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Former Trump Aide Fiona Hill Speaks to Impeachment Investigators on Ukraine Former Trump Aide Fiona Hill Speaks to Impeachment Investigators on Ukraine
(about 7 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Fiona Hill, President Trump’s former top Russia and Europe adviser, met with House impeachment investigators on Monday prepared to testify that she and other officials objected strenuously to the removal of the ambassador to Ukraine, only to be disregarded. WASHINGTON — House impeachment investigators sought on Monday to establish how President Trump’s allies circumvented the usual national security process and ran their own rump foreign policy to extract help from Ukraine in undercutting his Democratic adversaries.
Ms. Hill, who stepped down from the White House’s National Security Council staff over the summer, viewed the recall of Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch from Kiev as an egregious abuse of the system by allies of Mr. Trump who were seeking to push aside a perceived obstacle, according to a person familiar with Ms. Hill’s account. Ms. Yovanovitch told the investigators in closed-door testimony last week that the president had personally pushed for her ouster for months, based on “false claims.” The investigators privately interviewed Fiona Hill, the president’s former top Russia and Europe adviser at the White House, who was cut out of dealings with Ukraine led by Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer. And they widened their net in the fast-paced inquiry by summoning a senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who abruptly resigned last week.
The removal of Ms. Yovanovitch has emerged as a key episode in the narrative under examination by the House as part of its impeachment inquiry against Mr. Trump. A career diplomat, Ms. Yovanovitch was targeted by Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, and other allies who were seeking to press Ukraine to investigate Mr. Trump’s Democratic rivals. The interviews indicated that House Democrats were proceeding full tilt with their inquiry despite the administration’s declaration last week that it would refuse to cooperate with what it called an invalid and unconstitutional impeachment effort. Ms. Hill became the first former White House official to testify, and the House committees have set a busy schedule of testimony from others who plan to appear.
Ms. Hill’s interview kicked off what promises to be another active week of investigation by the House, where Democrats opened a formal impeachment inquiry late last month based on an intelligence officer’s whistle-blower complaint that alleged that Mr. Trump had abused his power to try to enlist Ukraine to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 election. Committee officials scheduled a Wednesday interview with Michael McKinley, a career State Department official who served as a senior adviser to Mr. Pompeo before quitting last week. Career diplomats have expressed outrage at the unceremonious removal of Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch from Ukraine after she came under attack by Mr. Giuliani, Donald Trump Jr. and two associates who have since been arrested on campaign violations.
The recall of the ambassador was a case study in how Mr. Giuliani and his allies pursued their goals by sidelining or circumventing the government officials, like Ms. Yovanovitch and Ms. Hill, who were formally overseeing policy toward Ukraine. Ms. Hill was kept out of the loop by Mr. Giuliani and the president’s allies as they negotiated separately with Ukrainian officials, including on issues clearly in her area of responsibility. Three other administration officials were scheduled to talk with investigators this week despite the White House statement. Gordon D. Sondland, the Trump donor turned ambassador to the European Union who backed out of testifying at the last minute last week on orders of the State Department, will now appear on Thursday.
Ms. Hill was the first person who worked in the White House to be deposed by House investigators and appeared despite the administration’s declaration last week that it would refuse to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry or allow its staff to do so. The White House did not attempt to stop Ms. Hill from testifying, according to the person familiar with her account, but White House lawyers exchanged letters with Ms. Hill’s lawyer about precedents regarding the confidentiality of presidential communications. George P. Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state who deals with the region, is scheduled to testify on Tuesday. And the committee on Monday set an interview for Friday with Laura K. Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia policy.
[Rudy Giuliani was a zero-tolerance mayor who cleaned up New York as he inflamed racial tensions. He was hailed as “America’s Mayor” after 9/11. Now, he’s at the center of the Trump impeachment inquiry. Watch “The Weekly,” our new TV show.][Rudy Giuliani was a zero-tolerance mayor who cleaned up New York as he inflamed racial tensions. He was hailed as “America’s Mayor” after 9/11. Now, he’s at the center of the Trump impeachment inquiry. Watch “The Weekly,” our new TV show.]
The House Intelligence Committee issued a last-minute subpoena Monday morning to compel Ms. Hill to speak with the investigators, according to an official involved in the investigation. The arrangement was similar to one used last week to secure Ms. Yovanovitch’s cooperation, allowing both witnesses to more easily justify ignoring the White House’s clear opposition to cooperation with the House inquiry. Mr. Trump made no visible effort to block the testimony on Monday, even as he called on House Democrats to interview the anonymous C.I.A. officer who first filed a whistle-blower complaint alleging that the president abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and other Democrats.
Ms. Hill, who was described as sensitive to the concerns of executive confidentiality, may limit her answers regarding direct interactions with the president. But her testimony has been highly anticipated, in part because she has a long history as a skeptic of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia who nonetheless worked for two years for Mr. Trump as he made friendship with the Russian leader a high priority. “A total Impeachment Scam!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. Later in the day, he posted a number of video clips of Mark Levin on Fox News excoriating the Democrats for pursuing impeachment, quoting the television host calling it “a silent COUP effort.”
Ms. Hill brought no opening statement to Monday’s session, unlike Ms. Yovanovitch and Kurt D. Volker, the former special envoy for Ukraine, when they were interviewed by House investigators. The interview was taking place behind closed doors, but parts or all of it may be made public later. Unlike Mr. Volker, she had no documents, emails or text messages to turn over because she left them behind when she stepped down. Ms. Hill’s testimony, which unfolded behind closed doors over nine hours in the secure rooms of the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill, had been highly anticipated because of her position as senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs at the National Security Council, typically a key job coordinating policy toward members of the former Soviet Union. But it was not clear whether her account would help either side, since she left her post in July shortly before some of the key events in the saga.
Hers was the first of an active week of investigative work on Capitol Hill, where Democrats have scheduled closed-door sessions with a number of officials who could shed light on Mr. Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. George P. Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state who deals with the region, is scheduled to testify on Tuesday. Gordon D. Sondland, the Trump donor turned ambassador to the European Union who inserted himself into the Ukraine portfolio, is due to testify on Thursday. According to a person familiar with her account, she was prepared to testify that Mr. Giuliani and his associates bypassed the government officials charged with managing Ukraine policy. She and others objected strenuously to the recall of Ms. Yovanovitch, seeing it as an egregious abuse of the system against a career professional for doing her job.
Ms. Hill is a widely respected, British-born former Brookings Institution scholar and intelligence officer. She is the author, with Clifford Gaddy, of “Mr. Putin,” a critical biography of the Russian leader, and she served as senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs on the National Security Council staff from 2017 until last summer. Ms. Hill was prepared to testify that she opposed the idea of the now-famous July 25 telephone call between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine because she did not understand its purpose. While it was described as a congratulatory call following parliamentary elections in Ukraine, Mr. Trump had already made a congratulatory call to Mr. Zelensky in April after his own election.
She turned over her duties to her successor on July 15 and left on July 19, just days before the July 25 telephone call in which Mr. Trump pressed President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to investigate conspiracy theories about Ukrainian help to Democrats in the 2016 election and supposed corruption by former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. She was not told that Mr. Trump would use the call to press for an investigation into Mr. Biden, nor did she know about the president’s decision to withhold $391 million in American assistance to Ukraine until shortly before her departure, according to the person informed about her account.
Ms. Hill was prepared to testify that she opposed the idea of the phone call because she did not understand its purpose. While it was described as a congratulatory call following parliamentary elections in Ukraine, Mr. Trump had already made a congratulatory call to Mr. Zelensky in April following his own election.
Ms. Hill has told associates that while she was the president’s top adviser on Russia and Ukraine, she was cut out of decisions and discussions as Mr. Giuliani and others ran a shadow diplomacy intended to benefit Mr. Trump’s political position.
She was not told that Mr. Trump would use the July 25 call to press for an investigation into Mr. Biden nor did she know about the president’s decision to withhold $391 million in American assistance to Ukraine until shortly before her departure, according to the person informed about her account.
Her testimony would not establish a quid pro quo between the suspended aid and Mr. Trump’s pressure for investigations, the person said. But she would confirm that the administration leveraged a coveted White House invitation for Mr. Zelensky to a commitment to investigate corruption, which was seen as code for investigating Democrats.Her testimony would not establish a quid pro quo between the suspended aid and Mr. Trump’s pressure for investigations, the person said. But she would confirm that the administration leveraged a coveted White House invitation for Mr. Zelensky to a commitment to investigate corruption, which was seen as code for investigating Democrats.
Ms. Hill took her objections to the treatment of Ms. Yovanovitch, who was targeted by Mr. Giuliani and conservative media outlets, to John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, as well as others. Mr. Bolton shared her concerns, according to the person, and was upset at Mr. Giuliani’s activities, which she viewed as essentially co-opting American foreign policy toward Ukraine.Ms. Hill took her objections to the treatment of Ms. Yovanovitch, who was targeted by Mr. Giuliani and conservative media outlets, to John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, as well as others. Mr. Bolton shared her concerns, according to the person, and was upset at Mr. Giuliani’s activities, which she viewed as essentially co-opting American foreign policy toward Ukraine.
Ms. Yovanovitch, a 33-year veteran of the foreign service who served under Republican and Democratic administrations, including three times as an ambassador, told House investigators last week that she was abruptly told to get “on the next plane” home last spring, ending her tour in Ukraine. Ms. Yovanovitch, a 33-year veteran of the Foreign Service who served under Republican and Democratic administrations, including three times as an ambassador, told House investigators last week that the president had personally pushed for her ouster for months, based on “false claims.”
While the deputy secretary of state told her she had “done nothing wrong,” her removal, she testified, appeared to be based “on unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives,” a reference to Mr. Giuliani and some of his associates. Two associates of Mr. Giuliani were charged on Thursday with campaign finance violations connected to their efforts to convince a congressman to lobby Mr. Pompeo to fire Ms. Yovanovitch for privately expressing “disdain” for the Trump administration. Ms. Yovanovitch denied ever expressing such a sentiment.
Two associates of Mr. Giuliani were charged on Thursday with campaign finance violations connected to their efforts to push Ms. Yovanovitch out. They raised money for Pete Sessions, then a Republican member of Congress from Texas, and Mr. Sessions then pressed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to fire Ms. Yovanovitch for privately expressing “disdain” for the Trump administration. Ms. Yovanovitch denied ever expressing that sentiment. Ms. Hill is a widely respected, British-born former Brookings Institution scholar and intelligence officer. She is the author, with Clifford Gaddy, of “Mr. Putin,” a critical biography of the Russian leader, and she was appointed senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs on the National Security Council staff in 2017. She turned over her duties to her successor on July 15 and left on July 19, just days before the July 25 call.
For much of her tenure, Ms. Hill found herself caught in the middle, a noted skeptic of Mr. Putin working for a president who valued his friendship with the Russian leader. She came under fire from some of the most conservative figures and news media outlets around Mr. Trump, which portrayed her as an enemy within, even as some of her longtime friends and colleagues expressed disapproval that she had gone to work for the president in the first place.
“I know she has received all sorts of threats,” said Angela E. Stent, a Georgetown professor and Ms. Hill’s predecessor as national intelligence officer for Russia under President George W. Bush. “It is frightening. Imagine someone goes into public service to try to do the right thing, and this is what happens to you.”
Strobe Talbott, a former deputy secretary of state under President Bill Clinton and Ms. Hill’s former boss at the Brookings Institution, said she stood up to the flak. “Fiona Hill doesn’t frighten,” he said. “I would say she is gimlet-eyed.”
While critical of Mr. Putin, she was never as hard-line as some Russia experts in Washington in the perpetual debate about how to confront Moscow. “She is not a hawk. She is not a dove,” Mr. Talbott said. “She is an owl and wise.”
The White House did not attempt to stop Ms. Hill from testifying, according to the person familiar with her account, but White House lawyers exchanged letters with Ms. Hill’s lawyer about precedents regarding the confidentiality of presidential communications.
The House Intelligence Committee issued a last-minute subpoena Monday morning to compel Ms. Hill to speak with the investigators, according to an official involved in the investigation. The arrangement was similar to one used last week to secure Ms. Yovanovitch’s cooperation, allowing both witnesses to more easily justify ignoring the White House’s clear opposition to cooperation with the House inquiry.
Ms. Hill brought no opening statement to Monday’s session, unlike Ms. Yovanovitch and Kurt D. Volker, the former special envoy for Ukraine, when they were interviewed by House investigators. Unlike Mr. Volker, she had no documents, emails or text messages to turn over because she left them behind when she stepped down.
In addition to the robust interview schedule, the House committees have also set a series of consequential deadlines on Tuesday for the Trump administration and key witnesses to produce documents related to Mr. Trump’s conversation with Mr. Zelensky, the decision to hold back the security aid and other matters.
Those already under subpoena to produce the material include the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Defense Department and Mr. Giuliani. Vice President Mike Pence also faces a deadline to hand over a vast set of records voluntarily, or face a subpoena.
The deadlines force each department or witness to decide between the White House’s direction not to cooperate with the House’s work and the demands of Congress. Democrats have warned that failure to comply will be considered obstruction of their inquiry, which could merit its own article of impeachment against Mr. Trump.