Trump diplomat’s impeachment testimony shows President was ‘running an extortion scheme’ over Ukraine, Democrats claim
DONALD Trump has been accused of “running an extortion scheme” by Democrats after the president’s EU ambassador changed his impeachment evidence.
In a stunning reversal, top diplomat Gordon Sondland has handed House impeachment investigators another key piece of corroborating testimony during the probe into Ukraine aid.
House investigators have released a three-page update from Sondland – an addendum to his sworn earlier testimony.
Sondland carried a message to president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s aide while attending a conference in Warsaw with Vice President Mike Pence.
He recalled this week: “I said that resumption of US aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks.”
Trump has always denied any quid pro quo.
Sondland’s about-turn prompted Democrat Eric Swalwell to tell Fox News that “the arrows continue to point in the direction that the president was leading in an extortion scheme.
“I do think you see there is a sharp, straight line from the president to Sondland and the president to Rudy Giuliani.”
Sondland is a wealthy businessman who donated nearly £800,000 ($1m) to Trump’s inauguration.
He told investigators that his memory had been refreshed by the opening statements of two other inquiry witnesses, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, and Tim Morrison, a European expert at the National Security Council.
Swalwell, a 39-year-old Californian congressman, has urged the House to go ahead with a public inquiry.
He told the broadcaster: “There’s powerful evidence to suggest that we should go forward and have public hearings.
“Evidence is not a [foregone] conclusion.
“The president is entitled to a fair process in public hearings. These witnesses will be under oath – they’ll be before cameras.
“The president has an opportunity, though, to cooperate and allow his witnesses… to come forward and perhaps provide exonerating evidence.”
“WITCH HUNT”
The Democrat-led impeachment investigation is only a few weeks old.
It’s been hearing from a series of current and former administration officials about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
In September, a whistleblower revealed that Trump had asked Zelenskiy on a phone call to pursue investigations of Democratic political rival Joe Biden’s family.
At the same time, the White House was withholding military aid from the country even though it had been approved by Congress.
However, Trump has fiercely denied any wrongdoing, and has said the probe is illegitimate.
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The White House has instructed its officials not to comply with the impeachment inquiry being led by House Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that he believes Trump will stay in the White House.
And a top Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, told reporters he doesn’t plan to read the probe transcripts, rejecting the inquiry as a “bunch of B.S.”
Trump said today on Twitter: “It is a phony scam by the Do Nothing Dems! Witch Hunt!”