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Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened' by Trump | Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened' by Trump |
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A recalled US ambassador at the centre of the Trump impeachment inquiry said she felt threatened by a cryptic remark the president made about her on a call. | A recalled US ambassador at the centre of the Trump impeachment inquiry said she felt threatened by a cryptic remark the president made about her on a call. |
Ex-envoy to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told Congress she was "very concerned" by President Donald Trump's comment in the phone call with Ukraine's leader. | Ex-envoy to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told Congress she was "very concerned" by President Donald Trump's comment in the phone call with Ukraine's leader. |
Mr Trump told his counterpart: "Well, she's [Ms Yovanovitch] going to go through some things." | Mr Trump told his counterpart: "Well, she's [Ms Yovanovitch] going to go through some things." |
Democrats have just released the first transcripts from closed-door testimony. | Democrats have just released the first transcripts from closed-door testimony. |
The Republican president is accused of trying to pressure Ukraine into investigating unsubstantiated corruption claims against his US political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden, who worked with a Ukrainian gas company. | The Republican president is accused of trying to pressure Ukraine into investigating unsubstantiated corruption claims against his US political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden, who worked with a Ukrainian gas company. |
Ms Yovanovitch said she was "shocked" by what the president said about her in the 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. | Ms Yovanovitch said she was "shocked" by what the president said about her in the 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. |
That call triggered the current congressional impeachment investigation that could seek to remove Mr Trump from office for alleged abuses of power. | That call triggered the current congressional impeachment investigation that could seek to remove Mr Trump from office for alleged abuses of power. |
"I didn't know what it meant," Ms Yovanovitch said about the US president's words. "I was very concerned. I still am." | "I didn't know what it meant," Ms Yovanovitch said about the US president's words. "I was very concerned. I still am." |
The House Intelligence Committee released Ms Yovanovitch's testimony from 11 October on Monday. | The House Intelligence Committee released Ms Yovanovitch's testimony from 11 October on Monday. |
On the Trump-Zelensky call, details of which were previously released by the White House, the US president also described Ms Yovanovitch as "bad news". | On the Trump-Zelensky call, details of which were previously released by the White House, the US president also described Ms Yovanovitch as "bad news". |
In her testimony, the career diplomat said when she sought advice from the US Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, a Trump donor, he suggested Ms Yovanovitch tweet praise of the president. | |
"You need to go big or go home," Mr Sondland allegedly told her. Ms Yovanovitch testified that she did not think she could follow the advice. | |
Ms Yovanovitch added that Mr Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani began efforts to discredit her in late 2018 as he effectively ran a shadow foreign policy on Ukraine. | Ms Yovanovitch added that Mr Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani began efforts to discredit her in late 2018 as he effectively ran a shadow foreign policy on Ukraine. |
The diplomat testified that Mr Giuliani wanted to investigate Mr Biden and his son in order to find information "that could be possibly damaging to a Presidential run". | |
Mr Giuliani also enlisted Ukraine's prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko, to spread "falsehoods" about her in order to "hurt" her "in the US", according to Ms Yovanovitch. | |
She said she had been warned by Ukraine's justice minister that "I really needed to watch my back". | She said she had been warned by Ukraine's justice minister that "I really needed to watch my back". |
Ms Yovanovitch left Ukraine in May, months ahead of her scheduled departure. | Ms Yovanovitch left Ukraine in May, months ahead of her scheduled departure. |
During her testimony she recalled how Mr Giuliani sought to override a Department of State refusal to grant a tourist visa to former Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Shokin, whom consular officials had rejected on the basis of "known corrupt activities". | During her testimony she recalled how Mr Giuliani sought to override a Department of State refusal to grant a tourist visa to former Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Shokin, whom consular officials had rejected on the basis of "known corrupt activities". |
On Monday the House Intelligence Committee also released the transcript from testimony by a former top adviser to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | On Monday the House Intelligence Committee also released the transcript from testimony by a former top adviser to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. |
Michael McKinley, who appeared before Congress on 16 October for a private hearing, said he tried but failed to get Mr Pompeo to defend Ms Yovanovitch. | Michael McKinley, who appeared before Congress on 16 October for a private hearing, said he tried but failed to get Mr Pompeo to defend Ms Yovanovitch. |
Mr McKinley said he had suggested a letter "that's not political, stating clearly that we respect the professionalism, the tenure of Ambassador Yovanovitch in the Ukraine". | Mr McKinley said he had suggested a letter "that's not political, stating clearly that we respect the professionalism, the tenure of Ambassador Yovanovitch in the Ukraine". |
But he told lawmakers he received a call from a Department of State spokeswoman telling him Mr Pompeo had rejected his idea. | But he told lawmakers he received a call from a Department of State spokeswoman telling him Mr Pompeo had rejected his idea. |
Mr McKinley resigned from his post days before his congressional testimony last month. | Mr McKinley resigned from his post days before his congressional testimony last month. |
He told the committee he had stepped down over his concerns about "the engagement of our missions to procure negative political information for domestic purposes". | He told the committee he had stepped down over his concerns about "the engagement of our missions to procure negative political information for domestic purposes". |
"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," he added, according to the transcript. | "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," he added, according to the transcript. |
Mr McKinley said he had never seen such alleged tactics in 37 years of working for the US government. | Mr McKinley said he had never seen such alleged tactics in 37 years of working for the US government. |
Also on Monday, four US officials who were called to testify to Congress failed to show up as requested. | Also on Monday, four US officials who were called to testify to Congress failed to show up as requested. |
Mr Trump, meanwhile, continued to call for the US government whistleblower who exposed the Trump-Zelensky call to waive anonymity. | Mr Trump, meanwhile, continued to call for the US government whistleblower who exposed the Trump-Zelensky call to waive anonymity. |