{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Yes","color":"#624960","stance":"yes"},{"text":"Maybe","color":"#edb723","stance":"maybe"},{"text":"No","color":"#4ac6ec","stance":"no"}],"id":35864,"title":"The Latest: Ambassador to E.U. Blocked from Testifying, Graham invites Giuliani to Testify ","html_content":"\n

by Countable's Trump Impeachment Coverage | 10.8.19

October 8th, 2019:

The 30-second recap: A whistleblower complaint, which led to a House impeachment inquiry, accuses White House officials of trying to conceal \"politically sensitive\" information about President Donald Trump's July 25th phone call with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky. During the phone call, Trump asked Ukraine's leader to \"do us a favor\" and work with Attorney General William Barr and Trump's personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, to \"look into\" former Vice President Joe Biden and his family.

226 House members currently support an impeachment inquiry.

State Department tells US ambassador to the EU not to appear for deposition today

The U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, was scheduled to testify before a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, but the State Department blocked him from appearing.
“He is a sitting Ambassador and employee of State and is required to follow their direction,” said his attorney Robert Luskin.
In response, the chairs of three Democratic House committees put out a joint statement saying they’d subpoena Sondland:

“We consider this interference to be obstruction of the impeachment inquiry.\"

Sondland was a Trump donor who’d been the EU ambassador since 2018. He’s mentioned in the whistleblower complaint:
“On 26 July, a day after the call, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker visited [Kiev] and met with President Zelensky and a variety of Ukrainian political figures. Ambassador Volker was accompanied in his meetings by U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. Based on multiple readouts of these meetings recounted to me by various U.S. officials, Ambassadors Volker and Sondland reportedly provided advice to the Ukrainian leadership about how to “navigate” the demands that the President had made of Mr. Zelensky.\"

Sen. Lindsey Graham invites Rudy Giuliani to testify

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) invited President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about Ukraine.

Graham added: \"Given the House of Representatives’ behavior, it is time for the Senate to inquire about corruption and other improprieties involving Ukraine.\"
Giuliani responded:

“Love Lindsey, but I am still a lawyer and I will have to deal with privilege.”

Where we are in impeachment proceedings?

—Josh Herman

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