Schiff: “The efforts to secure the investigations would continue for several more days, but appear to have abruptly ended soon after three Committees of Congress announced an investigation into the Trump-Giuliani Ukraine scheme. Only then, would the aid be released.”
Nunes kicks off the second part of today’s proceedings by calling it ”act two of today’s circus.”
At the afternoon hearing before two witnesses requested by the GOP, Nunes rails on the “hand-picked” Democratic witnesses at the hearings so far
Tim Morrison testifies: “As I stared during my deposition, I feared at the time of the call on July 25, how its disclosure would play in Washington. My fears have been realized.”
Volker: "I have learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question. ... I did not know of any linkage between the hold on security assistance and Ukraine pushing investigations,” he said, referring to Sondland-Yermak-Rudy talks. cnn.it/2XvgKCG
Volker says at the time of his deposition, he also did not know about John Bolton’s “strong concerns” to members of the NSC staff. He also says he “did not know” that investigating Burisma “was tantamount to investigating the Bidens.” He’d drawn a “sharp distinction” bw the two
Volker says “in retrospect,” he should not have looked at Burisma as distinct from the Bidens. He said he should have seen “that connection differently.” He added: “Had I done so, I would have raised my own objections.”
Volker, one of the three GOP witnesses, deflates Republican attacks that Biden acted inappropriately in Ukraine. “It’s just not credible to me,” he says
“I would have objected to that,” Volker said had he known that Trump sought Ukraine probe of the Bidens
Morrison said that he confirmed each time Sondland spoke with Trump. Background of that here: cnn.com/2019/11/01/pol…
Morrison says of his disappointment with Trump-Zelensky call: “I was hoping for a more full-throated support for President Zelenksy’s reform agenda.”
Morrison testifies that he had never sought to restrict access to a transcript of a presidential phone call before the Trump-Zelensky call
Morrison testifies that “I was concerned to what I heard was an additional hurdle” after Sondland linked military aid to an ask for investigations. He said after Sondland spoke with Trump, Sondland said the condition placed on aid was an announcement of Biden/2016 investigation
Nunes starts off his round by telling the witnesses he has “bad news” because “TV ratings are way down.” Nunes asks the witnesses if anyone at the WH ever asked them to “bribe or extort anyone.” Both respond: “No, sir.”
Volker testifies that Trump was concerned about the “rumor” that Ukraine meddled in 2016 to help Clinton, a theory top Trump officials have soundly rejected. At a May meeting, Trump called Ukraine a country with “terrible people” who “tried to take him down,” Volker said
Morrison said “as a matter of practice” he would have expected Vindman to report his concerns to him about the July call. Under questioning from GOP counsel Castor, Morrison says Vindman was frustrated that he was cut out of part of the Ukraine portfolio.
Nunes says this is a “magical” 15-minute round of staff questioning; Schiff notes it’s spelled out in the resolution that passed the House. Then Nunes calls the witnesses “your witnesses” — even though the GOP requested these two testify
Schiff presses Volker on why he didn’t disclose in deposition that Sondland was calling for probes at July WH meeting. Volker said today it was “inappropriate” that Sondland made the ask. “Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Schiff said. Volker says memory has been refreshed
Volker said it was inappropriate because it was an “eye roll moment.” But Volker testified also that he made a “distinction” between the Bidens and Burisma at the time. So Schiff asks what was inappropriate? Volker says investigations shouldn’t have been discussed at all
Just 19 more members left (5 minutes apiece)
“It was in reference to Vice President Biden.” - what Volker finds inappropriate about the July Trump-Zelensky call
Conaway expresses his anger with Schiff for not allowing them to interview the whistleblower. “It is simply about leveling the playing field.” In response, Schiff enters into the record Nunes’ past statements supporting whistleblower anonymity
Jordan says “it bothers me” that Volker was considered to be part of an “irregular channel” with Ukraine. “You both decided to step out of government because of what these guys are doing.” (Morrison testified he decided to leave “some time before” he decided to testify in Oct)
Several Republicans on House Intel continue to raise the specter of Ukraine meddling in 2016 elections to help the Clintons. Wenstrup the latest. Current and former Trump admin officials have rejected this notion.
“Impeachment-palooza,” GOP Rep. Stewart says, arguing that Dems are trying to convince the public to impeach Trump out of “sheer boredom.”
“Is it fair to say you couldn’t fix the Giuliani problem?” Schiff said. That’s correct, Volker said
Stefanik: Any evidence of bribery? Any evidence of treason? Any evidence of quid pro quo? Both witnesses say no
Despite Trump’s push to probe the Bidens, Morrison did not follow up on that ask with the Ukrainians. “I did not understand it as a policy objective,” he says to Swalwell, who says it shows that Morrison believed it was wrong even though he won’t admit it
Volker just testified that he believes Ukrainians knew the difference between Burisma and Bidens. In his opening statement he said, “it clearly would have been confusing” for Ukrainians to know there was a distinction given Trump’s call.
Schiff points that two witnesses (Croft and Vindman) testified that Ukrainians knew of aid being withheld before it became public, pushing back on Volker who said Ukrainians didn’t know
Nunes, who has ridiculed the impeachment proceedings, as “boring” now calls them “salacious”
Schiff says it “should be repugnant to every American” that military assistance was withheld as Trump sought investigations. Raising his voice, Schiff says Trump got “caught,” which is why he released aid
