The Biggest Bombshells In Vindman’s Impeachment Testimony

The National Security Council’s Ukraine expert told House investigators last month that a U.S. ambassador explicitly brought up investigating the Bidens in a July 10 meeting with Ukrainian officials and that the ambassador said that the request had been coordinated with White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

The meeting is key to the House’s impeachment investigation, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s account of that day is one of several revelations from his closed door testimony. The House committees leading the impeachment probe released the transcript on Friday.

Here are the biggest bombshells in Vindman’s testimony:

When confronted about the investigation demand, Sondland said it had been coordinated with Mulvaney.

Vindman recounted a key July 10 episode in the White House where Sondland brought up in front of visiting Ukrainian officials the request for the investigations. When Vindman told Sondland that the comments were “inappropriate,” Sondland said that the ask had been coordinated with White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

Rough transcript of the Zelensky call left out Trump comment about Crowdstrike theory

It was already reported that Vindman told investigators that Zelensky’s explicit reference of Burisma was left out of the rough transcript, despite Vindman’s efforts to add it in. Per Vindman’s testimony, Trump also made an additional comment about the Crowdstrike theory that was not included in public transcript. Where the ellipsis is in the public transcript here: “they say Crowdstrike…,” according to Vindman, Trump added, “they say you have it.” He couldn’t recall what was said in the ellipse shortly after that remark, but said that not every ellipse in the public record omitted a comment Trump actually made.

Sondland mentioned the “Bidens” specifically in his July 10 investigation comments to the Ukrainians.

When Ukrainian officials were visiting the White House on July 10, Sondland explicitly referenced the “Bidens” when discussing the request for Ukraine to open certain investigations, according to Vindman’s “best recollection.” Sondland made the remark in the White House ward room, where the group had gone for a debriefing after a larger meeting with National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Read Vindman’s testimony here, or below: