Impeachment inquiry: Sondland expected to implicate Trump - live news

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Impeachment inquiry: Sondland expected to implicate Trump – live news


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/nov/20/donald-trump-news-today-live-impeachment-hearings-gordon-sondland-ukraine-republicans-latest-updates

The US ambassador to the EU, who has already had to revise previous testimony, could offer firsthand account of president’s role on Ukraine

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LIVE Updated 4m ago
Gordon Sondland testifies in Trump impeachment hearing - watch live

Tom McCarthy in New York

Wed 20 Nov 2019 09.20 EST
First published on Wed 20 Nov 2019 08.00 EST

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4m ago Sondland to describe quid pro quo desired by Trump: 'It was no secret'
17m ago Sondland to point finger directly at Trump
22m ago Sondland to testify: 'everyone was in the loop' – report
31m ago Sondland to say Giuliani 'was expressing the desires of the President' – report
48m ago Witnesses from defense and state departments to testify
1h ago Trump at center stage
1h ago 'The Gordon problem'

4m ago 09:20
Sondland to describe quid pro quo desired by Trump: 'It was no secret'

Here’s a copy of Sondland’s opening statement.

Sondland will testify that Rudy Giuliani was pursuing a quid pro quo with Ukraine in accordance with what Donald Trump’s “desires”, and “we knew that these investigations were important to the President.”

Sondman will say according to his statement:

As I testified previously, Mr. Giuliani’s requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky. 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.

Sondland plans to read from emails documenting that the leadership of key agencies and the White House “were all informed”:

These emails show that the leadership of State, NSC, and the White House were all informed about the Ukraine efforts from May 23, 2019, until the security aid was released on September 11, 2019. I will quote from some of those messages with you shortly.

But Sondland will also say he did not know why the military aid was suspended – apparently he will not testify that Trump or anyone else explained it to him:.........................