President Trump used a cadre of associates to conduct back-channel communications with Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate Democrats, according to witnesses testifying in the impeachment hearings.
President Trump used a cadre of associates to conduct back-channel communications with Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate Democrats, according to witnesses testifying in the impeachment hearings.
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A ‘Threat,’ a ‘Drug Deal’ and a ‘Troubling’ Call: Key Testimony in the Impeachment Inquiry
ByAlicia ParlapianoWeiyi CaiandKaren YourishUpdatedNov. 21, 2019
In a stark break with diplomatic protocol, President Trump used a cadre of associates to conduct back-channel communications with Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate Democrats, according to witnesses testifying in the impeachment hearings. Here’s what key witnesses say happened:
There was a group that circumvented regular channels for Ukraine policy.
Mr. Trump leaned heavily on his personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and a handful of other officials to carry out his wishes regarding Ukraine.
The back channel
Rudolph W. Giuliani
Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer
Gordon D. Sondland
Donor turned E.U. ambassador
Kurt D. Volker
Former special envoy to Ukraine
Rick Perry
Energy secretary
Mick Mulvaney
Acting White House chief of staff
The official channel
George P. Kent
Senior State Department official
Marie L. Yovanovitch
Former ambassador to Ukraine
William B. Taylor Jr.
Top American diplomat in Ukraine
Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman
White House Ukraine expert
John R. Bolton
Former White House national security adviser
Fiona Hill
Former White House Russia expert
Tim Morrison
Former senior White House national security aide
William B. Taylor Jr., top American diplomat in Ukraine
I found a confusing and unusual arrangement for making U.S. policy toward Ukraine. There appeared to be two channels of U.S. policy-making and implementation, one regular and one highly irregular.
Oct. 22 opening statement
Gordon D. Sondland,donor turned E.U. ambassador
Everyone was in the loop. It was no secret.
Nov. 20 opening statement
Fiona Hill, former White House Russia expert
Mr. Giuliani was asserting quite frequently on television in public appearances that he had been given some authority over matters related to Ukraine, and if that was the case, we hadn’t been informed about that.
Oct. 14 testimony
Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff
You may not like the fact that Giuliani was involved. That’s great. That’s fine. It’s not illegal. It’s not impeachable. The president gets to use who he wants to use.
Oct. 17 White House briefing
Marie L. Yovanovitch, former ambassador to Ukraine
I do not know Mr. Giuliani’s motives for attacking me. But individuals who have been named in the press who have contact with Mr. Giuliani may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine.
Oct. 11 opening statement
George P. Kent, senior State Department official
His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period.
Oct. 15 testimony
Marie L. Yovanovitch, former ambassador to Ukraine
It sounded like a threat.
Nov. 15 testimony
According to some witnesses, the group operated outside of the government’s official policy channel, which is made up of national security aides in the White House and diplomats at the State Department.
In testimony, some witnesses disputed the idea that there was an “irregular” channel.Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, pointed to messages and phone calls in which he kept the White House and State Department, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, informed of his actions.
Many members of the official channel were dismayed that Mr. Giuliani was playing a direct role in policy toward Ukraine.
Dr. Hillwas in charge of coordinating Ukraine policy across the federal government.
Mick Mulvaney, who several witnesses said gave directives related to Ukraine, has defended Mr. Giuliani’s involvement.
Beginning in late 2018, Mr. Giuliani and his associates conducted a months-long smear campaign that resulted in the ouster ofMarie L. Yovanovitch, a longtime diplomat who had been serving as ambassador to Ukraine.
In a July call with the president of Ukraine, Mr. Trump brought upMs. Yovanovitch, describing her as “bad news,” adding, “She’s going to go through some things.”Ms. Yovanovitchtestified that she was “devastated” when she found out.
The main goal of the “back channel” was to push Ukraine to announce investigations into the 2016 election and the Bidens.
Soon after Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president of Ukraine, Mr. Trump appeared to use a highly sought White House visit as leverage.
The back channel
The official channel
Gordon D. Sondland, donor turned E.U. ambassador
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.
Nov. 20 opening statement
Gordon D. Sondland, donor turned E.U. ambassador
Was there a “quid pro quo?” As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.
Nov. 20 opening statement
Fiona Hill,former White House Russia expert
This is a direct quote from Ambassador Bolton: You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this.
Oct. 14 testimony
Kurt D. Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine
Heard from White House—assuming President Z convinces trump he will investigate / “get to the bottom of what happened” in 2016, we will nail down date for visit to Washington.
Text message to Mr. Yermak
Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, White House Ukraine expert
The parts that were particularly troubling was the references to conducting an investigation.
Oct. 29 testimony
William B. Taylor Jr., top American diplomat in Ukraine
The member of my staff asked Ambassador Sondland what President Trump thought about Ukraine. Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden.
Nov. 13 opening statement
Gordon D. Sondland, donor turned E.U. ambassador
I recall no discussions with any State Department or White House official about Former Vice President Biden or his son, nor do I recall taking part in any effort to encourage an investigation into the Bidens.
Oct. 17 opening statement
Kurt D. Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine
Had a good chat with Yermak last night. He was pleased with your phone call. Mentioned Z making a statement. Can we all get on the phone to make sure I advise Z correctly as to what he should be saying?
Text message to Mr. Giuliani
Gordon D. Sondland, donor turned E.U. ambassador
Do we still want Ze to give us an unequivocal draft with 2016 and Boresma?
Text message to Mr. Volker
Kurt D. Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine
That’s the clear message so far ...
Text message to Mr. Sondland
Kurt D. Volker, former special envoy to Ukraine
At no time was I aware of or took part in an effort to urge Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Biden.
Oct. 3 opening statement
Fiona Hill, former White House Russia expert
It is not credible to me at all that he was oblivious.
Nov. 21 testimony
In a meeting after Mr. Zelensky’s inauguration, Mr. Trump directed three officials, whom some referred to as “the three amigos,” to work through Mr. Giuliani about his “concerns” related to Ukraine.
Burisma is a Ukrainian gas company that hired Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., to serve on its board.
Dr. Hilltestified thatMr. Sondlandwas “involved in a domestic political errand,” diverging from the regular Ukraine policy.
John R. Bolton, then Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, was furious when he found out on July 10 that Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mr. Zelensky was being predicated on the Ukrainian president announcing investigations, according to Dr. Hill’s testimony.
Mr. Bolton, who is waiting for a judge to rule on whether he should testify, was referring to John A. Eisenberg, the chief legal adviser for the National Security Council.
On the morning of the call at the center of the whistle-blower complaint,Mr. Volkertexted one of Mr. Zelensky’s top advisers, Andrey Yermak.
During the July 25 call, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zelensky to “do us a favor” and “find out what happened.” Two White House officials who listened in on the call were concerned by what they had heard.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he did nothing wrong and that his call with Mr. Zelensky was “perfect.”
The day after the phone call, an aide to Mr. Taylor overheard a telephone conversation in Kyiv between Mr. Trump andMr. Sondlandin which they appeared to discuss the investigations. Mr. Sondland did not mention the conversation in his original testimony, but he later confirmed that it had occurred.
Text messages written byMr. VolkerandMr. Sondlandover the summer show that the two men attempted to get the Ukrainian president to make a statement about the investigations.
In testimony,Mr. Volkerlater claimed he did not realize Burisma was connected to the Biden family.
Mr. Sondlandtestified that until as late as September, he also did not realize that Burisma was linked to the Bidens. Other witnesses said that they had understood in the spring and summer that Burisma was “code for the Bidens.”
Trump was holding back critical aid to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress.
National security officials learned in a July meeting that Mr. Trump had directed Mr. Mulvaney to hold up $391 million in aid to Ukraine. The meeting was described in thewhistle-blower complaintand corroborated by several witnesses.
The back channel
The official channel
William B. Taylor Jr., top American diplomat in Ukraine
In an instant, I realized that one of the key pillars of our strong support for Ukraine was threatened. The irregular policy channel was running contrary to the goals of longstanding U.S. policy.
Oct. 22 opening statement
Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, White House Ukraine expert
I don’t think there was much clarity as to why it was being held up.
Oct. 29 opening statement
William B. Taylor Jr., top American diplomat in Ukraine
Over 13,000 Ukrainians had been killed in the war, one or two a week. More Ukrainians would undoubtedly die without the U.S. assistance.
Oct. 22 opening statement
The congressionally approved aid was viewed as critical to support Ukraine’s defenses against Russian-backed forces.
The release of the aid was contingent on a public announcement of investigations, according to witnesses.
Ukraine officials may have been aware that security aid wascut off by July 25, much earlier than previously known, according to testimony by a top Pentagon official. In an addendum, Mr. Sondlanddirectly contradictedhis earlier testimony and admitted to House investigators that he told Mr. Yermak how the aid could be restored.
The back channel
The official channel
Gordon D. Sondland, donor turned E.U. ambassador
I said that resumption of the U.S. aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anticorruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks.
Nov. 4 addendum to prior testimony
William B. Taylor Jr., top American diplomat in Ukraine
He said that President Trump wanted President Zelensky “in a public box” by making a public statement about ordering such investigations.
Oct. 22 opening statement
Tim Morrison,former senior White House national security aide
Even then I hoped that Ambassador Sondland’s strategy was exclusively his own.
Oct. 31 opening statement
Gordon D. Sondland, donor turned E.U. ambassador
And as I recall, he was in a very bad mood. It was a very quick conversation. He said: I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. I want Zelensky to do the right thing. And I said: What does that mean? And he said: I want him to do what he ran on.
Oct. 17 testimony
William B. Taylor Jr., top American diplomat in Ukraine
Ambassador Sondland said that he had talked to President Zelensky and Mr. Yermak and told them that, although this was not a quid pro quo, if President Zelensky did not “clear things up” in public, we would be at a “stalemate.”
Oct. 22 opening statement
Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff
I have news for everybody: Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy.
Oct. 17 White House briefing
Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff
There was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election.
Oct. 17 statement
Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer
Categorically, I did not tell him to say that.
Nov. 10
In his testimony,Mr. Sondlandsaid that he had only “presumed” that the investigations were linked to the aid. He shared the information with Mr. Taylor and Mr. Morrison on Sept. 1.
Mr. TayloraskedMr. Sondlandto push back on the president. Mr. Sondland reported calling the president and asking, “What do you want from Ukraine?”
Mr. Sondlandwent back to the Ukrainians.
The Ukrainians finally agreed to make an announcement on CNN, but it never happened. News of the aid freeze and the whistle-blower complaint reached Congress, and the White House reversed course and released the aid.
When asked in October about the link between the aid freeze and the demand for an investigation into the Democrats,Mr. Mulvaneyeffectively confirmed the quid pro quo.
Later,Mr. Mulvaneybacked away from his remarks.
Mr. GiulianiandMr. Mulvaney, along with several other White House officials, have refused to comply with requests and subpoenas. But a business associate of Mr. Giuliani has decided to open talks with House investigators.
The associate, Lev Parnas, said that he had told a Ukrainian official that the U.S. would freeze aid if the Ukrainians did not announce an investigation into the Bidens. His account has been disputed by his business partner, as well as byMr. Giuliani.
Additional work by Larry Buchanan. Photos by Erin Schaff/The New York Times; Doug Mills/The New York Times; Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times; Damon Winter/The New York Times; J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press; Alex Brandon/Associated Press; Peter Foley/EPA, via Shutterstock; Safin Hamed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Associated Press.