121 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
122 Conflicting White House accounts of 1st Trump-Zelenskiy call, The Associated Press (Nov. 15, 2019) (online at https://apnews.com/2f3c9910e0a14ec08d6d76ed93148059).
123 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
124 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
125 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
126 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
127 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
128 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
129 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
130 The White House, Memorandum of Telephone Conversation (Apr. 21, 2019) (online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6550349/First-Trump-Ukraine-Call.pdf).
131 Williams Dep. Tr. at 36.
132 Williams Dep. Tr. at 37.
133 Williams Dep. Tr. at 36.
134 Fox & Friends, Fox News (Apr. 24, 2019) (online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDtg8z12Q7s#action=share).
135 Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Look for Dirt, New York Times (Nov. 25, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/giuliani-ukraine-oligarchs.html).
136 Ukraine’s Unlikely President, Promising a New Style of Politics, Gets a Taste of Trump’s Swamp, New Yorker (Oct. 25, 2019) (online at www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/04/how-trumps-emissaries-put-pressure-on-ukraines-new-president).
137 Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Look for Dirt, New York Times (Nov. 25, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/giuliani-ukraine-oligarchs.html).
138 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_00947; ATTHPSCI_20190930_00949; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02222; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02223.
139 Joe Biden Announces 2020 Run for President, After Months of Hesitation, New York Times (Apr. 25, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/politics/joe-biden-2020-announcement.html).
140 How the Obama White House Engaged Ukraine to Give Russia Collusion Narrative an Early Boost, The Hill (Apr. 25, 2019) (online at https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/440730-how-the-obama-white-house-engaged-ukraine-to-give-russia-collusion).
141 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 17.
142 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 116.
143 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 116.
144 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02245.
145 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02245.
146 Sean Hannity Interviews Trump on Biden, Russia Probe, FISA Abuse, Comey, Fox News (Apr. 26, 2019) (online at www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/04/26/full_video_sean_hannity_interviews_trump_on_biden_russia_probe_fisa_abuse_comey.html).
147 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 55-56.
148 Sean Hannity Interviews Trump on Biden, Russia Probe, FISA Abuse, Comey, Fox News (Apr. 26, 2019) (online at www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/04/26/full_video_sean_hannity_interviews_trump_on_biden_russia_probe_fisa_abuse_comey.html). As discussed later in this report, on the morning of September 25, 2019, the Department of Justice would quickly issue a statement after President Trump released the record of his July 25 call with President Zelensky. The statement asserted that that Attorney General Barr had not engaged on Ukraine matters at the President’s request:
The President has not spoken with the Attorney General about having Ukraine investigate anything relating to former Vice President Biden or his son. The President has not asked the Attorney General to contact Ukraine—on this or any other matter. The Attorney General has not communicated with Ukraine—on this or any other subject.
149 Cleaning Up Ukraine in the Shadow of Trump, The Financial Times (Nov. 28, 2019) (online at www.ft.com/content/eb8e4004-1059-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a).
150 Cleaning Up Ukraine in the Shadow of Trump, The Financial Times (Nov. 28, 2019) (online at www.ft.com/content/eb8e4004-1059-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a).
151 Biden Faces Conflict of Interest Questions That Are Being Promoted by Trump and Allies, New York Times (May 1, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/politics/biden-son-ukraine.html).
152 Transcript: Fox News Interview with President Trump, Fox News (May 7, 2019) (online at www.foxnews.com/politics/transcript-fox-news-interview-with-president-trump).
153 Transcript: Fox News Interview with President Trump, Fox News (May 7, 2019) (online at www.foxnews.com/politics/transcript-fox-news-interview-with-president-trump).
154 Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden, Council on Foreign Relations (Jan. 23, 2018) (online at: www.cfr.org/event/foreign-affairs-issue-launch-former-vice-president-joe-biden).
155 Ukraine Ousts Viktor Shokin, Top Prosecutor, and Political Stability Hangs in the Balance, New York Times (Mar. 29, 2016) (online at www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/world/europe/political-stability-in-the-balance-as-ukraine-ousts-top-prosecutor.html).
156 Yovanovitch Hearing Tr. at 50; Kent-Taylor Hearing Tr. at 115.
157 Trump Says He’d Consider Accepting Information from Foreign Governments on His Opponents, The Washington Post (June 12, 2019) (online at www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-hed-consider-accepting-dirt-from-foreign-governments-on-his-opponents/2019/06/12/b84ba860-8d5c-11e9-8f69-a2795fca3343_story.html).
158 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02313.
159 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02314; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02316; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02318; ATTHPSCI 20190930 01000.
160 Kent Dep. Tr. at 137.
161 Kent Dep. Tr. at 137.
162 Kent Dep. Tr. at 137.
163 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
164 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
165 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
166 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
167 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
168 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
169 Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump, New York Times (May 9, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html).
170 Trump’s Interest in Stirring Ukraine Investigations Sows Confusion in Kiev, Washington
Post (May 11, 2019) (online at www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trumps-interest-stirring-ukraine-investigations-sows-confusion-in-kiev/2019/05/11/cb94f7f4-73ea-11e9-9331-30bc5836f48e_story.html).
171 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02321; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02322.
172 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02320, 02321, 02322, 02323, 03612.
173 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_03614; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02326; ATTHPSCI_20190930_02327; ATTHPSCI_20190930_03614.
174 Rudy Giuliani, Twitter (May 9, 2019) (online at https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/status/1126701386224156673).
175 Giuliani: “Massive Collusion” Between DNC, Obama Admin, Clinton People & Ukraine To Create False Info About Trump, Real Clear Politics (May 10, 2019) (online at www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/05/10/giuliani_massive_collusion_between_dnc_obama_admin_clinton_people__ukraine_to_create_false_info_about_trump.html).
176 Rudy Giuliani, Twitter (May 10, 2019) (online at https://twitter.com/rudygiuliani/status/1126858889209831424?lang=en).
177 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02334.
178 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 227; see also Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 32-33, 36 (describing the allegations).
179 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 227.
180 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02334.
181 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02335.
182 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02335.
183 AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02335.
184 Trump: Discussing a Biden Probe with Barr Would Be ‘Appropriate,’ Politico (May 10, 2019) (online at www.politico.com/story/2019/05/10/trump-biden-ukraine-barr-1317601).
185 Trump Denies Sending Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to Push Biden, Election Probes, CNBC (Nov. 27, 2019) (online at www.cnbc.com/2019/11/27/trump-denies-sending-rudy-giuliani-to-ukraine-to-push-biden-election-probes.html).
186 Remarks by President Trump and President Niinisto of the Republic of Finland in Joint Press Conference, The White House (Oct. 2, 2019) (online at www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-president-niinisto-republic-finland-joint-press-conference/).
187 Remarks by President Trump before Marine One Departure, The White House (Oct. 4, 2019) (online at www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-marine-one-departure-68/).
188 Giuliani: I didn’t go to Ukraine to start an investigation, there already was one, Fox News (May 11, 2019) (online at https://video.foxnews.com/v/6035385372001/#sp=show-clips).
189 Trump: Discussing a Biden probe with Barr would be ‘appropriate’, Politico (May 10, 2019) (online at www.politico.com/story/2019/05/10/trump-biden-ukraine-barr-1317601) (documenting Giuliani text message).
190 Trump: Discussing a Biden probe with Barr would be ‘appropriate’, Politico (May 10, 2019) (online at www.politico.com/story/2019/05/10/trump-biden-ukraine-barr-1317601) (documenting Giuliani text message).
191 Donald J. Trump, Twitter (May 3, 2019) (online at https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1124359594418032640)
192 Kent Dep. Tr. at 338-339.
193 Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Orban of Hungary Before Bilateral Meeting, The White House (May 13, 2019) (online at www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-prime-minister-orban-hungary-bilateral-meeting/).
194 In Hungary, a Freewheeling Trump Ambassador Undermines U.S. Diplomat’s, New York Times (Oct. 22, 2019) (online at www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/world/europe/david-cornstein-hungary-trump-orban.html); Hungarian prime minister earns rare rebuke from European bloc that has long backed him, The Washington Post (Mar. 20, 2019) (online at www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/hungarys-orban-earns-rare-rebuke-from-european-bloc-that-has-long-backed-him/2019/03/20/83be110a-4b17-11e9-8cfc-2c5d0999c21e_story.html).
195 Kent Dep. Tr. at 339.
196 Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Orban of Hungary Before Bilateral Meeting, The White House (May 13, 2019) (online at www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-prime-minister-orban-hungary-bilateral-meeting/).
197 Kent Dep. Tr. at 253.
198 Kent Dep. Tr. at 254.
199 Williams Dep. Tr. at 37-38.
200 Vindman-Williams Hearing Tr. at 14. Other witnesses testified that Vice President Pence may not have been able to attend on account of scheduling issues. See Hill Dep. Tr. at 316 (“there was a lot of scheduling issues” regarding the attempts to schedule the Vice President’s participation in the delegation); Kent Dep. Tr. at 189-191 (Vice President Pence was not available); Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 288-290, 293 (Volker “wasn’t surprised” Pence could not make it and assumed it was a matter of scheduling). However, Ms. Williams was the only staff member in the Office of the Vice President to testify before the Committees, and the only witness to testify to having heard an explanation from Vice President Pence’s staff about why Vice President Pence did not attend the inauguration.
201 Williams Dep. Tr. at 39.
202 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 37.
203 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 37.
204 Rudy Giuliani, Twitter (May 18, 2019) (online at https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/status/1129761193755910144)
205 Kolomoisky: We Called Varkuch and Asked: ‘Do You Support Zelensky or No?’, Pravda (May 27, 2019) (online at www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2019/05/27/7216183/).
206 Kolomoisky: We Called Varkuch and Asked: ‘Do You Support Zelensky or No?’, Pravda (May 27, 2019) (online at www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2019/05/27/7216183/).
207 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 16.
208 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 288-290; Vindman Dep. Tr. at 125.
209 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 101.
210 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 18.
211 Holmes Dep. Tr. 17-18.
212 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 18.
213 Holmes Dep. Tr. at 18.
214 Hill-Holmes Hearing Tr. at 61.
215 Vindman-Williams Hearing Tr. at 26.
216 Hill-Holmes Hearing Tr. at 61.
217 Vindman-Williams Hearing Tr. at 26
218 Vindman-Williams Hearing Tr. at 26
219 Vindman-Williams Hearing Tr. at 26; David Holmes separately testified that Lt. Col. Vindman “made a general point about the importance of Ukraine to our national security, and he said it’s very important that the Zelensky administration stay out of U.S. domestic politics.” Hill-Holmes Hearing Tr. at 61.
220 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 30.
221 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 29-30.
222 Kent Dep. Tr. at 193.
223 Anderson Dep. Tr. at 15, 54. Ambassador Sondland testified that he did not specifically recall who arranged the May 23 meeting and conjectured that “either Rick Perry or I reached out to someone at the NSC saying: Doesn’t the President want a briefing about the inauguration. And I think—I think it was Perry, if I recall correctly, that got it nailed down.” Sondland Dep. Tr. at 87.
224 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 29, 303; Vindman Dep. Tr. at 168.
225 Hill Dep. Tr. at 311.
226 Hill Dep. Tr. at 308.
227 Hill Dep. Tr. at 308.
228 Hill Dep. Tr. at 309-310.
229 Hill Dep. Tr. at 309-310.
230 Hill Dep. Tr. at 309-310.
231 Nunes Ally Kash Patel Who Fought Russia Probe Gets Senior White House National Security Job, The Daily Beast (July 31, 2019) (online at www.thedailybeast.com/kash-patel-devin-nunes-ally-who-fought-russia-probe-gets-senior-white-house-national-security-job).
232 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 304.
233 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 25.
234 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 25.
&n
bsp; 235 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 304.
236 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 337; Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 304; Hill Dep. Tr. at 320-321 (describing Volker’s readout); Croft Dep. Tr. at 90 (describing Volker’s readout); Anderson Dep. Tr. at 57 (describing Volker’s readout).
237 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 305.
238 Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. at 305.
239 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 62; Volker Transcribed Interview Tr. 305; Morrison-Volker Hearing Tr. at 40.
240 Sondland Hearing Tr. at 71.
241 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 26. See also Sondland Dep. Tr. at 87-90.
242 Morrison-Volker Hearing Tr. at 131.
243 Sondland Hearing Tr. at 167.
244 In addition to the testimony cited in this paragraph, see also Hill Dep. Tr. at 113; Hale Dep. Tr. at 90; Taylor Dep. Tr. at 58, 285; and Reeker Dep. Tr. at 148.
245 Kent Dep. Tr. at 195.
246 Croft Dep. Tr. at 91.
247 Hale Dep. Tr. at 73.
248 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 151-152.
249 Hill Dep. Tr. at 59-60.
250 Sondland Hearing Tr. at 24, 27, 123-124, 125-126.
251 Sondland Hearing Tr. at 27-30.
252 Sondland Hearing Tr. at 22.
253 Sondland Dep. Tr. at 77-78.
254 Hill-Holmes Hearing Tr. at 94.
255 Hill Dep. Tr. at 127. According to call records obtained by the Committee, Mr. Giuliani connected with Ambassador Bolton’s office three times for brief calls of under a minute between April 23 and May 10, 2019—a time period that corresponds with the recall of Ambassador Yovanovitch and the acceleration of Mr. Giuliani’s efforts, on behalf of President Trump, to pressure Ukraine into opening investigations that would benefit his reelection campaign. AT&T Document Production, Bates ATTHPSCI_20190930_02224, 02322, 23330.
256 Hill Dep. Tr. at 127.
257 Anderson Dep. Tr. at 15.
258 Anderson Dep. Tr. at 15.
259 Anderson Dep. Tr. at 101.
260 Hill Dep. Tr. at 127-128.
261 Hill Dep. Tr. at 116-117.
262 Hill Dep. Tr. at 130.
263 Anderson Dep. Tr. at 16.
The Impeachment Report Page 27