Witness in Trump-Ukraine Matter Ordered Not to Speak in Impeachment Inquiry

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53. Here ya go

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Trump administration blocks testimony of Gordon Sondland, a central figure in the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry

By Shane Harris, Mike DeBonis and John Wagner
Oct. 8, 2019 at 10:58 a.m. EDT

The Trump administration on Tuesday blocked a planned deposition from Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union and a central figure in the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. Democrats swiftly called the administration’s move an act of obstruction and accused President Trump of hiding information about his efforts to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate his political rivals in exchange for military aide and other U.S. support. Democrats had earlier said that any attempt to block statements from witnesses could constitute an impeachable act. Sondland was scheduled to be deposed Tuesday morning before House committees seeking information about his activities as Trump urged Ukraine to investigate his political opponents, his lawyer,

Robert Luskin, said in a statement. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week rebuked efforts by the committees to interview Sondland and other officials, saying Democratic lawmakers had “harassed and abused State Department employees” by contacting them directly. But Sondland was willing to testify and didn’t appear on Tuesday at the direction of the State Department, Luskin said. “As the sitting U.S. Ambassador to the E.U. and employee of the State Department, Ambassador Sondland is required to follow the Department’s direction,” Luskin said. “Ambassador Sondland is profoundly disappointed that he will not be able to testify today. Ambassador Sondland traveled to Washington from Brussels in order to prepare for his testimony and to be available to answer the Committee’s questions.”

President Trump said on Twitter that he “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 [sic] rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public to see.”

Speaking to reporters, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and Democrats’ point man on the impeachment inquiry, called the administration’s efforts to block Sondland’s deposition “further acts of obstruction of a coequal branch of government.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/gordon-sondland-key-us-official-in-political-storm-over-ukraine-to-be-deposed-in-impeachment-inquiry/2019/10/07/c3c1703e-e942-11e9-9306-47cb0324fd44_story.html