My ambassador of assistance as well . They did. And if i said that number ambassador sondlands use of was circa in the military that term was that the three assistance around 270 million. Would that probably be people three people in accurate . Close. Charge of the ukrainian about right . Yeah. Did they get aid in policy. He ambassador volker and secretary perry. What did you come when did you come to learn about fy18 . Yes, sir. Including security mr. Giulianis role and what do you consider his role to assistance . Have been . Including Security Assistance. We have already talked about the javelins, the antitank missiles that they i heard about former mayor were not able to purchase in Previous Administrations. Giulianis interest in ukraine in january of this have they gotten Security Assistance in fy19 . Year. That was a different phase yes, sir. Prior to the 400 million than what happened during the summertime. Was it normal to have a or so that were discussing person who is a private citizen take an active role or been discussing a lot here today . In foreign diplomacy . They got some previous did i not find his some probably fy18 particular engagement normal, no. Now, Ambassador Taylor, assistance but, george, you may know. You testified that there its takes a while once were two channels, a regular money is obligated to and irregular. Actually reach the country what did you sees a rudy there were two island class ships that just arrived in giulianis role in ukraine the port of adesis a and that was prior year money there is a lag of a year. Policy . My point is that we have congresswoman, i came to been supporting the
see that mr. Giuliani had a ukrainians under this large influence on the irregular channel. And was that normal is administration in order to help them kick out the russians who invaded their that normal to have a private citizen of the country . Yes, sir. 100 percent. United states take an active Ambassador Taylor, you role in diplomacy . Earlier testified that it is not normal. Ukrainian officials did not it is not unusual to ask for become aware of potential u. S. Assistance being people outside the government to give opinions withheld until august 29th. To help form the policies of is that accurate . Thats my understanding, the u. S. Government. Mr. Hurd. It is unusual to have a would you find it surprising if a ukrainian official knew about that person input into the sooner and did not contact channel that goes contrary to u. S. Policy. Thank you. You . I yield back. I can answer that it was mr. Turner, you are recognized for five minutes. Thank you. Only after august 29th. That i got calls from mr. Kent, Ambassador Taylor, thank you for your service. I have a great deal of several of the ukrainian appreciation for your profession. You have very little direct contact with decisionmakers, initials. Mr. Kent, had you any a tremendous amount of anybody contacting you concerning when was the responsibility and not a lot first time ukrainian of authority to effect u. S. Official contacted you concerned about potential policy bilateral engagements withholding of u. S. Aid . It was after the article or multilateral engagements. Mr. Politico came out in you are try trying to that first week in september. Gotcha, so after that shepard through issues with allies. Ambassador taylor you testified in your prior testimony that you have not august 29th conversation. Had any contact with the president of the United States; is that correct . Thats correct, sir. There is a lot of talk mr. Taylor, mr. Kent have you had any contact with the about Rudy Giuliani and who president of the united was was and wasnt meeting. States. I have not. Do we know or have an idea so not only no of the ukrainian officials conversations with the president of the united that he was meeting with states about ukraine. Over the last couple of you have not had any contact with the president of the United States . Correct . Thats correct. Okay. Years . I dont, sir. So, you both know that this have you had any Impeachment Inquiry is about ukrainian officials call you the president of the United States, dont you . After a meeting with rudy i mean, the man that neither giuliani concerned about the of you have had any contact nature or the context of with, you are the firstup that conversation . Witnesses. I just find that a little yes. Amazing that the first up would be two people who have mr. Yermak has expressed never had any contact with concern about his the president himself. Interactions with mr. Giuliani. Now, kurt volker did have and i believe that contact with the president meeting was somewhere in and contact with the president on ukraine. Late august; is that correct . It was there were meetings and there were, i mr. Ambassador taylor, you said he is a man of highest think, also phone calls. Integrity. I know kurt volker and i know he served as the nato ambassador. He served the director mccain institute. He is the highest and yall have talked
many times that yall are professional ethics. One of the most still concerned about knowledgeable people about corruption in the ukraine; europe. Is that correct . Is he absolutely a truthful sir. Have we seen whatever man. Mr. Kent, would you agree this anticorruption with Ambassador Taylor that statement we wanted the he is of the highest urngenukrainians to make . Integrity . I believe kurt volker has served the u. S. S. As a Public Servant very well. Do either of you have any are you referring to the evidence that mr. Volker statement that was being committed perjury or lied to negotiated between kurt volker, Gordon Sondland and this committee in his testimony to this committee . Andriy yermak . Yes. Do either of you have any that was not anticorruption statement, evidence that kurt volker sir. What was the statement . I think if you go back to purged himself or lied to this committee in his the back and forth of testimony . Ambassador taylor . Any evidence . Whats app. Shared by kurt mr. Turner, i have no volker they shared a draft evidence. With Rudy Giuliani and rudy mr. Kent . Giuliani said it would not be acceptable if it didnt i believe ambassador mention biden, burisma and volkers deposition was over 400 pages and i dont have 2016. But that statement was it in front of me so i never agreed to or never cant but you have no evidence issued by the ukrainian that he lied or perjured officials . Is that correct . No statement of that sort himself. I have no Judgmen Basis to me was issued, correct. And have u. S. Businesses that judgment. Were not in court if we ever contacted yall were sixth amendment would concerned about corruption apply and hearsay and within the ukraine . Yes, sir. Opinion. Most of your testimony would as in as of this year, not be admissible whatsoever. I understand in your profession you deal in words even . Yes, sir. Of understanding, words of because the concern is
not just how ukrainian beliefs and feelings because business is run by oligarchs in your profession thats what you work with to try to are being operated its also pull together policy and to concerns about how the go in and out of meetings to Ukrainian Government is dealing with american try to formulate opinions businesses trying to operate in the ukraine. That affect other peoples is that accurate . American businesses are very concerned about the decisionmaking. Ambassador taylor, have you ever prepared for a meeting judicial system in particular. Yes, sir. With a president or prime i yield back the time i minister of a country or do not have, mr. Chairman. Where you were told one thank the gentleman. Thing before you went into the meeting as to what it mr. Castro . Thank you, chairman. Would be about and the thank you, gentlemen for your testimony today and for meeting would be another your service to our country. Thing and you get in there or the beliefs of the listening to all of the opinions of the Prime Minister were other than you evidence, everything i have heard and read in this believed . Investigation, it seems to mr. Turner, you are me that the president of the United States either asking if i ever learned of committed extortion and something new . Have you ever walked in bribery of a foreign with a belief that he official or attempted thought about the country that you were serving in and extortion and bribery of a find out that they were foreign official. Wrong . I learn something in when President Trump got president zelensky on the every meeting, mr. Turner. Phone on july 25th, he was but i, you know. And Ambassador Taylor, talking to a desperate man, the reason why the sixth wasnt he . Amendment doesnt allow hearsay is because its unreliable. President zelensky was its unreliable because desperate to protect his frequently its not truth. Country and make sure he had its not factual. It might be beliefs or foreign assistance from the United States. Is that right . Understandings. President zelensky is mr. Ambassador, you testified about a number of very interested in u. S. Things that you have heard. Isnt it possible that the things that you heard were not true . Support both assistance and that some of the beliefs and political support, yes, sir. Understandings that you had what would have happened are not accurate that, in if the aid would have gotten fact, you are mistaken about cut off, ambassador. Some of the things that you what would have happened to testified today and a president zelenskys career and what would have happened factual basis vs. A to the ukraine . The assistance, if the professional assessment . Mr. Turner, im here to assistance had been cut off, tell you what i know. Im not going to tell you he would have been much anything i dont know. Im going it tell you everything that i do know. Since you learned it from weaker in his negotiations others. Thats exactly. With the russians. You could be wrong, he would have been much weaker on the battlefield. Mr. Taylor . Since you learned it from the russians may have others, you could be wrong, taken it as an invitation to correct . I am telling you what i heard them tell me. Actually take military and they could be wrong action against ukraine. Or they could be mistaken or is that right . The russians always look they could have heard it for vulnerabilities. Incorrectly, right, and they know that the Ambassador Taylor . People make mistakes. United states has supported right. So you could be wrong. I yield the rest of my time ukraine. If the russians determined to. Thank you thank the or suspect that that support gentleman for yielding. Is lessened or not there, Ambassador Taylor, the gentleman asked if you could be wrong, were you wrong they will likely take advantage. When you said you had a they could have pounced. They could have taken clear understanding that advantage. So he had a desperate man on the phone and he asked a president zelensky had to desperate man for a favor. And based on your testimony, released and the aid got it sounds like begrudgingly, released and he didnt president zelensky may have commit to an investigation . Actually agreed to do that i was not wrong about favor and investigate the what i told you which is bidens and burisma. What i heard. Is that right . Thats all i have said. I have told you what i heard. President zelensky does and thats the point. What you heard did not say in the transcript that happen. He will pursue the it didnt happen. Investigations. You had three meetings with so we know that president the guy. He could have told you. Trump asked for a favor to he didnt announce he was going to do an investigation help his political career, before the aid happened. Its not just could it have and it appears as though been wrong. The fact is it was wrong. That the president of ukraine agreed to that favor. Because it didnt happen. Do we know why it didnt the whole point was you had a clear understanding that actually happen . Aid will not get released do we know why there was no unless there is a announcement in front of cnn or to cnn about an commitment. Not maybe, not i think the aid might happen. Its my hunch is going to investigation . Get released. Mr. Castro, as we have you used clear language. Clear understanding and commitment and those two determined, as we have things didnt happen. Discussed here, on so you had to be wrong. Mr. Jordan, the other september 11th, just before thing that went on when that any cnn discussion or assistance was on hold, is we shook the confidence of a interview, the hold was released, the hold on the close partner in our Security Assistance was
released. So, the hold was release reliability. And that. Thats not what this proceeding is about, ambassador. The time of the gentleman released, is it possible has inspired. That the white house released that hold because the time of the gentleman they knew that a has inspired. Whistleblower had basically Ambassador Taylor, did you turned this in . I dont know, sir. Want to finish your answer. No, thats good, you think thats mr. Chairman. I now recognize possible . Mr. Carson for five minutes. Im not in a position to thank you, chairman, i judge. So we have a president yield to the chairman. I thank the gentleman for who The Other Side has claimed or has defended the questions about president saying that the ambassador sorry about aid went through, that there president zelenskys was never any investigation. Statements after this scandal came to light when he was asked, you know, were but the president attempted to get those things done and you pressured . How the phone call go, et it looks like there was an cetera. Initial agreement by the president of ukraine to ukrainians, mr. Kent, are actually do those things. Pretty specific about u. S. Politics, are they not . Perhaps. You would agree that if president zelensky so, ambassadors, is Attempted Murder a crime . Contradicted President Trump and said of course i felt is Attempted Murder a crime . Pressured. They were holding up Attempted Murder is a 400 million in military assistance. Crime. Is attempted robbery a we have people dying every crime . Day. If he were to contradict neither of us is a President Trump directly, lawyer. But. I think anybody in this they would be sophisticated room could answer that question. Enough to know they may pay i think thats right. I will go out on a limb and
a very heavy price with this say yes, it is. President. Were they not . Is attempt the extortion thats a fair assessment. And bribery a crime . And president zelensky i dont know, sir. Not only had to worry about retribution from donald in the minute that i have trump should he contradict donald trump he also has to left, i want you to speak to worry about how he is the nation about whats at perceived domestically, doesnt he, ambassador stake, ambassador kent. Taylor . You said in your opening president zelensky is very sensitive to the views statement you warned about selective prosecutions and a of the ukrainian people who, president of the united indeed, are very attentive states going after specific to ukrainianu. S. Politics, americans abroad. Yes. So if president zelensky were to say i had to capitulate and agree to if this congress clears these investigations. President trump, does it mean that he can go ask i was ready to go on cnn another foreign country to investigate another until the aid got restored, president ial candidate . A member of congress, a that would obviously be governor, a senator, or any hurtful to him back home, would it not . Private American Citizen doing Business Overseas . He cannot afford to be if there is no consequence seen to be deferring to any for a president who does that, that it means there is a green light, doesnt it, foreign leader. For any president to ask any he is very confident in his country to go prosecute or
own abilities and he knows investigate an American Citizen for political and that ukrainian people expect personal gain of that him to be clear and defend president . Doesnt it . Thank you for the the ukrainian interests. Question. First of all, im not an mr. Carson. Ambassador. Thank you, chairman. Im sorry. I will repeat i think on my colleague briefly on the principle regardless of the campaign to remove career country whether its ukraine, the u. S. , or any diplomat yovanovitch. Mr. Kent, you stated in country, the facts of law, previous testimony that you were aware of the, quote, criminal nexus should drive campaign of slander against investigations by law the ambassador in realtime, enforcement officials. It is not the role of which basically unfolded in the media. Politicians to be involved where do you understand this in directing the judicial Misinformation Campaign was systems of their own country coming from and who was or other countries. Essentially perpetuating it . I yield back, chairman. To my understanding, the mr. Ratcliffe . Then Prosecutor General of thank you, chair. Mr. Kent, in your prior ukraine now met rudy deposition, on page 159, you giuliani in new york on a were asked about the private visit in january. They had a second meeting in president s authority to release an ambassador for february. And through the good offices any reason. Of the former mayor of new and your response was, quote all ambassadors york, cinco gave an serve at the pleasure of the interview to john solomon president. And that is without question. Then of the hill in early everybody understands tha, end
march. And the campaign was quote. Launched on march 20th. Do you remember saying that . I do and its true. A corrupt ukrainian the president very prosecutor gave an interview clearly has that Constitutional Authority, to a reporte