WASHINGTON (AP) Ambassador Gordon Sondland told House impeachment investigators today that Rudy Giuliani was pushing a quid pro quo with Ukraine that he had to go along with it because its what President Donald Trump wanted.
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 testified.
Giuliani is Trumps personal lawyer.
I know that members of this committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a quid pro quo? As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.
We did not want to work with Mr. Giuliani, the ambassador said. But he said Trump told him and other diplomats working on Ukraine issues talk with Rudy on those matters. So we followed the presidents orders.
Sondland also confirmed that he spoke with Trump on a cellphone from a busy Kyiv restaurant the day after the president prodded Ukraines leader to investigate political rival Joe Biden.
And Sondland, the most anticipated witness in the inquiry, said he kept Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top administration officials aware of what was going on.
He said he specifically told Vice President Mike Pence he had concerns that U.S. military aid to Ukraine had become tied to the investigations.
Everyone was in the loop, Sondland testified in opening remarks. It was no secret.
Sondland described how demands became more serious with more conditions on any potential Ukraine meeting at the White House.
As time went on, more specific items got added to the menu — specially Burisma and 2016 meddling, he said, referring to the gas company where Joe Bidens son Hunter served on the board. And, he added, the server, the hacked Democratic computer system.
The wealthy hotelier and Trump donor has emerged as a central figure in an intense week with nine witnesses testifying over three days. He has told lawmakers the White House has records of the July 26 call, despite the fact that Trump has said he doesnt recall the conversation.
The ambassadors account of the recently revealed call supports the testimony of multiple witnesses who have spoken to impeachment investigators over the past week.
Trumps pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrats as he was withholding military aid to the East European nation is at the center of the impeachment probe that imperils his presidency.
Democratic chairman Adam Schiff of California opened the hearing saying, The knowledge of this scheme was far and wide.
