- The Trump administration directed a top American diplomat involved in its pressure campaign on Ukraine not to appear Tuesday morning for a scheduled interview in the House’s impeachment inquiry.
The decision to block Gordon D. Sondland, the United States ambassador to the European Union, from speaking with investigators for three House committees is certain to provoke an immediate conflict with potentially profound consequences for the White House and President Trump. House Democrats have repeatedly warned that if the administration tries to interfere with their investigation, it will be construed as obstruction, a charge they see as potentially worthy of impeachment.
Now they are going to subpoena Sondland: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/08/trumps-eu-ambassador-ordered-to-not-give-deposition-in-impeachment-probe-000278 I don't believe the State Department can stop him from responding to a subpoena. Or maybe he just resigns and does it. By the text messages we've seen, it looks like Sondland was at least a bit complicit, suggesting they no longer text about the qui pro quo aspect of the military aid. I wouldn't be surprised if his lawyer suggested allowing the State Department to prevent his testimony to create the opportunity to distance himself from them.
Trump sure is buttering him up. Calling him a great man and a great American. He gave $1m to trumps election campaign. Bought is E.U. ambassadorship. I wonder if he’ll flip?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181560708808486914 : I cannot wait for this to become literally the textbook example of obstruction of justice.I would love to send Ambassador Sondland, a really good man and great American, to testify, but unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised kangaroo court, where Republican’s rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public....
....to see. Importantly, Ambassador Sondland’s tweet, which few report, stated, “I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind.” That says it ALL!
We could be in for an even bigger rodeo on Friday; Marie Yovanovitch, the former State Dept. diplomat living in Ukraine, pushed out by Giuliani (allegedly), is set to testify in the House Committee(s) hearing. Since she’s a career diplomat, and no longer a State Dept. employee (oh and you can just about go all-in that she hates the Trump admin.), Trump’s gonna have to silence her in an even more brazen way than Sondland. I'm sure he and his legal team have already told her that everything she bore witness to prior to her dismissal is protected under executive privilege, but this could be the first time that the person directed to withhold information is inclined to ignore Trump's instructions.