Scoop: EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland to testify next week

[spanone]

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland is expected to testify next Wednesday before the House committees investigating President Trump and Ukraine, despite being blocked by the State Department from appearing at a closed-door deposition this week, 4 congressional sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: One source familiar with the rescheduling tells Axios that after the State Department pulled the plug on Sondland's testimony, Republicans close to Trump encouraged the president to let the ambassador come before the committees. Trump's allies believe Sondland's testimony will be helpful to their side.

"Republicans are looking for any silver lining they can get," the source said. "Sondland could be a silver lining ... He donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural. He's a Trump guy. Whereas [former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie] Yovanovitch is a career person."

The backdrop: Text messages turned over by former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker revealed that Sondland, who was named in the whistleblower complaint that set off the impeachment inquiry, was an intermediary in Trump and Rudy Giuliani's alleged efforts to push Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.

https://www.axios.com/gordon-sondland-eu-ambassador-trump-ukraine-testify-57fc7de9-2dc1-4b0a-9a0e-9ff004ee262f.html?stream=politics&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alerts_politics

[RockRaven]

1. I hope this guy has a terrible lawyer, because he's dirty as sin, and deserves to screw himself.

His clumsy "We are definitely not criming and I don't know why you would ever be under that impression" texts with Taylor are a sad joke.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Trump's minions think his testimony will be helpful.

I hope the committee hires the same guy who ate Lewandowski's lunch.

[spanone]

3. well, they have so little good news these days....

[Takket]

4. "allies believe Sondland's testimony will be helpful to their side"

are those the same allies that told him releasing a transcript that openly admits he committed a crime was a good idea too?

[The empressof all]

5. OMG....They don't really believe Trump didn't commit a crime do they?

Or maybe they just want more damning info into the record while encouraging Trump to hang himself and his cronies. Now that is what a Patriot might do....not these guys...sigh

[DrToast]

6. Reminder: Trump though releasing the call description would help him

Please proceed, Sondland.

[kentuck]

7. Wonder what that is about??

Do they think he can clear Trump?

[spanone]

8. Like the rest of them, he'll lie.