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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/nov/08/trump-news-today-live-latest-updates-don-jr-impeachment-inquiry-mick-mulvaney
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| Trump impeachment: Bolton hints at meetings inquiry doesn't know about – live | Trump impeachment: Bolton hints at meetings inquiry doesn't know about – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Lawyer for former US national security adviser says there are ‘many relevant conversations’ that House impeachment investigators don’t know about | Lawyer for former US national security adviser says there are ‘many relevant conversations’ that House impeachment investigators don’t know about |
| Just... wow | |
| Students hold rally in DC in support of DACA | |
| Students in Washington D.C. led protests in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program, implemented under the Obama administration but rescinded under the Trump administration, offers those who were brought to the US as undocumented children legal protections that allow them to stay in the country. About 660,00 people are “Dreamers”, the nickname for DACA recipients. | |
| Next week, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Trump administration’s cut of DACA is constitutional. Two lower courts in California, New York and D.C. found that the administration violated something called the “Administrative Procedure Act” by killing the act. | |
| “We are more than number. We are people with families, communities, and dreams,” said one student at a protest in Washington. | |
| Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is currently testifying against Roger Stone, a political operative and ally of Trump, in court. | Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is currently testifying against Roger Stone, a political operative and ally of Trump, in court. |
| Stone is accused of lying to the House intelligence committee about the Trump campaign’s efforts to obtain incriminating emails hacked by Russia and published by Wikileaks to harm Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. | Stone is accused of lying to the House intelligence committee about the Trump campaign’s efforts to obtain incriminating emails hacked by Russia and published by Wikileaks to harm Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. |
| Prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky announced that Bannon would be a surprise witness in the trial earlier this week. “Stone regularly updated people on the Trump campaign at the senior levels about whatever information he thought he had about WikiLeaks,” Zelinsky said, adding that he went directly to Bannon with the info. | |
| Stone has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the committee. | Stone has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the committee. |
| According to Politico’s Darren Samuelsohn, who is live-tweeting the trial, Bannon said that Stone told him prior to joining the campaign that he had a relationship with Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange. After he joined the campaign, Stone continued to tell him about his ties to Wikileaks. He confirmed that the campaign viewed Stone as an “axis point” to WikiLeaks. | According to Politico’s Darren Samuelsohn, who is live-tweeting the trial, Bannon said that Stone told him prior to joining the campaign that he had a relationship with Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange. After he joined the campaign, Stone continued to tell him about his ties to Wikileaks. He confirmed that the campaign viewed Stone as an “axis point” to WikiLeaks. |
| A lawyer for John Bolton, former US national security adviser, wrote a letter to lawmakers that there are “many relevant meetings and conversations” related to the administration’s attempts to pressure Ukraine that House impeachment investigators don’t know about, according to the New York Times. | A lawyer for John Bolton, former US national security adviser, wrote a letter to lawmakers that there are “many relevant meetings and conversations” related to the administration’s attempts to pressure Ukraine that House impeachment investigators don’t know about, according to the New York Times. |
| Bolton was scheduled for a deposition in front of the House impeachment committees yesterday but, like many of his White House peers, did not appear. | Bolton was scheduled for a deposition in front of the House impeachment committees yesterday but, like many of his White House peers, did not appear. |
| Charles Cooper, Bolton’s lawyer and author of the letter, said that Bolton was involved in not only meetings and discussions that have been revealed through existing testimony, but “many relevant meetings and conversations that have not yet been discussed in the testimonies thus far.” | Charles Cooper, Bolton’s lawyer and author of the letter, said that Bolton was involved in not only meetings and discussions that have been revealed through existing testimony, but “many relevant meetings and conversations that have not yet been discussed in the testimonies thus far.” |
| Bolton is waiting for a judge to rule on whether he and his former deputy, Charles Kupperman, can defy White House orders not to testify. | Bolton is waiting for a judge to rule on whether he and his former deputy, Charles Kupperman, can defy White House orders not to testify. |
| House Republicans have appointed US congressman Jim Jordan, a Republican representative from Ohio, to the House intelligence committee. Republicans are gearing up a line of defense as impeachment hearings are set to begin next week. | House Republicans have appointed US congressman Jim Jordan, a Republican representative from Ohio, to the House intelligence committee. Republicans are gearing up a line of defense as impeachment hearings are set to begin next week. |
| Jordan has been a vocal critic of the impeachment inquiry, called the investigations a “sham”. He is currently the top Republican on the House oversight committee, one of the committees that oversees the inquiry, but will be able to ask witnesses questions as part of his new committee. | Jordan has been a vocal critic of the impeachment inquiry, called the investigations a “sham”. He is currently the top Republican on the House oversight committee, one of the committees that oversees the inquiry, but will be able to ask witnesses questions as part of his new committee. |
| Trump supporters gather for rally in Atlanta | Trump supporters gather for rally in Atlanta |
| Quick break from impeachment coverage. Trump is slated to speak at a rally in Atlanta for the new Black Voice for Trump coalition. The president is expected to speak at 3pm, and supporters have already gathered in anticipation. Here’s more from Khushbu Shah, who’s at the rally in Atlanta: | Quick break from impeachment coverage. Trump is slated to speak at a rally in Atlanta for the new Black Voice for Trump coalition. The president is expected to speak at 3pm, and supporters have already gathered in anticipation. Here’s more from Khushbu Shah, who’s at the rally in Atlanta: |
| Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney approved a White House meeting for the Ukrainian president – if Ukraine announced investigations tied to Joe Biden, a political rival of Donald Trump, according to testimony unveiled on Friday by the congressional committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry. | Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney approved a White House meeting for the Ukrainian president – if Ukraine announced investigations tied to Joe Biden, a political rival of Donald Trump, according to testimony unveiled on Friday by the congressional committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry. |
| Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, “blurted out” that Mulvaney had approved the meeting if the Ukrainians announced an investigation of Burisma, a gas company that formerly employed Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son, said Fiona Hill, a national security council member who was deposed by the committees last month. | Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, “blurted out” that Mulvaney had approved the meeting if the Ukrainians announced an investigation of Burisma, a gas company that formerly employed Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son, said Fiona Hill, a national security council member who was deposed by the committees last month. |
| Hill’s account was corroborated by simultaneously released testimony by another firsthand witness to the conversation, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. | Hill’s account was corroborated by simultaneously released testimony by another firsthand witness to the conversation, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. |
| While previously released testimony has indicated a central role for Mulvaney in brokering an agreement in which Ukraine would intervene in the 2020 US election by announcing the Burisma investigation, the testimony released Friday was the first to describe direct involvement in the plot by the acting chief of staff. | While previously released testimony has indicated a central role for Mulvaney in brokering an agreement in which Ukraine would intervene in the 2020 US election by announcing the Burisma investigation, the testimony released Friday was the first to describe direct involvement in the plot by the acting chief of staff. |
| Hill described for investigators a 10 July meeting attended by herself, Sondland, nationals security adviser John Bolton, Ukrainian officials and others. | Hill described for investigators a 10 July meeting attended by herself, Sondland, nationals security adviser John Bolton, Ukrainian officials and others. |
| Hill testified: | Hill testified: |
| “Then Ambassador Sondland blurted out: ‘Well, we have an agreement with the chief of staff for a meeting if these investigations in the energy sector start.’ …And Ambassador Bolton immediately stiffened and ended the meeting.” | “Then Ambassador Sondland blurted out: ‘Well, we have an agreement with the chief of staff for a meeting if these investigations in the energy sector start.’ …And Ambassador Bolton immediately stiffened and ended the meeting.” |
| Vindman gave a similar account of the meeting. | Vindman gave a similar account of the meeting. |
| “I heard him say that this had been coordinated with White House Chief of Staff Mr. Mick Mulvaney,” Vindman said. | “I heard him say that this had been coordinated with White House Chief of Staff Mr. Mick Mulvaney,” Vindman said. |
| Here’s what happened when House Republicans stormed the room when Fiona Hill was testifying, according to the transcript | Here’s what happened when House Republicans stormed the room when Fiona Hill was testifying, according to the transcript |
| The House committees released highlights of key passages in the transcripts (which combined are 786 pages long). Here is the top highlight from Fiona Hill, former aide to national security adviser John Bolton: | The House committees released highlights of key passages in the transcripts (which combined are 786 pages long). Here is the top highlight from Fiona Hill, former aide to national security adviser John Bolton: |
| “I went back to talk to Ambassador Bolton. And Ambassador Bolton asked me to go over and report this to our NSC counsel, to John Eisenberg. And he told me, and this is a direct quote from Ambassador Bolton: You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this, and you go and tell him what you’ve heard and what I’ve said. So I went over to talk to John Eisenberg about this. … I told him exactly, you know, what had transpired and that Ambassador Sondland had basically indicated that there was agreement with the chief of staff that they would have a White House meeting or, you know, a Presidential meeting if the Ukrainians started up these investigations again. And the main thing that I was personally concerned about, as I said to John, was that he did this in front of the Ukrainians.” | “I went back to talk to Ambassador Bolton. And Ambassador Bolton asked me to go over and report this to our NSC counsel, to John Eisenberg. And he told me, and this is a direct quote from Ambassador Bolton: You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this, and you go and tell him what you’ve heard and what I’ve said. So I went over to talk to John Eisenberg about this. … I told him exactly, you know, what had transpired and that Ambassador Sondland had basically indicated that there was agreement with the chief of staff that they would have a White House meeting or, you know, a Presidential meeting if the Ukrainians started up these investigations again. And the main thing that I was personally concerned about, as I said to John, was that he did this in front of the Ukrainians.” |
| Find more of Hill’s testimony highlights here. | Find more of Hill’s testimony highlights here. |
| And here is the top highlight from Lt Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council: | And here is the top highlight from Lt Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council: |
| Q: All right. So you did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen. You used the word “demand,” it was not proper to demand. Where in the transcript do you believe that the President made a demand to investigate a U.S. citizen? | Q: All right. So you did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen. You used the word “demand,” it was not proper to demand. Where in the transcript do you believe that the President made a demand to investigate a U.S. citizen? |
| A: So, Congressman, the power disparity between the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine is vast, and, you know, in the President asking for something, it became—there was—in return for a White House meeting, because that’s what this was about. This was about getting a White House meeting. It was a demand for him to fulfill his—fulfill this particular prerequisite in order to get the meeting | A: So, Congressman, the power disparity between the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine is vast, and, you know, in the President asking for something, it became—there was—in return for a White House meeting, because that’s what this was about. This was about getting a White House meeting. It was a demand for him to fulfill his—fulfill this particular prerequisite in order to get the meeting |
| Find more of Vindman’s testimony highlights here. | Find more of Vindman’s testimony highlights here. |
| The House impeachment committees have just released a transcript of the deposition of Fiona Hill, a former aide to US national security adviser John Bolton, and Lt Col Alexander S Vindman’s, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council. | The House impeachment committees have just released a transcript of the deposition of Fiona Hill, a former aide to US national security adviser John Bolton, and Lt Col Alexander S Vindman’s, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council. |
| Previous reports of her testimony, which lasted 10 hours, said Hill claims Bolton was alarmed by the back-channel efforts to pressure Ukraine. Vindman reportedly expressed concerns in his testimony that the president and his allies were trying to enlish Ukraine into a campaign to smear political rivals. | Previous reports of her testimony, which lasted 10 hours, said Hill claims Bolton was alarmed by the back-channel efforts to pressure Ukraine. Vindman reportedly expressed concerns in his testimony that the president and his allies were trying to enlish Ukraine into a campaign to smear political rivals. |
| Read Hill’s transcript here and Vindman’s here. We’re going through it now. | Read Hill’s transcript here and Vindman’s here. We’re going through it now. |