Trump inquiry: There was ‘quid pro quo’ in Ukraine call, ambassador says
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President Donald Trump knew about requests to Ukraine for investigations into his rivals and understood there was a “quid pro quo”, a top US diplomat has said.
Gordon Sondland, US ambassador to the EU, told an impeachment inquiry that he “followed the President’s orders” and those of his lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
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“As I testified previously, Mr Giuliani’s requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky,” he said.
“Mr Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma. Mr Giuliani was expressing the desires of the President of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the President.”
Sondland, a wealthy hotel entrepreneur and Trump donor, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was aware and “fully supportive” of their efforts on Ukraine.
The comments came during a hearing in front of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as part of a probe into whether Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to help his bid for re-election.
The basis of the impeachment probe is a phone call made on 25 July, in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open a corruption investigation into rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Democrats are investigating whether Trump deliberately withheld $391m (£305m) in security aid to Ukraine in a bid to pressurise Kiev into cooperation. The aid, which was approved to help the country fight Russia-backed separatists, was later handed over.
Sondland was one of three Trump allies who largely took over US-Ukraine policy in May, with Giuliani also playing a key role despite holding no official government position.
Trump has denied allegations of wrongdoing and branded the inquiry a “witch hunt”. Devin Nunes, a top Republican on the committee, today slammed the Democrat-led investigation, calling it an “impeachment crusade”.
Sondland was tapped as Trump’s envoy after he donated $1m to the President’s inauguration. In October, Trump called him “a really good man”, but after Sondland’s amended statement to House investigators this month the president told reporters at the White House: “I hardly know the gentleman”.
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The hearings could open the door to a formal impeachment, where the House would file charges against Trump.
However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday said it was “inconceivable” that two-thirds of the Republican-controlled chamber would vote to convict Trump.
Main image credit: Getty