On Wednesday the House Committee will hold another round of public Impeachment Inquiry hearings. Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland is scheduled to appear in the morning session.
Sondland’s testimony is highly anticipated and rumors abound that he will possibly invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
On October 17th, Sondland testified before the three House Committees handling the impeachment inquiry. On November 4th Sondland offered a supplemental declaration to his testimony. On November 5th, his deposition was made public.
Sondland was originally scheduled to testify before the House Committees on October 8th, but he was blocked by the State Department. At the time President Trump responded to the postponement via Twitter.
I would love to send Ambassador Sondland, a really good man and great American, to testify, but unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised kangaroo court, where Republican’s rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2019
….to see. Importantly, Ambassador Sondland’s tweet, which few report, stated, “I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind.” That says it ALL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2019
In Sondland’s supplemental declaration he explains that by September 1st due to lack of credible explanation for the suspension of aid to the Ukraine that he presumed that suspension had become linked to an anti-corruption statement.
On page two of his declaration Sondland explains that following a May 23rd meeting with President Trump; that Sondland, former U.S. Special Envoy Kurt Volker, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, “understood that satisfying Mr. Giuliani [Rudy Giuliani President Trump’s personal attorney] was a condition for scheduling the White House visit,” with President Zelensky.
Offering testimony in the afternoon are Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs, Laura Cooper and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale.
Cooper is expected to offer insight into how the hold on military Aid to the Ukraine occurred and what mechanism the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) used in order to delay the funding.
Cooper’s testimony before the House Committees was delayed on October 23rd for five hours when a group of House Republicans entered SCIF uninvited.
WATCH: here's the video of when 2 dozen GOP members, led by @mattgaetz entered the secure hearing room (SCIF) to interrupt witness testimony in the #ImpeachmentInquiry as they demand access, despite not being committee members. They're complaining it's a "Soviet-style process". pic.twitter.com/8KddYz3r9D
— Scott Thuman (@ScottThuman) October 23, 2019
Her testimony was released to the public on November 11th.
Hale testified before the Committees on November 6th, his testimony was made public on November 18th. Hale testified at the time that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Fox News and radio show host Sean Hannity to discuss the smear campaign surrounding former U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
Live Feed C-SPAN.
Live Feed CBS News.
Live Feed House Intelligence Committee Sondland Testimony.
Live Feed House Intelligence Committee Cooper and Hale Testimony.
Hearing 1: Ambassador Bill Taylor and George Kent.
Hearing 2: Former U.S. Ambassador Marie “Masha” Yovanovitch.
Hearing 3: Vice President Mike Pence aid Jennifer Williams, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, former U.S. Special Envoy to the Ukraine Kurt Volker, and former NSC’s official in charge of overseeing Russia and Europe, Tim Morrison.
For information regarding all publicly released documents @ Just Security.
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