Democrats will try to use Sondland to support impeachment based on quid pro quo, but Ambassador Gordon Sondland admitted in his opening statement he didn’t know if military aid was tied to Ukraine investigations. A White House phone call was tied to probes, he believes.
Sondland again confirms that he asked the President why military aid was suspended and never got an answer. He decided on his own that it was tied to the statement on investigations. President Trump never told him that or ordered it.
There was a quid pro quo for a POTUS call, he said, but so what? Would you call or invite someone over if they were corrupt.
However, Sondland is throwing everyone under the bus in a huge cover his butt move. He can’t remember meetings, doesn’t take notes, and hasn’t seen State Department documents to refresh his memory.
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Sondland sounded angry that he wasn’t included in every conversation.
“Finally, I want to say a word about the President and Secretary Pompeo’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.
He said he didn’t want to work with Rudy Guiliani but had no choice.
“Secretary Perry, Ambassador Volker and I worked with Mr. Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine matters at the express direction of the President of the United States. We did not want to work with Mr. Giuliani. Simply put, we played the hand we were dealt. We all understood that if we refused to work with Mr. Giuliani, we would lose an important opportunity to cement relations between the United States and Ukraine. So we followed the President’s orders.”
He doesn’t agree with the testimony of the previous witnesses and threw them under the bus too. “Everyone was in the loop,” and “Everyone knew about this” and “This was no secret.”
Sondland was angry the aid was delayed. [In truth, it was released in advance of the due date.]
What about the military aid Obama never sent?
Watch:
Sondland lays out the quid pro quo with Ukraine at the direction of Trump and carried about Rudy Giuliani. #sondland #Sondlandtestimony pic.twitter.com/YRbu1EjeWc
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) November 20, 2019
“Sondland said he doesn’t remember “precise details” and has “no recollection” Biden was mentioned on July 26 call at a restaurant that witness said Trump and Sondland talked Biden probe. Says he has no reason to doubt it bc Rudy had been talking probes. Claims no classified info,” Manu Raju reported.
And “everyone was in the loop.”
Here’s the email Sondland read saying “everyone was in the loop,” saying Zelensky would commit to running a “fully transparent investigation” pic.twitter.com/GRg1mBxRro
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 20, 2019
Remember the aid is not necessarily tied to military aid. Will they impeach over a phone call?
This is incorrect, @DavidCornDC. There is no evidence of a link between security assistance and investigations. Sondland admits in his opening statement that he did not actually know. Democrats and media will try to obscure the distinction to urge impeachment. #ImpeachmentInquiry https://t.co/BvS8SAyT2n
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) November 20, 2019
Rep. Nunes’ opening statement:
Rep. Nunes slams Dems’ changing narrative: “they’d probably want to impeach” Washington too if “around in 1794”https://t.co/Y4h9F4lHqw pic.twitter.com/u0x1QeWEb2
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 20, 2019
Amb. Sondland is telling the truth, I believe. President Trump wanted assurances Ukraine would investigate allegations of corruption that affected the USA before American aid was sent. Joe Biden was part of the investigation because of his son and the Burisma company. That’s it.
— Bill O'Reilly (@BillOReilly) November 20, 2019
I see nothing wrong constitutionally.
Whether the policy was smart is debatable.
— Bill O'Reilly (@BillOReilly) November 20, 2019
UPDATE
Sondland testifies at the impeachment hearing that he asked @realDonaldTrump "What do you want from Ukraine?" He says that Trump abruptly replied "I want nothing, I want nothing, I want no quid pro quo, just tell Zelensky to do the right thing." pic.twitter.com/VqoriAIZfr
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 20, 2019
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