Thread by @owillis

In his opening statement, @DevinNunes compares Trump's foreign policy, where he sought to trade foreign aid for digging up domestic political smears, to the foreign policy of George Washington in 1794.

(Washington did not do what Trump did)

flashback: Trump: If George Washington were 'smart,' people would remember him americanindependent.com/trump-george-w…

EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland: He and others worked with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine issues "at the express direction of the President of the United States." Adds: "We did not want to work with Mr Giuliani." Concludes: "So we followed the President's orders."

Sondland: "If I had known of all of Mr Giuliani's dealings or his associations with individuals -- some of whom are now under criminal indictment -- I personally would not have acquiesced to his participation." Giuliani was on the diplomatic team to do Trump's political work.

Gordon Sondland: "Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelinsky ... Mr Giuliani was expressing the desires of the President of the United States and we knew these investigations were important to the president."

Sondland refers to the multiple senior level officials who received his email noting that arrangements had been made with Ukraine for announcing anti-Biden efforts in exchange for American help.

Gordon Sondland: "Everyone was in the loop."

Sondland: "I know that members of this Committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a “quid pro quo?” As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes."

Gordon Sondland testifies that he spoke with Mike Pence about how aid to Ukraine was being held up in exchange for political dirt on Biden. "The Vice President nodded that he heard what I said."

"Correct," Gordon Sondland twice replies when asked about whether aid to Ukraine was contingent on that country launching investigations on Joe Biden.

Gordon Sondland testifies that Trump wanted a public announcement of Ukraine investigations into Joe Biden - meaning that simply circulating the allegation mattered to him, not necessarily the substance.

Gordon Sondland testifies that Ukraine "would have to announce" that they were launching Biden investigations to get money from America. Sondland goes on to note that the requirement from the Trump team was an announcement "in some form" publicly.

.@RepAdamSchiff tells reporters that Sondland's testimony reveals how pervasive the knowledge of the quid pro quo was. Testimony "underscores just how siginificant the president's obstruction of this investigation has been ... the veneer has been torn away."

Attempting to deflect from Sondland's testimony and justify Trump's aggression towards Ukraine, @DevinNunes asks Sondland if he was aware a Ukrainian official "mocked and disparaged" Trump "on Facebook and Twitter" when he was running for president.

GOP counsel Steve Castor tries to deflect from Sondland's earlier testimony by saying Sondland didn't testify that Trump said "go talk" to Rudy Giuliani, but rather he said "talk to Rudy." As if this somehow makes any difference in the substance.

Attempting to argue that Trump had "deep rooted concerns" about corruption in Ukraine, GOP counsel Steve Castor refers to Trump's "business dealings in the region."

Despite all the documents being withheld and witnesses prevented from testifying by the Trump administration, @DevinNunes now argues that the *Democrats* are guilty of obstruction.

GOP counsel Steve Castor now advances the argument that Giuliani was acting on his own, and invokes his two indicted associates. Of course, throughout all of this Giuliani was Trump's lawyer and clearly acting on his behalf.

GOP counsel Steve Castor complains to Sondland that he didnt bring up one of his phone calls with Trump in his opening statement: "Was that vignette in your opener today?" Adds "How come? It's so memorable! So striking!"

,@Jim_Jordan is apoplectic that anyone thinks there was a quid pro quo, despite testimony from multiple witnesses now that Trump attempted to make Ukraine aid contingent on pushing a Biden investigation (along with the text of Trump's phone call).

Among his barrage of questions to Sondland, @RepMikeTurner asks: "Is Donald Trump your friend?" "Do you like the president?"

.@RepSpeier prompts applause when she rebuts Republican opposition to a statement she's reading by noting, "The President has five Pinocchio's on a daily basis, so let's not go there."

.@RepChrisStewart, responding to Democrats accusing Trump of extortion: "I'm not an attorney. Extortion sounds pretty scary, it sounds kind of serious. I had to look it up -- what it means."

.@ericswalwell questions Sondland over Trump's tweets claiming he doesn't know who he is. Sondland points out he has had at least 20 phone calls with Trump and donated at least $1 million to his inaugural committee.

Background: americanindependent.com/donald-trump-g…

.@joaquincastrotx plays video of Mick Mulvaney laying out the details of offering foreign aid for political favors while discussing with Sondland how Trump orchestrated a quid pro quo.

.@RepSeanMaloney gets applause when he gets Sondland to admit that Trump is the one who would stand to benefit politically from an investigation of the Bidens.