Base of the Republican Party and to me. So i believe that he was at with very few defections. That may change, but right now i least affected by those and believed those and believed they were think thats a correct negative . Assessment by the white house, believed that they were that theyve got the senate tied negative and was conveying them up in a way that will protect to the president. So was it problematic that he the president from actually being removed from office. Believed they were negative i think the two variables, views . Yes, the whole thing was ned, would, in my guess, drawing problematic. Ambassador taylor testified on my past sort of in republican that on july 2nd, you told politics, would be public ukrainians that they needed to, quote, cooperate on opinion, should you see attacks investigations, end quote. Youre now saying that you dont on colonel vindman inching this recall saying those words; is from 51 support to 53, 54, 55. That correct . I dont believe i said the words cooperate on and the second, more big time investigations. Did you say investigations . Statewide electoral defeats in red, red, red parts of the i believe i did, yes. And what did you mean you me country. Potentially. Investigations . At the same time, though, i meant burisma in 2016 was throughout his presidency, in my mind and i wanted to keep donald trump has been talking to it general and that ukraine 30, 35 of the country. Being convincing to giuliani and i think as long as that 35 is with him, i think you see them steam forward with this. Hopefully also to the president , that theyre serious about i agree this is a political Fighting Corruption, would engage in whatever process. Investigations necessary to this is inherently a political cleanup the country. Process, its written in the constitution. Now, moving to july 10th
but there are big National Ambassador volker sent you a security implications tied to this. Just imagine the counterfactual text message. Here, imagine is donald trump you sent a text message to had done what he did, and we knew that, the white house giuliani, and i think its on released this transcript, we knew he was essentially trying the screen now. To sell our Foreign Policy for and you said mr. Mayor could we his own political benefit, and democrats did nothing. That would be a green light. That would signal that this is okay, this is fine to do, go forward, do this with china, do meet for lunch or coffee, i this with any country as you see think i have the opportunity to fit. The witnesses, tim morrison, former senior official from the nsc staff who worked for john get what you need. That is an accurate text bolton, seated alongside message. What did you mean by what you ambassador kurt volker, who was need . The people now representing an ambassador in ukraine, zelensky and his team. Carrying out a whole lot of the later that day you and ambassador sondland met with ukraine officials at the white activities and conduct house. We heard from several witnesses encapsulated in Donald TrumpsPressure Campaign against that ambassador sondland told ukraine. Lets listen. Ukraine they needed to cooperate the quoteunquote investigations in order to get the oval office the committee will come to meeting scheduled on the books. Order. Im now going to proceed to a were these investigations a part 15minute round by either chair of the official u. S. Policy towards ukraine . In the majority or Ranking Member in the minority. Mr. Goldman, youre recognized u. S. Policy towards ukraine for 15 minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Was about Fighting CorruptionAmbassador Volker, i do want to and ukraine going after just correct the record from the but was it specifically about these kinds of investigations . First round. You were right to point out, you you said the investigation was asked if a quote that i burisma wait. Okay. Represented you made in the in order to fight corruption deposition was your words, and i you need to conduct investigations. Actually read the wrong part in you need to see what ukrainian the quote. Citizens were up to and doing what you actually said was, it but was that the purpose of creates a problem, again, where that . Or was it because the president you knew that the all of the things were trying to do to advance the bilateral president wanted those investigations to be done as a relationship, strengthen our support for ukraine, strengthen condition for them to actually center a meeting with the in the positioning against russia, is now getting sucked into a the white house . Domestic political debate in the well, first off we have to be u. S. Clear what were talking about domestic political narrative in terms of investigations. That overshadows that. Were not talking about Vice President biden. So you were right to point that out and i apologize for the were not talking about mistake. Burisma has nothing to do i want to go back to a couple of things that you said during the with im saying whether ukrainians within the company of burisma minoritys round. Had acted in a corrupt way. Can you repeat again, the readout that you got of the july thats a legitimate thing for ukraine to investigate. 25th call . And if ukraine can make a yes. Statement about their intentions i received a readout from both
on Fighting Corruption domestically that is helpful in ukrainian colleague, andriy order to convince President Trump ultimately that this is yermak, as well as from a u. S. Person, i dont now remember with all due respect, whether it was my staffer or someone from the embassy, and the readout was that it was a Ambassador Volker, we heard from two witnesses this morning that good phone call, that it was a those investigations were not official u. S. Policy. Ambassador volker, i dont know congratulatory phone call for the president s win in the if you understand what you were parliamentary election, that getting yourself into. But sitting here today i trust president zelensky did reiterate you understand that pressuring ukraine to involve itself in his commitment to Fighting Corruption and advancing reform u. S. Domestic policy is just in the ukraine, and that president renewed his invitation simply wrong. I yield back the allowance of my for president zelensky to come to the white house. And i believe you said that time. That readout was exactly as you mr. Turner. Expected the call to go, is that i yield my time to jim right . Thats what we were trying to jordan. I thank the gentleman. Tee up. Ambassador volker, you were the i just want to show you once again the July 25th Text that Special Representative to ukraine, is that right . You wrote to Andriy Yermak which that is correct. And prier to that in your was the message that you were Diplomatic Service you were relaying to him so that he could ambassador to nato, senate prepare president zelensky. Confirmed ambassador to nato in your distinguished diplomatic and youll recall this, right, career. So it may not bother you when where you said that this was the youre referred to as irregular message, good lunch, thanks, heard from white house, assuming channel, but it bothers
president Z Convinces Trump he Representative Turner and bothers me. Will investigate, quote, get to you were the Special Envoy to the bottom of what happened in 2016, we will nail down date for yeah y ukraine, and in that role you said in your Opening Statement you are the administrations visit to washington. Thats what you expected from the call, right . Most Public Figure in calling yeah, i expected that out russias responsibility in president zelensky would be convincing in his, uh, the war, is that right . That is correct. Statements and comments with and in that capacity you President Trump, that he was strongly advocated for lifting the sale on ban of lethal arms exactly that, that he would investigate, get to the bottom of things that had happened in to ukraine, is that correct . 2016 and that if he was strong that is correct. And President Trump did that, didnt he . That is correct. But in spite of that in conveying who he is as a person and doing that, that President Trump was still skeptical of giving hard earned President Trump would be convinced and renew the tax dollars to yeah crane. Invitation to the white house. And the reason hes skeptical is but you dont mention lets be honest the guy doesnt corruption in this text, do you . Uh, this is like foreign aid. Thats one reason. And ukraines history is the word corruption is not another. The third most corrupt on the in this text . The word corruption is not planet and europe isnt doing there. Enough and by the way in the investigating things that president s mind he did think happened in the past that are corrupt would be investigating ukraine was trying to influence corruption. The 2016 election and things you say a couple of times in your Opening Statement and you just said it again, happened. And democrats want to deny it but when the ambassador to the investigating things that happened in the past. You are aware, of course, thatUnited States writes an oped most investigations relate to criticizing then candidate things that happen in the past, trump, thats certainly trying right . Yes. To floouninfluence the election. Sorry . Yes. Okay. When a key minister in their so that doesnt really move the needle, whether its current or government says all kind of negative things about candidate past in terms of the subject of trump, that certainly looks like the investigation. Yes, the subject of the its trying to influence the investigation are things that happen in the past. Election. You also talked a little bit and when he states in the times about the meeting you had on july 26th with president zelensky and ambassador sondland during the campaign the political figures want hillary in kiev, is that right . Clinton to win, that probably sticks in the president s mind. On the 26th . When people say bad things about us in the course of the we had a meeting with president campaign, we dont necessarily think great things about them. Zelensky, yes. And i believe you testified but you were convinced zelensky that the topic of investigations was the real deal . Did not come up at all, is that right . That is correct. Yeah, i dont recall them coming up. Because you spent a lot of just the general phone call. Time with the guy. You didnt take notes of that call, of that meeting, right . And when aid was frozen, what no, i did not. Did you say, you told the because there were staffers there to do that. Ukrainians dont worry about it. Correct. And so if there are two well, you said dont be alarmed, staffers who have who took notes that have meeting and right . That is correct. And guess what happened testified that the subject of when aid is frozen and when its either sensitive topics or released all kinds of investigations came up, are we better off taking their word for interactions between president
it than yours . Zelensky and senior u. S. I have no reason to doubt their notes, if there were notes officials, right . Starts with the call with President Trump and president taken contemporaneously at the zelensky. Next day you meet with president meeting. Another witness testified before us, laura cooper, about a zelensky in ukraine and then we meeting that she had with you on have ambassador Bolton Meeting then we have vice july on august 20th. Do you recall having that president pence meeting with meeting with her . Him. Then we have u. S. Senators because you didnt mention it in your deposition. Jaunlsen and murphy meeting with yes, i did. Him. I did mention that i had been and guess what . In none of those meetings not a making the rounds to weigh in on single one did security lifting the hold on Security Assistance dollars in exchange assistance to do that with all for an investigation, not once of the interagency players. Did they come up . Did that conversation come up, mmhmm. Is that right . That is correct. And she recalled with some not once. Specificity that meeting, which no discussion of aid for i believe was also based on her investigations and as you notes, that you described the statement that you were trying testified, you never believed to get president zelensky to aid for investigations was ever being talked about either in any make to, and ill quote what she of these conversations. Said, disavow interference in that is correct. U. S. Elections and commit to the but what happened in those prosecution of individuals meetings . They all became convinced of the involved in Election Interference. And if he were to agree to do same thing you knew. They all saw the same darn that, she testified, then you thing. This guy was the real deal. Thought that it might help to he is a legitimate reformer, and
lift the hold on security sa they all came back. They all came back and told the assistance. Is that your recollection of the president. Hey, mr. President , this guys conversation as well . Not exactly. So how does yours differ . Real. Go ahead and release the dollars. Oh, by the way in that same time i recall talk aboing about t frame you know what else happened . Their parliament, their newly elected parliament as mr. One we discussed earlier, the morrison testified to, stayed up one between myself and rudy all night to pass the reform giuliani and back to yermak. Measures, get rid of the prosecutor, put in the i discussed that this is an effort we are doing, that this anticorruption court, to get could be helpful in getting a rid of this ability that no one reset of the thinking of the president , the negative view of ukraine that he had. In their congress and parliament and if we did that, i thought could ever be hit with a crime. That would also be helpful in thats unbelievable. All that happens and they come back and tell President Trump, unblocking whatever hold there was on Security Assistance, that if there is negative presumption hey guess what . Time to release the dollars and about ukraine, getting this he did it, right . The dollars were released. Stuff on track would be helpful. You did your job. So thats a different interpretation, but you dont and youve got to put up with doubt that what she testified is all this because the democrats are out to get this president. Inaccurate, do you . I believe she accurately you did your job just the way reflected what she understood from the conversation. Mr. Turner described you did your job all these years and the okay. Democrats put you through this. You testified a little bit about you have served our country the june 28th Conference Call that you had with ambassador well. And heres the saddest, one of sondland, Ambassador Taylor, im the saddest things about all this what the democrats are putting us through, you two guys not sure if Deputy Secretary kent was on the line. Who are here telling it i dont believe so. Straight, you both decided and Secretary Perry before youre going to step out of you looped in president government because of what these guys are doing. Zelensky. Am i right about the and thats the sad thing. Participants of that, or was people like Ambassador Volker and tim morrison who have served Secretary Perry not on it . Im pretty sure that deputy our country so well are now stepping out of government assistant secretary kent was not on it. Because of what these guys are i dont remember whether Secretary Perry was on it. And i dont remember whether i doing. We appreciate we appreciate stayed on for president zelensky what you guys did. Joining the call or not. I yield back. Were there any Staff Members mr. Carson. Or note takers on the call . Thank you, chairman schiff. I dont believe so. Ambassador volker, i want to why . Focus on the Press Statement uh, we were having a call that President Trump and rudy among ourselves to talk about giuliani wanted ukraine to make what were the messages wealth we needed to convey. Announcing investigations to and at that point, weve had benefit President Trump. On august 9th, sir, ambassador other testimony from people who did take notes that there was a sondland and you had this discussion about the investigations or what you needed to do, what president exchange. Ambassador sondland says,
zelensky needed to do in order to get the white house meeting. Morrison, ready to get dates as do you recall that . I recall seeing that in soon as your man confirms. You reply, excellent, how did Ambassador Taylors testimony. You sway him . I believe there may have even and ambassador sondland says, been a text message to that not sure i did. I think potus really wants effect. And again, it comes down to what are we talking about in terms of deliverable. Deliverable here was a public these investigations. Because what i certainly announcement that ukraine was going to conduct investigations understood is were talking into burisma and alleged 2016 about ukraine looking into and Fighting Corruption internally and being convincing about this, presenting the new president and Election Interference by the new team as a