Kurt Volker, one of the ‘three amigos’, faces pressure from Dems to switch up his secret testimony

Ambassador Kurt Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine, and National Security aide Tim Morrison are testifying before the House Intelligence Committee in Week Two of the impeachment hearings.  

Ambassador Volker revised elements of his previous testimony and says he now understands in ‘hindsight’ other players in the Ukraine affair considered investigating the firm Burisma with a probe related to Trump rival Joe Biden.

As House members in the impeachment inquiry listened, Volker described how he has learned new information from other witnesses and admits if he knew more, he would have ‘raised my own objections.’

‘I learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question,’ Volker, the former special envoy for Ukraine, testified.

Volker has provided testimony that helped the information, including saying Ukrainians did not know hundreds of millions of U.S. aid was being withheld. In his first public testimony, he responds to information he has learned from other witnesses – including that he was not aware that ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland spoke by phone with President Trump on July 26, when he was visiting a conflict zone in in Ukraine.

He told lawmakers that he ‘did not understand’ that others believed an investigation of the Ukrainian firm Burisma ‘was tantamount to investigating Vice President Joe Biden. I drew a sharp distinction between the two.’

He sought to reconcile his testimony with other diplomats, writing about his July 19 meeting with Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani – whom others identified as behind an unofficial outside Ukraine policy track.

At no time was he ware or ‘knowingly took part in an effort to urge Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Biden,’ Volker said. He said he bristles at the use of the term ‘three amigos’ as a group that included himself, Sondland, and Energy Sec. Rick Perry.

He was not on Trump’s infamous July 25 call, but says he ‘was not made aware of any reference to Vice President Biden or his son by President Trump’ until weeks later, when it came out.

The seasoned diplomat said he saw Burisma and Biden as different. ‘In retrospect, I should have seen that connection differently, and had I done so, I would have raised my own objections.’ 

 His testimony follows Tuesday morning’s hearing that saw Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Vice President Mike Pence aide Jennifer Williams deliver damning testimony about Donald Trump’s July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine.   

Longtime diplomat Kurt Volker (left) and National Security aide Tim Morrison (right) are testifying Tuesday afternoon in Week Two of the impeachment hearings

Ambassador Kurt Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine, left, and Tim Morrison, a former official at the National Security Council, are among nine witnesses testifying this week in public before the House Intelligence Committee

Ambassador Kurt Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine, left, and Tim Morrison, a former official at the National Security Council, are among nine witnesses testifying this week in public before the House Intelligence Committee

Longtime diplomat Kurt Volker arrives on Capitol Hill

National Security aide Tim Morrison arrives on Capitol Hill

Volker (left)  previously delivered closed-door testimony that in part helped the Trump administration, saying the Ukrainians ‘never communicated a belief [to him] that there was a quid pro quo.’ Morrison (right) testified behind closed doors revealed that he was concerned about security aid being withheld from Ukraine 

Volker called Biden an ‘honorable man’ who he held in the ‘highest regard.’

He says he opposed the hold put on nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine. He also ‘did not know about strong concerns’ former National Security advisor John Bolton raised to members of the NSC staff about a discussion of ‘investigations.’

Gordon Sondland, who donated $1million to Trump’s inauguration before being named as a diplomat, participated with Volker in a July 10 meeting. But here again, Volker says he didn’t know the full story. He said ‘I think all of us thought it was inappropriate’ when Sondland raised investigations.

But as the U.S. side who participated in a meeting with Ukrainians moved to another room, Volker said he ‘may have been engaged in a side conversation, or had already left the complex, because I do not recall further discussion regarding investigations or Burisma.’

Officials testifying in public this week 

TUESDAY

Jennifer Williams: A State Department staffer detailed to VP Pence who was on the July 25 phone call and said it was ‘unusual’ for the Bidens to be mentioned

Alexander Vindman: The top Ukraine expert on the NSC; he was on the July 25 call and expressed his concerns about it to NSC lawyers

Kurt Volker: the former special envoy to the Ukraine whose text messages revealed a shadow foreign policy

Tim Morrison: an NSC official who told lawmakers Gordon Sondland acted at President Trump’s direction

WEDNESDAY

Gordon Sondland: the EU ambassador who ran a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine with Rudy Giuliani and Rick Perry

Laura Cooper: a Pentagon official who testified about the hold put on U.S. money to the Ukraine

David Hale: a State Department official who testified about efforts to recall then-Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch

THURSDAY

Fiona Hill: John Bolton’s former deputy at NSC who took her concerns about Sondland’s action in the Ukraine to the NSC’s lawyers

David Holmes: A State Department in Kiev who heard Sondland’s call with President Trump

During questioning, Volker said he did not believe charges being raised against Joe Biden were ‘credible,’ and neither were what has been called a ‘smear campaign’ against former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. He called her an ‘Incredibly competent professional.’

‘I’ve known former vice president Biden for a long time. I know how he respects his duties of higher office.’

Volker saw Burisma and Bidens as ‘distinct’ he says. He said he was trying to ‘thread that needle’ to see whether there were things that Ukraine could do ‘that are appropriate and reasonable that help clarify for our president’ that Ukraine was committed to fighting corruption.

He previously delivered closed-door testimony that in part helped the Trump administration, saying the Ukrainians ‘never communicated a belief [to him] that there was a quid pro quo,’ and said he doesn’t believe Ukraine knew hundreds of millions of U.S. aid was being withheld.

But his texts and messages have contributed to the body of evidence of a pressure campaign that a series of senior diplomats have testified they considered odious.

‘Heard from white house – assuming president Z convinces trump he will investigate / ‘get to the bottom of what happened’ in 2016 we will nail down date for visit to Washington,’ he wrote.

The message seemed to link the effort to get President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to make a public statement on ‘corruption’ investigations Trump wanted in exchange for a White House meeting. 

The probe related to Trump rival Joe Biden, although Volker said he didn’t realize the company involved – Burisma – involved Biden. Hunter Biden won a lucrative spot on the energy company’s board.  

National security aide Tim Morrison, who told Congress he didn’t think the president’s call with the Ukrainian president was illegal or inappropriate, is testify alongside Volker. 

Republicans hope to feature his testimony, although they have grumbled it comes late in the day when attention may flag. 

Morrison testified behind closed doors revealed that he was concerned about security aid being withheld from Ukraine. He was ‘aware’ the White House was holding up the aid. He asked an NSC legal advisor to review Trump’s call ‘promptly’ after it happened.

But he also said he did not believe anything illegal happened. He said he had concerns of a ‘potential leak’ of the information, and that the information could undermine bipartisan support for Ukraine and hurt U.S.-Ukraine relations. He said he hoped Gordon Sondland’s strategy was ‘exclusively his own.

Tuesday morning’s hearing saw Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Vice President Mike Pence aide Jennifer Williams deliver damning testimony about Donald Trump’s July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine.

Republican Rep. Devin Nunes used Tuesday’s televised impeachment hearing to try to get Col. Vindman to reveal the identity of the whistleblower – only to get shot down by the panel chairman and Vindman’s lawyer. 

Nunes, a California lawmaker who is the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, put a series of questions to Vindman about what he did after Trump’s infamous July 25 call.

‘I did not discuss the call with anyone inside or outside the White House,’ Vindman said – after saying he considered Trump bringing up the Bidens with a foreign leader ‘inappropriate.’

 

Nunes asked if he discussed the call with anyone outside the White House.

‘Not in the White House. Cleared U.S. government officials with appropriate need-to -know,’ Vindman replied.

Pressed further, he provided the name of high-level State Department official George Kent.

Then he said the other was ‘an individual in the intelligence community.’

‘What agency is this individual from?’ Nunes asked him – potentially bringing the questioning closer to the identity of the whistle-blower, who the New York Times identified as a CIA officer and whose name has appeared in some press accounts.

‘We need to protect the whistleblower,’ interjected Schiff.

‘I want to make sure that there’s no effort to out the whistleblower in these proceedings,’ Schiff said. He instructed that this was ‘not the purpose’ of the hearing. ‘I want to advise the witness accordingly,’ Schiff said.  

Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, left, and National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, kick off a week of testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill Tuesday

Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, left, and National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, kick off a week of testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill Tuesday

‘It is improper for the president of the United States to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen and a political opponent,’ Vindman said during Tuesdays hearing 

Colonel Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams take the oath before they testify during the House Intelligence Committee hearing  into President Donald Trump's alleged efforts to tie US aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents

Colonel Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams take the oath before they testify during the House Intelligence Committee hearing  into President Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to tie US aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents

Then Nunes, a firebrand who marshaled opposition to the Russia probe when he ran the committee, continued in his questions. ‘Mr. Vindman …’ He began.

‘Ranking member, it’s Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, please,’ the Army colonel responded, while sporting his full dress uniform.

Nunes immediately corrected himself, then pointed to Vindman’s prior testimony that he did not know the identity of the whistle-blower.

‘I do not know who the whistleblower is,’ Vindman said.

‘Per the advice of my counsel I have been advised not to answer specific questions about members of the intelligence community,’ said Vindman.

‘Are you aware that this is the Intelligence Committee that’s conducting the impeachment hearing?’ asked Nunes, sounding exasperated.

Then Vindman invoked both his lawyer and Schiff’s instructions. ‘What I can offer is that these were properly cleared individuals or was a properly cleared individual with a need-to-know,’ he said.

‘We are following the ruling of the chair,’ Vindman’s lawyer said, backing up his client’s position.   

Nunes did go on the attack in his opening statement – but he targeted the media and the anonymous whistleblower who started the impeachment inquiry.

‘The media have fully accepted the Democrats’ stunning reversal on the need for the whistleblower to testify to this committee,’ Nunes, a Republican from California, charged. 

During questioning, Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who immigrated to the U.S. as an infant, sympathized with Vindman, telling him that he is being ‘smeared’ by the right because he is an immigrant. 

Vindman testified that when he raised his concerns about a White House Ukraine meeting and a presidential phone call, ‘ I did so out of a sense of duty.’

‘My intent was to raise these concerns because they have significant national security concerns for our country. I never thought that I would be sitting here testifying to this committee and the American public about my actions,’ Vindman told lawmakers.

He called ‘character attacks’ on ‘distinguished and honorable public servants’ reprehensible.

The Ukrainian-speaking Vindman spoke of his love of country, provided a sharp contrast with life in the U.S. compared to the country his parents fled, and even addressed comments to his father, who fled the Soviet Union.

‘I also recognize that my simple act of appearing here today just like the courage of my colleagues who have also truthfully testified before this committee would not be tolerated in many places around the world. In Russia, my act of expressing concern to the chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions and offer in public testimony involving the president would surely cost me my life,’ Vindman testified in his opening statement.

‘I’m grateful to my father for his brave act of hope 40 years ago and for the privilege of being an American citizen and public servant. Where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety,’ he continued. Then he addressed remarks to his father. ‘Dad, I’m sitting here today in the U.S. Capitol talking to our elected professionals, talking to our elected representatives, proof that you made the right decision to leave the soviet union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth,’ he said.

Connecticut Democratic Rep. Jim Himes referenced Trump’s attacks and asked Vindman if he would consider himself a ‘never Trumper.’

‘I’d call myself never partisan,’ Vindman responded.

Republican Rep. Devin Nunes (right) tried to get Army Col. Alexander Vindman to reveal the identity of the whistleblower – only to get shot down by the panel chairman and Vindman's lawyer and Adam Schiff

Republican Rep. Devin Nunes (right) tried to get Army Col. Alexander Vindman to reveal the identity of the whistleblower – only to get shot down by the panel chairman and Vindman’s lawyer and Adam Schiff 

MUCH MORE THAN A HUNCH: A total of eight witnesses will testify in hearings overseen by Rep. Adam Schiff of California (center) this week

MUCH MORE THAN A HUNCH: A total of eight witnesses will testify in hearings overseen by Rep. Adam Schiff of California (center) this week

Himes asked about some of the military decorations Vindman was wearing – including his Purple Heart and how he got it. ‘In 2014 in the ramp up to probably the largest urban operation in decades outside Fallujah,’ Vindman said he was on reconnaissance patrol. ‘My vehicle was struck by an improvise explosive device,’ he said, causing injury.

Then Himes turned on committee counsel Castor’s questioning about the job offer. ‘That may have come cloaked in a Brooks Brothers suit and in parliamentary language. That was designed exclusively to give the right wing media an opportunity to question your loyalties,’ Himes said.

President Trump ripped impeachment witnesses as virtual nobodies.

‘I don’t know him,’ Trump said of Vindman. ‘I never saw the man. I understand now he wears his uniform when he goes in. No, I don’t know Vindman at all. What I do know is that even he said that the transcript was correct,’ said Trump, who received multiple military deferments during Vietnam.

Vindman, I watched him for a little while this morning and I think he — I’m going to let other people make their own determination. But I don’t know Vindman. I never heard of him. I don’t know any of these people, other than I have seen one or two a couple of times, they’re ambassadors.’

‘I don’t know who Kent is. I don’t know who Taylor is,’ Trump said of U.S. Charge d’affairs in Ukraine William Taylor, the top U.S. official there after the firing of the ambassador. Kent is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department.

Williams in her opening statement that she found Trump’s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president ‘unusual’ because ‘in contrast to other presidential calls I had observed, it involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter. She noted she had served in the George W. Bush administration under Condoleezza Rice and Michael Chertoff.

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