Transcripts of witness deposition in Trump impeachment released
The US House Intelligence Committee released transcripts of former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and former State Department adviser Michael Mckinley’s testimonies. Yovanovitch testified that Trump wanted her removed from her post. She said it was based on “unfounded and false claims”.
She gave the testimony after a congressional subpoena after the White House had directed her not to appear.
Michael Mckinley had testified last month that he had constantly requested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to support the ousted Yovanovitch but to no avail, according to CNN.
“The timing of my resignation was the result of two overriding concerns: the failure in my view, of the State Department to offer support to Foreign Service employees caught up in the impeachment inquiry; and, second, by what appears to be the utilisation of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives,” Mckinley said during his deposition.
Yovanovitch denied knowing about any official policy where aid from United States to Ukraine could be linked to the Biden investigations. However, she says, after reading the texts between Kurt Volker, Gordon Sondland and Bill Taylor, she wonders if there was an unofficial one. In September, the White
House had released a transcript of a phone call between the American and Ukaranian presidents, where many thought it was clear that Trump was referring to Yovanovitch being “bad news” and that she was “going to go through some things.”
Yovanovitch, in her testimony, said she was “shocked” and “apprehensive” when she learned about the call.