As far as I'm concerned the takeaway has already been offered:
Did Zelensky have to do the investigations? No. He had to announce them, and then he gets his meeting (and presumably the aid).
That's Sondland clearly saying it was never actually about rooting out corruption.
Did Zelensky have to do the investigations? No. He had to announce them, and then he gets his meeting (and presumably the aid).
That's Sondland clearly saying it was never actually about rooting out corruption.
Trumpworld needs an answer to this above all. And so far, they don't have it.
Sondland's response to this is to say that the Ukrainians had a history of backing out of commitments, which is going to be the defense for Trump. Not sure how convincing that will be to people, but there's the defense.
Goldman then says they needed to do the investigations, Sondland corrects by saying they needed to "announce" them.
Sondland reiterating that his understanding was that the quid pro quo was for the meeting, Giuliani never told him it was about aid as well.
