US envoy to Ukraine testifies that EU ambassador cited political investigations as possible reason for Ukraine aid delay – KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

US top diplomat in Ukraine Bill Taylor testified Tuesday that he was told by US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland that security aid to Ukraine could have been held up in part because of a push for Ukraine to publicly announce an investigation that could help President Donald Trump politically, according to sources in both parties.

In a lengthy and detailed opening statement, Taylor said that he and Sondland spoke by phone about why the aid was frozen, and Sondland cited the need for Ukraine to open an investigation among other reasons, according to the sources. Sondland told Taylor that the investigations potentially included both Ukraines involvement in the 2016 election and Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company that hired former Vice President Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden, the sources said.

Asked about Taylors comments, a source familiar with Sondlands testimony said that Sondland cited, in addition to the investigations, that the aid may have been frozen because the Europeans werent giving Ukraine enough and corruption in general. The source said Sondland was only speculating when he referenced the political investigations into the 2016 election and Burisma.

He made very clear in his testimony that nobody would give him a straight answer about why the aid was being held up, the source said about Sondlands testimony.

Text messages between Taylor and Sondland and provided to Congress show that the two discussed the aid being frozen on the phone, amid concerns Taylor had raised that it was being held up in order to help Trump politically.

As I said on the phone, I think its crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign, Taylor texted Sondland on September 9. Sondland responded that Taylors assertion was incorrect, a conclusion he reached after speaking directly to Trump.

The opening statement from Taylor took roughly an hour to deliver, according to multiple people in the room. Sources said that the statement rich with detail.

Democrats described Taylors testimony as damning to the President.

All I have to say is that in my 10 short months in Congress its my most disturbing day in Congress so far, said Rep. Andy Levin, a freshman Democrat from Michigan.

Republicans, however, downplayed Taylors testimony. Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, said of Taylors testimony there was nothing new here, I think.

Were trying to see if any witness has a connection between foreign aid and pausing the foreign aid, Meadows said. As it relates to the quid pro quo, we havent had any witness suggest that.

Taylors opening statement was intended to fill in the gaps of his text messages with US diplomats about Ukraine that have formed a key part of the impeachment investigation into Trump and Ukraine, according to another source familiar with his testimony.

Taylor, who is testifying before the three House committees leading the Democratic impeachment inquiry, planned to lay out the reasoning behind his different WhatsApp text messages in his opening statement Tuesday, the source said. Taylor planned to include a chronology of events, according to the source, dating back to June, when Taylor assumed the post as ambassador, through October.

Taylors testimony is among the most significant for Democratic impeachment investigators because of text messages he exchanged with Sondland and former US special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker about the freezing of US security aid to Ukraine.

Taylor is not bringing any new documents to the committee, and he will just reference those that have already been made public, the source said. Volker, who is no longer at the State Department, provided the texts to Congress. Other witnesses who have appeared, including Sondland, have been prevented by the State Department from providing documents.

Taylor is appearing behind closed doors before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees as part of the Democratic impeachment inquiry fueled by whistleblower allegations that Trump solicited foreign election interference from Ukraine to investigate his potential 2020 political opponent.

Taylor was issued a subpoena to compel his testimony on Tuesday morning in response to the Trump administrations direction to witnesses not to testify in the impeachment probe, according to an official working on the inquiry. Thats the same thing the committees have done for other current State Department employees who have testified.

The witnesses who have appeared so far have said that the President directed his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to take the lead on US-Ukraine policy as Giuliani was pushing for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Taylor, as the current acting ambassador to Ukraine, is in a difficult and delicate position testifying Tuesday, the source said. Taylors view is that he is there to speak to the committee and answer their questions, and hes not looking to issue his own statement publicly.

Other officials who have given testimony and also delivered opening statements were in different positions: Volker had already resigned and Sondland, a major Trump donor, was unlikely to be fired by Trump. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who testified earlier this month, is still a State Department employee but is not currently in an active ambassador role.

Taylor plans to return to Ukraine on Wednesday, the source said. He wants to keep his job and thinks it is important work.

A career diplomat, Taylor had to be convinced to take the Ukraine job in the first place, sources familiar with conversations explained. Volker recommended Taylor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the post after Yovanovitchs unexpected removal in the spring. Taylor then met with Pompeo, State Department Counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl and Volker at the department at the end of May.

The conversation focused on US policy towards Ukraine and Pompeos view of that policy. The secretary of state argued the Trump administration had a robust policy a position he has taken in numerous interviews and the elephant in the room Yovanovitchs ouster was not extensively addressed, the sources told CNN.

After the meeting, Taylor texted back and forth with Volker, and among other things, he asked why Volker would not want to take the job. Volker said he was better off in his current role covering Ukraine as well as Washington and allies and NATO. Taylor was on the ground in Ukraine, serving as de-facto ambassador, about a month later.

By Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb, Kylie Atwood, Lauren Fox, and Gloria Borger, CNN

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US envoy to Ukraine testifies that EU ambassador cited political investigations as possible reason for Ukraine aid delay - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis