A reversal from Gordon Sondland’s behind closed doors testimony. Today the Ambassador to the EU spelled out a “quid quo pro.” Here are three different instances where he confirmed this while testifying before the House Intelligence Committee.
Sondland’s 19-page opening statement — plus texts and emails not previously made public — is filled with new details and disclosures he omitted from both his over nine-hour hour closed-door deposition and a sworn declaration he made later.
Here are some excerpts from his expected opening statement.
“They knew what we were doing and why.”
“Everyone was in the loop. It was no secret.”
“State Department was fully supportive of our engagement in Ukraine affairs, and was aware that a commitment to investigations was among the issues we were pursuing.”
The New York Times adds:
Mr. Sondland said in his opening statement that he told Vice President Mike Pence in late August that he feared the military aid being withheld from Ukraine was tied to the investigations Mr. Trump sought into his political rivals and that he kept Secretary of State Mike Pompeo apprised of his efforts to pressure Ukraine.
“I mentioned to Vice President Pence before the meetings with the Ukrainians that I had concerns that the delay in aid had become tied to the issue of investigations,” Mr. Sondland said in his written testimony. He said the conversation occurred shortly before Mr. Sondland and Mr. Pence traveled to Warsaw for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
