Thread by @mkraju

New - Fiona Hill will offer a full-throated rebuttal to the narrative pushed by Trump and his GOP allies about Ukraine's role meddling in American politics, per source, warning the US to keep an eye on the Kremlin instead. cnn.com/2019/11/21/pol…

What Hill said in her deposition: “It is a fiction that the Ukrainian Government was launching an effort to upend our election, upend our election to mess with our Democratic system.” Will make similar remarks in her opening statement. w/ @jeremyherb

“Based on questions and statements I have heard, some of you on this committee appear to believe that Russia and its security services did not conduct a campaign against our country—and that perhaps, somehow, for some reason, Ukraine did,” Hill say

”This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves,” Hill says. (Jordan, Nunes and others have floated this notion)

Hill will say this in her opening statement: “If the President, or anyone else, impedes or subverts the national security of the United States in order to further domestic political or personal interests, that is more than worthy of your attention.”

Hill will add: “But we must not let domestic politics stop us from defending ourselves against the foreign powers who truly wish us harm.”

“The impact of the successful 2016 Russian campaign remains evident today. Our nation is being torn apart. Truth is questioned. Our highly professional and expert career foreign service is being undermined.
U.S. support for Ukraine ..has been politicized.” cnn.com/2019/11/21/pol…

Schiff: “In the coming days, Congress will determine what response is appropriate. If the President abused his power and invited foreign interference in our elections .... it will be up to us to decide, whether those acts are compatible with the office of the Presidency.”

Nunes rails on the “bizarre” hearings. “It’s not President Trump who got caught. It’s Democrats who got caught.”

Nunes says Democrats got “caught” seeking “nude photos” of Trump

Nunes takes exception to Fiona Hill testimony that some committee members believe “Russia and its security services did not conduct a campaign against our country.” He cites GOP 2018 report on Russia probe. She’s calling out claims by Nunes and others that Ukraine meddled in ‘16

David Holmes testifies that policy priorities in Ukraine, including support against Russian aggression, “became overshadowed by a political agenda being promoted by ... Giuliani and a cadre of officials operating with a direct channel to the White House.” intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…

“The barrage of allegations directed at Ambassador Yovanovitch, a career ambassador, is unlike anything I have seen in my professional career,” Holmes said

“While Ambassador Sondland’s mandate as Ambassador accredited to the European Union did not cover individual member states, let alone non-member countries like Ukraine, he made clear that he had direct and frequent access to President Trump” and Mulvaney, Holmes said

Why Zelensky eagerly hoped for a meeting at WH. “President Zelenskyy needed to show U.S. support at the highest levels in order to demonstrate to Russian President Putin that he had U.S. backing, as well as to advance his ambitious anti-corruption reforms at home,” Holmes said

Holmes does not back away from his past testimony - and says clearly that Sondland told him that - after his July call with Trump - that the president only cares about the “Biden investigation.” This contradicts Sondland testimony that he didn’t say “Biden”

Holmes testifies that the hold on crucial military aid was “shocking” and came as Zelensky was being pushed by top US officials to make a public statement “to personally commit to a “specific investigation of President Trump’s political rival.”

“That’s absolutely the case,” Fiona Hill says of Russia seeking to blame Ukraine for 2016 election interference, something Trump/Rudy have also done. “This follows a long-pattern of deflection.”

David Holmes testifies that the Ukrainians felt pressure to move ahead with probes. “Yes sir,” Holmes said, adding Ukrainians want to keep WH happy because “they still need us now.” (GOP argues that Zelensky noted he didn’t feel pressure)

Not a perfect call, Fiona Hill says, confirming she was “shocked” and “disappointed” to read transcript of July 25 call. ... She also says based on what was happening: “It became clear that the WH meeting had become predicated on “other issues ... including investigations.”

Fiona Hill testifies that some of Trump’s senior advisers told him it’s false that Ukraine sought to interfere in the 2016 elections. Asked if Trump disregarded that advice and listened to Giuliani instead, Hill said: “That appears to be the case.”

Bolton considered Rudy a “hand grenade” because he was “clearly pushing issues and ideas that would come back to haunt us,” Hill says

Holmes sows doubt on Sondland and Volker testimony by saying anyone working on Ukraine issues in the spring and summer would know that Burisma was the same as the Bidens. The other two pleaded ignorance on it

“That’s when I saw Ambassador Bolton stiffen,” Fiona Hill says after Sondland was calling for “specific investigations” Ukrainians needed to launch before WH meeting. Bolton told Hill: “I want no part of whatever drug deal Mulvaney and Sondland are cooking up.”

Bolton considered “the drug deal,” investigations for the meeting, she said

Nunes begins second part of hearing questioning Hill on the Steele dossier, how she saw a copy of it a day before it was published in BuzzFeed and knew Christopher Steele

Fiona Hill another witness who has testified about deep concerns over the smear campaign launched by Rudy, etc against Marie Yovanovitch, calling it “completely unnecessary”

GOP adds new sign during the break

“You’re not disputing that Democrats and Clinton campaign are the source of funds for the Steele dossier?” Nunes asks Holmes, who has no first hand knowledge. Says he has read that to be the case.

Forceful Fiona Hill push back on testimony from her successor Tim Morrison that she had concerns about Alex Vindman’s judgment. “I said I was concerned with the way things were trending in Ukraine policy.” She offers effusive praise for Vindman

Hill added she was concerned Vindman lacked a political antenna” in what became a highly charged political environment over Ukraine

“By this point, I could see that Biden is code for Bidens,” Hill said. “I could see why Col. Vindman was alarmed.”

Jordan wants to know why there were 13 conversations Taylor detailed when deposed but he didn’t reveal the Trump call Holmes overheard. Holmes makes clear he thought Taylor knew about it.

When July 26 Trump-Sondland call happened, Taylor “was on the frontlines,” Holmes said. Then, Holmes went on vacation - and he thought Taylor had been briefed in the interim. Holmes explains he thought Taylor knew; Jordan continued to interrupt him as he tried to explain

Mike Turner delivers a five-minute rejoinder attacking Hill’s credibility and saying Holmes “embarrassed” Zelensky by his testimony. At one point, Hill’s attorney asked if he had a question for the witness. He didn’t

Fiona Hill completely disarms Wenstrup who didn’t want her to answer. Then she says he spoke “very eloquently.” And then she warns of Russian interference and then says she was simply worried during her deposition how many of the questions were about alleged Ukraine meddling

Another GOP lawmaker, now Chris Stewart, doesn’t have questions and uses five minutes for a speech. “You’re going to impeach and remove a president for this?” Stewart then reads from a list of witnesses he wants Senate to call during trial.

Will Hurd breaks from his colleagues and says proceedings have shown how actions of administration “undermined” national security - and says he “disagreed” with comments from some of his colleagues that undermined Ukraine. He then says they should have deposed whistleblower

But Hurd added: “I have not heard evidence proving the president committed bribery or extortion,” Hurd said.

Mike Conaway again flashes his anger at Schiff, something that has been brewing over the past two weeks.

Sean Patrick Maloney characterizes Mike Turner’s attacks against Fiona Hill as “epic mansplaining”

“Of course they were SILENT when he said that,” Schiff said, emphasizing “silent,” referring to Trump questioning the IC’s finding on Russian interference when he met with Putin

“In my view there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who thinks they are above the law,” Schiff says. “We are better than that.” As he adjourns the hearing and bangs the gavel