Taylor told lawmakers in his opening statement that withholding security assistance to Ukraine "in exchange for help with a domestic political campaign in the United States would be crazy."
He said he, on Sept. 1, was "alarmed" after hearing for the first time from Tim Morrison, the top Russia and Europe adviser on the National Security Council, that not only the White House meeting between Trump and Zelensky, but also the security assistance to Ukraine "was conditioned on the investigations."
When asked to elaborate on that comment, Taylor said "the White House meeting was one thing, security assistance was much more alarming."
Revealing a new piece of information about Trump's alleged pursuit for investigations from Ukraine, Taylor said a staffer of his was with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Gordon Sondland when the latter called Trump from a restaurant in Warsaw, Poland, on July 26 to inform the president of his meetings in Kiev. That was one day after Trump made the controversial phone call with Zelensky that has been at the center of the impeachment investigation.
"The member of my staff could hear President Trump on the phone, asking Ambassador Sondland about 'the investigations,'" Taylor said. "Ambassador Sondland told President Trump that the Ukrainians were ready to move forward."
Taylor said he didn't give the account during his Oct. 22 deposition because he was only told about the episode last Friday.
【国际英语资讯:U.S. House holds first public hearing in Trump impeachment inquiry】相关文章:
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