Diplomat tells of campaign to oust her
WASHINGTON — It started with a warning to watch her back, that people were “looking to hurt” her. From there, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told House investigators, it escalated into a chilling campaign to fire her as President Donald Trump and his allies angled in Eastern Europe for political advantage at home.
Testimony from Yovanovitch, released Monday, offered a first word-forword look at the closeddoor House impeachment hearings. The transcript came out on the same day that four Trump administration officials defied subpoenas to testify, acting on orders from a White House that is fighting the impeachment investigation with all its might. Among those refusing to testify: John Eisenberg, the lead lawyer at the National Security Council and, by some accounts, the man who ordered a rough transcript of Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s leader moved to a highly restricted computer system.
During nine hours of sometimes emotional testimony, Yovanovitch detailed efforts led by Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies to push her out of her post. The career diplomat, who was recalled from her job in May on Trump’s orders, testified that a senior Ukrainian official told her that “I really needed to watch my back.”
While the major thrust of Yovanovitch’s testimony was revealed in her opening statement, Monday’s 317-page transcript provided new details.
Giuliani associate willing to speak to Congress
Lev Parnas, a Soviet-born associate of Rudy Giuliani charged with federal campaign finances, is now prepared to cooperate with an impeachment inquiry subpoena involving President Donald Trump, reversing course from an earlier position, his attorney said Monday.
Trump bashes Democrats at raucous Kentucky rally
Pushing to help a Republican governor hold on to his office, President Donald Trump barnstormed for Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky on Monday at Lexington’s Rupp Arena. Trump said a Bevin victory over Democrat Andy Beshear would signal the rise of “an angry majority that will vote the do-nothing Democrats the hell out of office.”
“While we are creating jobs and killing terrorists the radical Democrats are going totally insane,” Trump said.
“Beshear doesn’t represent you, he represents the Washington swamp and represents the same people who are trying to overthrow the last election,” he declared, before adding of Bevin, “He’s such a pain in the ass, but that’s what you want.”