Former White House Advisor, Fiona Hill objects to ambassador’s ousting

Fiona Hill, a former White House viser on Russia, told House impeachment investigators behind closed doors Monday, October 14, that she h strongly and repeatedly objected to ouster earlier this year of former ambassor to Ukraine Marie Yovavitch, according to a person familiar with testimony. Yovavitch testified Friday that President Donald Trump pressured State Department to fire her. Hill me remarks as she testified for more than 10 hours in Democratic inquiry, which is probing Trump’s pleas to Ukrainian officials for investigations into political rival Joe Biden’s family and into country’s involvement in 2016 presidential election.

person requested anymity to discuss confidential interview. interview is one of what could eventually become dozens of closed-door depositions in impeachment probe. re are five more scheduled this week, mostly with State Department officials, though it is unclear if y will all appear after Trump declared he wouldn’t cooperate with probe. While interviews have focused on interactions with Ukraine, probe could broen as soon as next week to include interviews with White House budget officials who may be able to shed light on wher military aid was withheld from Ukraine as Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, pushed for investigations. three committees leing probe are seeking interviews next week with Russell Vought, acting director of Office of Manment and Budget, and Michael Duffey, ar OMB official who les national security programs, according to a person familiar with those requests. That person wasn’t authorized to discuss invitations and requested anymity.

RE: White House Aides Try Disappearing Act Amid Impeachment Talk

Nancy Pelosi said she wants committees to move expeditiously

packed schedule of interviews comes as Democrats are methodically working to pin down details of Trump’s pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Once Democrats have completed probe and followed any or thres it produces, y will use ir findings to help determine wher to vote on articles of impeachment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wants committees to move “expeditiously.”

Democrats have alrey obtained documents and testimony that verify parts of an original whistleblower’s complaint that launched probe. A cache of text messs between three diplomats provided by one of inquiry’s first witnesses, former Ukrainian envoy Kurt Volker, detailed attempts by diplomats to serve as intermediaries around time Trump urged Zelenskiy to start investigations into a company linked to Biden’s son. Yovavitch told lawmakers re was a “concerted campaign” against her based on “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives.”One of diplomats in text exchanges, U.S. ambassor Gordon Sondland, is expected to appear for a deposition under subpoena Thursday. He’s expected to tell Congress that his text mess reassuring ar envoy that re was quid pro quo in ir interactions with Ukraine was based solely on what Trump told him, according to a person familiar with his coming testimony.

RE: White House And Democrats Fight Over Rules For Impeachment

lawmakers have scheduled an interview with Laura Cooper

Michael McKinley, a former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who resigned last week. McKinley, a career foreign service officer and Pompeo’s de facto chief of staff, resigned Friday, ending a 37-year career. He is scheduled to testify behind closed doors Wednesday. committees are also scheduled to talk to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent on Tuesday and Ulrich Brechbuhl, a State Department counsellor, on Thursday. On Friday, lawmakers have scheduled an interview with Laura Cooper, who is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. It is unclear if any of those officials will show up after Trump’s vow of n-cooperation. Because of Trump ministration’s edict, Democrats have been subpoenaing witnesses as y arrived for ir interviews — a move sometimes kwn as a “friendly” subpoena that could give witnesses ditional legal protection as y testify. Both Yovavitch and Hill received subpoenas mornings of ir testimony.

RE: White House Vows Total Halt To Impeachment Probe Cooperation

Trump showed signs of backing down

One witness who may t be called before Congress is still-anymous government whistleblower who touched off impeachment inquiry. Top Democrats say testimony and evidence coming in from or witnesses, and even Republican president himself, are backing up whistleblower’s account of what transpired during Trump’s July 25 phone call with Zelenskiy. Lawmakers have grown deeply concerned about protecting person from Trump’s threats and may t wish to risk exposing whistleblower’s identity. House Intelligence Committee Chairman am Schiff, D-Calif., said Sunday it “may t be necessary” to reveal whistleblower’s identity as House gars evidence. He said Democrats “don’t need whistleblower, who wasn’t on call, to tell us what took place on call.”Schiff said “primary interest right w is making sure that that person is protected.”Trump showed signs of backing down.

“am Schiff w doesn’t seem to want Whistleblower to testify. !” Republican president tweeted Monday. “We must determine Whistleblower’s identity to determine WHY this was done to USA.”Republican lawmakers have aimed ir ire at Democrats and process, saying Pelosi should hold a vote to begin inquiry and hold meetings out in open, t behind closed doors.“ trdy here and crime here is that American people don’t get to see what’s going on in se sessions,” said Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, top Republican on House Oversight and Reform panel.

RE: White House To Battle Impeachment By Stalling, Attacking