Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland confirmed to House impeachment investigators during his testimony on October 17 that there was a quid pro quo in President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, according to Sondland’s lawyer.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday night that the lawyer, Robert Luskin, had told the outlet his client had answered in the affirmative when a House member asked if Trump’s demand that Ukraine investigate 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Ukraine’s alleged election interference in 2016 in exchange for a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky amounted to quid pro quo.
Luskin said that in Sondland’s response to the question, the ambassador “cautioned that he wasn’t a lawyer but said he believed the answer was yes,” in the Wall Street Journal’s words.
Luskin also told the Wall Street Journal that Sondland is open to giving another testimony in the impeachment inquiry if investigators request for him to do so.
Acting Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor testified last week that Sondland had told him the nearly $400 million in congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine had been held up over Trump’s demand that Zelensky publicly announce an investigation into his 2020 rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Sondland had justified Trump’s actions by comparing the situation to a business deal, according to Taylor. After Taylor told Sondland it was “crazy” to hold up the aid in exchange for political assistance, Sondland texted Taylor, “I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind.”
Sondland is a man of wealth with most likely a nice lifestyle. He has no intention of taking one for the team. The team that is Trump and Trump alone, as I recall from yesterday.
He’s not dependent on Trump for his fortune, his career, or anything else. Trump fears people he can’t control, and he can no longer control Sondland. This explains why Republicans on the committees have leaked nothing. There’s nothing good coming forth, from their viewpoint.
I expect Rick Perry to testify soon, now that Judge Beryl Howell has made a ruling on the Impeachment inquiry, and his testimony will be very damaging to Trump. Perry’s another guy who wants no part of any jail time just to save Trump.
Yo ho ho, another vote for quid pro quo.
Meh, Dotard personally killed the ISIS leader, he’s a hero, blah, blah, blah.
No quid pro quo for you…
Finally getting around to telling the truth about Gordo, eh Gordie?
OT-
Congrats to US Spec Ops on the Baghdadi raid!
And, finally and most importantly:
Steve Bannon: “Nancy Pelosi is winning the impeachment debate.”
‘Booyah!’
Time for the Rs, and especially Lindsey, to find a new fall-back position. What is the over-under on “it’s not impeachable because it didn’t work. They got caught first. You can’t impeach unless they got away with it!”