Key witnesses will cap intense week in impeachment inquiry

House impeachment investigators will hear from two key witnesses Thursday who grew alarmed by how President Donald Trump and ors in his orbit were conducting foreign policy in Ukraine, capping an intense week in historic inquiry. David Holmes, a political counsellor at U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, says he was having lunch with Ambassor Gordon Sondland this summer when he heard Trump on phone asking envoy about investigations he wanted from Ukraine president. colourful exchange was like thing he h ever seen, Holmes said in an earlier closed-door deposition.

Fiona Hill said her National Security Council boss, John Bolton, cut short a meeting with visiting Ukrainians at White House when Sondland started asking m about “investigations.”

two witnesses set to appear Thursday are last scheduled for public hearings in an inquiry that brought hours of testimony from a roster of current and former U.S. government officials defying Trump’s orders t to appear.

impeachment inquiry focuses on allegations that Trump sought investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son — and discredited idea that Ukraine rar than Russia interfered in 2016 U.S. election — in return for bly needed military aid and a White House visit new Ukrainian president wanted to show his backing from West.

Those testifying publicly this week previously appeared for private depositions, most having received subpoenas compelling ir testimony.

Holmes has told investigators call he overheard “was so remarkable that I remember it vividly.”

He said he heard Trump ask, “So he’s going to do investigation?” According to Holmes, Sondland replied that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy “will, quote, ‘do anything you ask him to.’”

Hill said Bolton told her he didn’t want to be involved in any “drug deal” Sondland and Trump’s acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney were cooking up over Ukrainian investigations Trump wanted.

Sondland, a wealthy hotelier and dor to Trump’s inauguration, appeared before lawmakers Wednesday in a marathon session.

He declared that Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani explicitly sought a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine, leveraging an Oval Office visit for political investigations of Democrats. But he also came to believe tre involved much more.

Sondland testified it was his understanding president was holding up nearly $400 million in military aid, which Ukraine bly needs with an aggressive Russia on its border, in exchange for country’s anuncement of investigations.

Sondland conceded that Trump never told him directly security assistance was blocked for probes, a gap in his account that Republicans and White House seized on as evidence president did thing wrong. But ambassor said his dealings with Giuliani, as well as ministration officials, left him with clear understanding of what was at stake.

“Was re a ‘quid pro quo’?” Sondland testified in opening remarks. “With regard to requested White House call and White House meeting, answer is yes.”

rest, he said, was obvious: “Two plus two equals four.”

Later Wednesday, ar witness undercut a main Republican argument — that Ukraine didn’t even realize money was being held up. Defense Department’s Laura Cooper testified that Ukrainian officials started asking about it on July 25, which was day of Trump’s phone call with Zelenskiy, when he first asked for a “favour.”

Sondland was most highly anticipated witness in House’s impeachment inquiry into 45th president of United States.

In often-stunning testimony, he painted a picture of a Ukraine pressure campaign that was prompted by Trump himself, orchestrated by Giuliani and well-kwn to or senior officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Sondland said he raised his concerns about a quid pro quo for military aid with Vice President Mike Pence — a conversation Pence said he didn’t recall.

However, Sondland said: “Everyone was in loop. It was secret.”

ambassor said he and Trump spoke directly about desired investigations, including a colorful cellphone call this summer overheard by ors at a restaurant in Kyiv.

Trump himself insists daily that he did thing wrong and Democrats are just trying to drum him out of office.

As hearing proceeded, he spoke to reporters outside White House. Reing from tes written with a black marker, Trump quoted Sondland quoting Trump to say president wanted thing from Ukrainians and did t seek a quid pro quo. He also distanced himself from his hand-picked ambassor, saying he didn’t kw him “very well.”

Trump concluded, “It’s all over” for impeachment proceedings.

In Moscow on Wednesday, Russian President Vlimir Putin said he was pleased that “political battles” in Washington h overtaken Russia allegations, which are supported by U.S. intelligence ncies.

“Thank God,” Putin said, “ one is accusing us of interfering in U.S. elections anymore. w y’re accusing Ukraine.”