1. On September 9th, BILL TAYLOR texts SONDLAND: “As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign”
2. Sondland goes and talks to the president.
3. Sondland comes back five hours later and denies such a link.
2. Sondland goes and talks to the president.
3. Sondland comes back five hours later and denies such a link.
Remember the texts 
Sondland testified today that, on their call September 9th, Trump told him the same things that Trump conveniently wrote out in sharpie and held in his hand on the way to the helicopter today.
But the prompt for the call was Bill Taylor’s text message about *the aid.*
But the prompt for the call was Bill Taylor’s text message about *the aid.*
Two days after Ambassador Bill Taylor’s text message about the aid and Sondland’s call with President Trump, on September 11th, the aid was released.
Sondland’s refusal to acknowledge they were talking expressly or implicitly in the September 9th call about the aid...is vexing.
Sondland’s refusal to acknowledge they were talking expressly or implicitly in the September 9th call about the aid...is vexing.
Moreover, remember that we have these text messages written by Taylor to Sondland that (i) link the hold on the aid to the Biden/Burisma investigation and (ii) establish the timeline for Sondland’s call with Trump because KURT VOLKER gave them to Congress. foreignaffairs.house.gov/_cache/files/5…
Volker testified yesterday he never knew about the link between Biden and Burisma, but we know he had these texts that are very plain about it in his possession. Volker is the person who gave them to Congress (over the State Dept’s objections). It’s vexing.
Sondland just testified again in questioning by Will Hurd that the Sept. 9th text from Bill Taylor, which *explicitly links* the hold on Ukraine security aid to the investigation of Biden and his son, is what prompted him to pick up the phone and call President Trump.
