The US ambassador to the EU, who has already had to revise previous testimony, could offer firsthand account of president’s role on UkraineIn this defining moment for America, support the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 1.52pm GMT With so many witnesses describing Sondland speaking with the president and pressuring Ukraine to announce investigations on multiple occasions, it might seem difficult for Sondland to deny his role in the alleged plot. Sondland’s strategy: blame Rudy.“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,” Sondland said. “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.”“Mr. Giuliani’s requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky,” Sondland’s statement says. “Mr. Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma. Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the President of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the President.” 1.46pm GMT The hearing is scheduled to begin in about 15 minutes, at which time the video player atop the blog here will be bringing you all the action. Continue reading…
Via: Impeachment inquiry: key Trump emissary Gordon Sondland to testify – live news
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PIERS MORGAN: A phone call I received from a fired-up Trump should be a warning to Democrats
President Trump called me for a chat on Saturday. It was our first conversation since he unfollowed me on Twitter in April after I wrote a Mail column telling him to ‘Shut the f*ck up Read more…