WITH THAT I RECOGNIZE MYSELF. GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT IN THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO DONALD
J. TRUMP, THE 45th PRESIDENT OF
THE YOU UNITED STATES.
>>> WE’LL HEAR FROM GORDON
SONDLAND, THE AMERICAN
AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN
UNION.
UNION. WE’RE HERE TODAY AS PART OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY BECAUSE
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SOUGHT TO
CONDITION MILITARY AID TO
UKRAINE IN A NEW UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT IN EXCHANGE FOR
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED INVESTIGATIONS THAT TRUMP
BELIEVED WOULD HELP HIS
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. THE FIRST INVESTIGATION WAS OF A
DISCREDITED CONSPIRACY THEORY
THAT UKRAINE NOT RUSSIA WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERFERING IN
THE 2016 ELECTION.
SECOND INVESTIGATION THAT TRUMP
DEMANDED INTO -- WAS INTO A
POLITICAL RIVAL THAT HE
APPARENTLY FEARED MOST, JOE
BIDEN.
BIDEN. TRUMP SOUGHT TO WEAKEN BIDEN AND
TO REFUTE THE FACT THAT HIS OWN
ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN 2016 HAD
BEEN HELPED BY RUSSIAN HACKING
AND DUMPING -- DIRECTED BY
VLADIMIR PUTIN TO HELP TRUMP.
TRUMP’S SCHEME UNDERMINED
MILITARY AND DIP LOW I CAN --
TRUMP PUT HIS PERSONAL AND
POLITICAL INTERESTS ABOVE THOSE
OF THE UNITED STATES.
AS AMBASSADOR SONDLAND WOULD
LATER TELL CAREER FOREIGN
SERVICE OFFICER DAVID HOLMES
IMMEDIATELY AFTER SPEAKING TO
THE PRESIDENT, TRUMP DID NOT
GIVE AN EXPLETIVE ABOUT UKRAINE.
HE CARES ABOUT BIG STUFF THAT
BENEFITS HIM LIKE THE BIDEN
INVESTIGATION THAT RUDY GIULIANI
WAS PUSHING.
WAS PUSHING. AMBASSADOR SONDLAND WAS A
SKILLED DEAL MAKER, BUT TRYING
TO SATISFY DIRECTIVE FROM THE
PRESIDENT FOUND HIMSELF
EMBROILED IN AN EFFORT TO
IMPRESS THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT
THAT DEVIATED FROM THE NORM OF
POLICY AND PROCESS.
IN FEBRUARY AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
TRAVELED TO UKRAINE ON HIS FIRST
OFFICIAL TRIP TO THAT COUNTRY.
WHILE THERE, HE MET WITH MARIE
YOVANOVITCH AND FOUND HER WITH A
DEEP DEMAND OF INTERNAL
DYNAMICS.
DYNAMICS. ON APRIL 21st, ZELENSKY WAS
ELECTED PRESIDENT AND SPOKE TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP WHO
CONGRATULATED HIM AND SAID HE
WOULD LOOK INTO ATTENDING
ZELENSKY’S INAUGURATION BUT
PLEDGED TO SEND SOMEONE AT A
VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL.
BETWEEN THE TIME OF THAT CALL
AND THE INAUGURAL ON MAY 20,
TRUMP’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS UKRAINE
HARDENED.
HARDENED. ON MAY 13th, THE PRESIDENT
ORDERED VICE PRESIDENT MIKE
PENCE NOT TO ATTEND ZELENSKY’S
INAUGURATION OPTING INSTEAD TO
DUB THE THREE AMIGOS, ENERGY
SECRETARY RICK PERRY, AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND AND AMBASSADOR KURT
VOLKER, THE SPECIAL AMBASSADOR
FOR UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS.
AFTER RETURNING FROM THE
INAUGURATION, THEY BRIEFED
PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THEIR
ENCOURAGING FIRST INTERACTIONS
WITH THE NEW UKRAINIAN
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. THEY URGED THE PRESIDENT TO MEET
WITH ZELENSKY, BUT THE
PRESIDENT’S REACTION WAS
DECIDEDLY HOSTILE.
DECIDEDLY HOSTILE. THE PRESIDENT’S ORDER WAS CLEAR,
HOWEVER.
HOWEVER. TALK WITH RUDY.
DURING THIS MEETING, AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND BECAME AWARE OF WHAT
JULIANGIULIANI AND THE PRESIDENT
INTERESTED IN.
INTERESTED IN. IT WAS A CONTINUUM HE TESTIFIED
AT HIS DEPOSITION STARTING AT
THE MAY 23rd MEETING ENDING UP
AT THE END OF THE LINE WHEN THE
TRANSCRIPT OF THE CALL CAME OUT.
IT WAS A CONTINUUM, HE WOULD
EXPLAIN, THAT BECAME MORE
INSIDIOUS OVER TIME.
THE THREE AMIGOS WERE
DISAPPOINTED WITH TRUMP’S
DIRECTIVE TO ENGAGE JULIANGIULIA
VOWED TO PRESS AHEAD.
AMBASSADOR SONDLAND TESTIFIED WE
COULD ABANDON A WHITE HOUSE
MEETING WITH ZELENSKY WHICH THE
GROUP DEEMED CRUCIAL FOR THE
RELATIONS OR DO AS PRESIDENT
TRUMP DIRECTED.
TRUMP DIRECTED. WE CHOSE THE LATTER PATH.
IN THE COMING WEEKS, AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND GOT MORE INVOLVED WITH
POLICY MAKING STARTING WITH THE
JUNE 4 U.S. ADMISSION TO THE EU
INDEPENDENCE DAY IN BRUSSELS ONE
MONTH EARLY.
MONTH EARLY. SECRETARY PERRY BRECK TELL AND
THE STATE DEPARTMENT COUNSEL LAR
AND SONDLAND MET WITH PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY WHOM SONDLAND INVITED
PERSONALLY ON THE MARGINS OF THE
EVENT.
EVENT. ON JUNE 10, 2019, SECRETARY
PERRY ORGANIZED THE CONFERENCE
CALL WITH SONDLAND, THEN
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER BOLTON
AND VOLKER AND OTHERS, REVIEWED
YOU CRAIN STRATEGY AND DECIDED
THAT THEY WOULD ASSIST BILL
TAYLOR, THE NEW ACTING
AMBASSADOR IN KYEV AND DISCUSSED
TRUMP DESIRE TO HAVE GIULIANI
SOMEHOW INVOLVED.
SOMEHOW INVOLVED. WE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE
STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD.
TWO WEEKS LATER ON JUNE 27th,
AMBASSADOR SONDLAND CALLED
TAYLOR TO SAY THAT, QUOTE,
ZELENSKY NEEDED TO MAKE CLEAR TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT HE WAS NOT
STANDING IN THE WAY OF
INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS. ON JULY 10, AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
AND OTHER OFFICIALS MET AT THE
WHITE HOUSE WITH A GROUP OF U.S.
AND UKRAINEIAN OFFICIALS.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING HAVE
TOLD US THAT AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
INVOKED ACTING WHITE HOUSE CHIEF
OF STAFF MICK MULVANEY AND THE
MEETING SOUGHT BY UKRAINEIAN
PRESIDENT WOULD HAPPEN ONLY IF
UKRAINE UNDERTOOK CERTAIN
INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS. THEY ABRUPTLY ENDED THE MEETING
UPON HEARING THIS.
UNDETERRED, THEY BROUGHT THE
DELEGATION DOWN TO ANOTHER PART
OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND WAS MORE
EXPLICIT.
EXPLICIT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, UKRAINE
NEEDED TO INVESTIGATE THE
BIDENS, BURISMA IN THE 2016
ELECTION INTERFERENCE IF THEY
WANTED TO GET A MEETING AT ALL.
FOLLOWING THE THIS MEETING IN
JULY, BOLTON SAID THAT HE WOULD
NOT BE PART OF WHATEVER DRUG
DEAL SONDLAND AND MULVANEY ARE
COOKING UP ON THIS.
SONDLAND CONTINUED TO PRESS FOR
A MEETING BUT THEY WERE WILLING
TO SETTLE FOR A PHONE CALL.
ON JULY 21, TEXTED SONDLAND THAT
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY IS SENSITIVE
ABOUT UKRAINE BEING TAKEN
SERIOUSLY NOT MERELY AS AN
INSTRUMENT FOR WASHINGTON
DOMESTIC RE-ELECTION POLITICS.
SONDLAND RESPONDED ABSOLUTELY.
BUT WE NEED TO GET THE
CONVERSATION STARTED AND THE
RELATIONSHIP BUILT IRRESPECTIVE
OF THE PRETEXT.
SO THAT ZELENSKY AND TRUMP COULD
MEET AND ALL OF THIS WILL BE
FIXED.
FIXED. ON JULY 25, THE DAY OF THE TRUMP
ZELENSKY CALL, VOLKER HAD LUNCH
IN KEEFE AND LATER TEXTED THE
AIDE TO SAY HE HAD HEARD FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE ASSUMING
PRESIDENT Z HE WILL INVESTIGATE,
GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT
HAPPENED IN 2016, WE WILL NAIL
DOWN DATES FOR A VISIT TO
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. GOOD LUCK.
GOOD LUCK. AMBASSADOR SONDLAND SPOKE TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP A FEW MINUTES
BEFORE THE CALL WAS PLACED BUT
WAS NOT ON THE CALL.
DURING THAT NOW INFAMOUS PHONE
CALL WITH ZELENSKY, THE
EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION FOR
U.S. DEFENSE SUPPORT AND
REQUESTED TO BUY MORE MISSILES
BY SAYING I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO
US A FAVOR, THOUGH.
TRUMP ASKED ZELENSKY TO
INVESTIGATE THE DISCREDIT
CONSPIRACY THEORY AND OMINOUSLY
LOOK INTO THE BIDENS.
NEITHER HAD BEEN PART OF THE
OFFICIAL PREPARATORY MATERIAL
FOR THE CALL BUT THEY WERE IN
DONALD TRUMP’S PERSONAL INTEREST
AND THE INTEREST OF HIS
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. AND THE UKRAINEIAN PRESIDENT KNE
ABOUT BOTH IN ADVANCE, IN PART
BECAUSE OF AMBASSADOR VOLKER AND
AMBASSADOR SONDLAND’S EFFORT TO
MAKE HIM AWARE OF WHAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS DEMANDING.
AROUND THIS TIME AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND BECAME AWARE OF THE
SUSPENSION OF SECURITY
ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE WHICH HAD
BEEN ANNOUNCED ON A VIDEO
CONFERENCE ON JULY 18th.
TELLING US THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY
ODD THAT NOBODY INVOLVED IN
MAKING AND IMPLEMENTING POLICY
TOWARDS UKRAINE KNEW WHY THE AID
HAD BEEN PUT ON HOLD.
DURING AUGUST -- SAID THAT THE
GIST OF EVERY CALL WHAT WAS
GOING TO GO IN THE PRESS
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. IN AUGUST TEXT MESSAGE WITH
VOLKER SONDLAND SAID I THINK
THEY WANT THE DELIVERABLE WHICH
WAS A DELIVERABLE PUBLIC
STATEMENT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
WANTED TO SEE OR HEAR BEFORE A
WHITE HOUSE MEETING COULD
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. ON SEPTEMBER 1, AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND PARTICIPATED IN VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE’S BILATERAL
MEETING WITH ZELENSKY IN WARSAW
DURING WHICH THEY RAISED THE
SECURITY ASSISTANCE.
SECURITY ASSISTANCE. FOLLOWING THAT MEETING, SONDLAND
APPROACHED THE SEEN I CAN’T
REMEMBER UKRAINEIAN OFFICIALS TO
TELL THEM WHAT COULD HELP THEM
MOVE THE AID IS IF PROSECUTOR
GENERAL WOULD GO TO THE MIC AND
ANNOUNCE HE WAS OPENING THE
BURISMA INVESTIGATION.
BURISMA INVESTIGATION. SONDLAND TOLD TAYLOR HE MADE A
MISTAKE TELLING THE UKRAINIANS
AN OVAL OFFICE MEETING WAS
DEPENDENT ON AN INVESTIGATION,
IN FACT, EVERYTHING WAS
DEPENDENT ON SUCH AN
ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING SECURITY
ASSISTANCE.
ASSISTANCE. EVEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE
PROSECUTOR GENERAL WOULD NOT
SATISFY THE PRESIDENT.
ON SEPTEMBER 7, SONDLAND SPOKE
TO THE PRESIDENT AND TOLD TIM
MORRISON AND BILL TAYLOR ABOUT
THE CALL SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT ALTHOUGH
THIS WAS NOT A QUID PRO QUO, IF
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY DID NOT CLEAR
THINGS UP IN PUBLIC, WE WOULD BE
AT A STALEMATE.
MORE OVER, ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE
PROSECUTOR GENERAL WOULD NOT BE
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. PRESIDENT ZELENSKY MUST
PERSONALLY, ANNOUNCE PERSONALLY
THAT HE WOULD OPEN THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SONDLAND TOLD TAYLOR THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS A
BUSINESSMAN.
BUSINESSMAN. WHEN A BUSINESSMAN IS ABOUT TO
SIGN A CHECK TO SOMEONE WHO OWES
HIM SOMETHING, THE BUSINESSMAN
ASKS THAT PERSON TO PAY UP
BEFORE SIGNING THE CHECK.
THE CHECK REFERRED TO HERE WAS
THE U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO
UKRAINE AND UKRAINE HAS TO PAY
UP WITH INVESTIGATIONS.
AROUND EARLY SEPTEMBER, VOLKER
AND SONDLAND SOUGHT TO CLOSE THE
DEAL THAT ZELENSKY WOULD
ANNOUNCE SLEGS.
ANNOUNCE SLEGS. AFTER TAYLOR TEXTED SONDLAND
THAT I THINK IT’S CRAZY TO
WITHHOLD SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR
HELP WITH A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
16 DAYS LATER, THE TRANSCRIPT OF
THE JULY 25th CALL WAS MADE
PUBLIC AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
LEARNED THE TRUTH OF HOW OUR
PRESIDENT TRIED TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF A VULNERABLE ALLY.
NOW IT IS UP TO CONGRESS AS THE
PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVES TO
DETERMINE WHAT RESPONSE IS
APPROPRIATE.
APPROPRIATE. IF THE PRESIDENT ABUSED THIS
POWER AND INVITED FOREIGN
INTERFERENCE IN OUR ELECTIONS,
IF HE THOUGHT TO CONDITION
EXTORT OR BRIBE AN ALLY INTO
CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS AND
DID SO BY WITHHOLDING OFFICIAL
ACTS, A WHITE HOUSE MEETINGS OR
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
OF NEEDED MILITARY AID, IT WILL
BE UP TO US TO DECIDE WHETHER
THOSE ACTS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH
THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY.
FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY A WORD
ABOUTPOMPEO’S OBSTRUCTION
ABOUTPOMPEO’S OBSTRUCTION OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SINGLE
DOCUMENT FROM THE STATE
DEPARTMENT AND AS AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND’S OPENING STATEMENT
TODAY WILL MAKE CLEAR, THOSE
DOCUMENTS BEAR DIRECTLY ON THIS
INVESTIGATION AND THIS
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. I THINK WE KNOW NOW, BASED ON A
SAMPLE OF THE DOCUMENTS ATTACHED
TO AMBASSADOR SONDLAND’S
STATEMENT THAT THE KNOWLEDGE OF
THIS SCHEME WAS FAR AND WIDE.
AND INCLUDED, AMONG OTHERS,
SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO, AS
WELL AS THE VICE PRESIDENT.
WE CAN SEE WHY SECRETARY POMPEO
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE MADE
SUCH A CONCERTED AND ACROSS THE
BOARD EFFORT TO OBSTRUCT THIS
INVESTIGATION AND THIS
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. AND I WILL JUST SAY THIS.
THEY DO SO AT THEIR OWN PERIL.
I REMIND THE PRESIDENT THAT
ARTICLE 3 OF THE IMPEACHMENT
ARTICLES DRAFTED AGAINST