Two former officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration who were engaged with dealings with Ukraine are to meet with US congressional committees starting this week, as an impeachment inquiry into Trump gains steam.
Congressional staff were yesterday also due to attend a briefing at the Capitol by US Department of State Inspector-General Steve Linick, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
Staff members from the US Senate and US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs and Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Oversight and Appropriations committees were invited to the briefing.
The session was expected to address Ukraine-related documents that have been subpoenaed by House committees.
Following a whistle-blower complaint last week, Democrats are looking into Trump’s request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a July 25 telephone call to investigate former US vice president Joe Biden.
The unidentified whistle-blower is said to be an intelligence agent who accused Trump of soliciting foreign interference for his personal political benefit.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and assailed the probe.
Kurt Volker, who last week resigned as Trump’s special representative for Ukraine, was to go to Capitol Hill today give a deposition to House staff, the day he had been asked to appear.
Marie Yovanovitch, who was US ambassador to Ukraine until she was abruptly recalled in May, has agreed to appear on Friday next week, not yesterday as requested.
With their deep knowledge of Ukraine, testimony by Yovanovitch and Volker could be especially important to the impeachment probe formally launched last week by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The inquiry could lead to approval of articles of impeachment — or formal charges — against Trump in the House. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to remove him from office.
However, the US president’s fellow Republicans control that chamber and have shown little appetite for removing him.
Yovanovitch was ordered back to Washington two months before the end of her three-year tour in Kiev.
The career diplomat, who had served during both Republican and Democratic administrations, had been the subject of attacks in right-leaning media and Democrats had suggested that her recall was politically motivated.
Over the past few days, the Democratic chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees have issued subpoenas to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and scheduled depositions with a series of other current and former officials, as well as associates of Giuliani, as they seek to unearth more evidence of potential wrongdoing by Trump.
Trump asked Zelenskiy during the July call to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter, in coordination with US Attorney General William Barr and Giuliani.
Announcements of more subpoenas and requests for depositions are expected.
Trump on Twitter on Tuesday repeated his assertion that his call with Zelenskiy was “perfect,” and attacked Pelosi and US Representative Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee chairman.
“This is just another Fake News Media, together with their partner, the Democrat Party, HOAX!” the US president tweeted.
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