engaged in a Presidential attack? Williams: No sir.
Himes: Are you a never Trumper? Williams: "No sir... It certainly surprised me. I did not expect to be called out by name."

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan @jahimes Himes: Col. Vindman, are you a never Trumper?
Vindman: "I would call myself a never-partisan."

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan @jahimes Himes calls Republican questions about Ukrainian officials offering Defense Minister position to Vindman as effort to question Vindman's US loyalty. "That's what you stoop to when you're criticizing a man who is wearing a Springfield Rifle on a field of blue above a purple heart"

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan @jahimes @RepRatcliffe seizes on @SpeakerPelosi use "bribery": 6 weeks of witness interviews, 100 hours testimony, 1000s questions asked, 1000s questions given...number of times witnesses used word bribery… is 0…Only time in 3500 pages was word bribery used… was in context of Biden

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan @jahimes @RepRatcliffe @SpeakerPelosi .@RepChrisStewart attacks Vindman for saying @realdonaldtrump “demanded” Zelensky launch investigations. Vindman holds ground, arguing July 10 meeting,July 23 call “Made it clear this was not simply just a request.”Stewart says Vindman superimposing army culture onto White House

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan @jahimes @RepRatcliffe @SpeakerPelosi @RepChrisStewart .@RepSeanMaloney: In criticizing @realDonaldTrump, you are going against the most powerful man in the world. Vindman: I knew I was taking risks. Maloney: Why are you so sure that you shouldn't have to worry? Vindman: "Because this is America."

@realDonaldTrump @Jim_Jordan @jahimes @RepRatcliffe @SpeakerPelosi @RepChrisStewart @RepSeanMaloney AFTERNOON SESSION:
Tim Morrison makes 5 points:
- I do not know who the whistleblower is, nor will I speculate…
- I will not question the integrity of fellow members of the NSC staff...

- Ukraine is on the front lines between West and Russia. Russia is a failing power, but still a dangerous one.” Any day the focus is on Ukraine in impeachment, and not on Russia, is a bad day.
- I left NSC Staff before deposition last month. "I felt no pressure to resign."

.@kvolker opening statement: "At no time was I aware of, or knowingly took part in, an effort to urge Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Biden.”

@kvolker Volker distinguishes between “Burisma” and “Biden.” “Whether some may have attempted to influence 2016 or thought they could buy influence: at least plausible, given Ukraine’s reputation for corruption. But accusation @JoeBiden acted inappropriately didn't seem credible to me.”

@kvolker @JoeBiden Volker says original draft of a Ukrainian government statement to conduct investigations included “Burisma” and “2016,” but not “Biden.” When Ukrainians spoke to “Burisma,” “only talking about whether any Ukrainians had acted inappropriately.”

@kvolker @JoeBiden Volker claims ignorance: “I did not know of any linkage between the hold on security assistance and Ukraine pursuing investigations.”

@kvolker @JoeBiden But Volker finally admits should have known better. “I understood there was important distinction between ‘Burisma’ and ‘Biden,’ urged Ukrainians to maintain such distinction…In retrospect, for Ukrainians, it clearly would have been confusing…

"In retrospect, I should have seen that connection differently, and had I done so, I would have raised my own objections.” #ImpeachmentHearings

Key to @kvolker policy: "What I was trying to do is to thread a needle, to see if there were things Ukrainians could do as part of their policy to fight corruption, that would convince @realDonaldTrump they were serious. Turns out, most other people didn’t see this distinction."

@kvolker @realDonaldTrump .@kvolker calls “Crowdstrike” and “Biden” "conspiracy theories." "These are not things we should be pursuing…We should be supporting Ukraine’s investigations into corruption, reforms, struggle against Russia, defense… I don’t think these things are in our national interest.”

@kvolker @realDonaldTrump Morrison admits that "Crowdstrike" and "Biden" were not part of NSC talking points prepared for @realDonaldTrump before July 25 call. Morrison says he went straight to NSC counsel, asked to restrict access to the call, without reporting to his boss Deputy NSA Charlie Kupperman

@kvolker @realDonaldTrump Key Morrison statement: that on Sept. 1, Ambassador Sondland told Zelensky aide Yermak that Ukraine would have to announce investigations before military aid could be resumed.

@kvolker @realDonaldTrump And Morrison testifies that Sondland believed those investigations were into 2016, Burisma, and Hunter Biden

@kvolker @realDonaldTrump Did @realDonaldTrump "demand" Zelensky conduct investigations, as Vindman concluded? asks @RepMikeTurner. Morrison: "No."