Castor on when Trump told Sondland there was “no quid pro quo”:
Q: You believed the president, correct?
A: You know what I’m not going to characterize whether I believed or didn’t believe.
Sondland reiterates that his ability to testify fully has been harmed by his (and the committee’s) lack of access to state department documents:
I just don’t have all the records. I wish I could get them. Then I could answer all your questions.
Castor, the Republican lawyer, asks Sondland if Trump ever told him personally that aid or a meeting were conditioned on an announcement of investigations.
Sondland: “Personally, no.”
Castor: So how did you know Giuliani spoke for Trump?
Sondland: “Well when the president says talk to my personal attorney and then Mr Giuliani says ‘as the president’s attorney,’ we assume it’s coming from the president.
Then Castor splits hairs between Trump saying “Go talk to Rudy” and “Talk to Rudy”. It wasn’t an order, correct? Castor says.
We understood we had to talk to Rudy to get anything done on Ukraine, Sondland said.
Vice president Mike Pence’s office deniesthat the scene with Sondland in Warsaw happened. From Pence chief of staff Marc Short, per@ maggieNYT:
Marc Short responds to Sondland: “The Vice President never had a conversation with Gordon Sondland about investigating the Bidens, Burisma, or the conditional release of financial aid to Ukraine based upon potential investigations …” 1 /
“Ambassador Gordon Sondland was never alone with Vice President Pence on the September 1 trip to Poland. This alleged discussion recalled by Ambassador Sondland never happened … ”2 /
“Multiple witnesses have testified under oath that Vice President Pence never raised Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden, Crowdstrike, Burisma, or investigations in any conversation with Ukrainians or President Zelensky before, during, or after the September 1 meeting ”
Nunes: Are you one of the three amigos?
Sondland: I’m a proud part of the three amigos.
Nunes: And that’s the same thing that Amassador Volker said yesterday.
Volker, yesterday: I literally cringe when people say three amigos.
They’re back and Nunes begins.
He sets off asking Sondland the exact same questions he has asked every potentially hostile witness, about the 2016 Ukrainian election tampering conspiracy theory.
It’s as if it does not matter what the witnesses say. TheRepublicans, regardless, will go tilting at their windmills.
Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, has said he is confident the president will remain loyal to him as an impeachment inquiry unfolds in which the former New York mayor has become a central figure.
But Giuliani joked that he had good “insurance” in case Trump did turn on him, amid speculation (Republicans) will seek to frame him as a rogue actor.
In a telephone interview with the Guardian, in response to a question about whether he was nervous thatTrump might “throw him under a bus” in the impeachment crisis, Giuliani said, with a slight laugh: “I’m not, but I do have very, very good insurance, so if he does, all my hospital bills will be paid.”
Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, who was also on the call, then interjected: “He’s joking.”
One of the crises of American public life is that we receive our news through such a fractured media lens, and so consumers of say the Guardian might come away with one perception of events whereas people who watch Fox News are seeing something totally diff …
Huh?
Anthony Zurcher(@ awzurcher)
Watching Fox News coverage of impeachment hearing. Ken Starr: Trump will be impeached; this was a bombshell. Chris Wallace: Sondland “took out the bus and ran over” Pence, Pompeo, et al. This is bad for the president.
(November) , 2019
Further reaction:
Harry Litman(@ harrylitman)
People will remember today as they remember say John Dean’s testimony. It’s a historic moment. Kind of fun to take a breath and register that.
(November) , 2019
Dan Baer(@ danbbaer)
Let’s be clear: the reason they wanted a public announcement was so that the Trump campaign could put it in an ad.
(November) , 2019
Matt Fuller(@ MEPFuller)
I’m not gonna read into looks too much, but after the first two hours of Sondland testimony, Devin Nunes doesn’t seem … ecstatic.pic.twitter.com/QXXirs04 ix
(November) , 2019
Kyle Cheney(@ kyledcheney)
SCHIFF: Sondland’s testimony “goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other high crimes and misdemeanors . ”
“ The veneer has been torn away. ”
He says now he sees why Pompeo and Trump are blocking docs from Congress.
(November) , 2019
So many significant lines from that cross-examination.
Shane Harris(@ shaneharris)
And just to emphasize that point:pic.twitter.com/gnkmJKtlZG
(November) , 2019
Giuliani retributing this during Sondland’s testimony:
Tom Fitton(@ TomFitton)
.@ RealDonaldTrumpand@ RudyGiulianideserve praise for pushing for accountability because these officials seem to have zero concern about Ukraine’s collusion w / Obama admin targeting America’s election in 2016 – and the Biden cover-up …
(November) , 2019
From a former federal prosecutor …
Elie Honig(@ eliehonig)
You can feel the walls closing in on @ RudyGiuliani. All the witnesses put Rudy right in the middle of this scheme, and Trump now has only one out: claim Rudy went rogue and beyond his authorization.
(November) , 2019
… and FBI special agent …
Asha Rangappa(@ AshaRangappa _)
Which, in turn, gives Fruity G (who is already under federal investigation) only one out: Flip on Trump.# PrisonersDilemmahttps://t.co/Bhj5B0Vngm
(November) , 2019
… and federal prosecutor …
Renato Mariotti(@ renato_mariotti)
Given Sondland’s direct conversations with Trump, it will be interesting to see ifRepublicansbother arguing “hearsay” or “lack of direct knowledge” going forward.
(November) , 2019
… and Fox news:
Lis Power(@ LisPower1)
Chaser:
Steve Doocy, Fox & Friends, 9 / 24:
“If the president said, I’ll give you the money, but you’ve got to investigate Joe Biden, that’d be off the rails wrong. “pic.twitter.com/ 6R4ppC5fV5
(November 5, 2019
Will the Republicans focus on the fact that Sondland is saying he took direction from Trump via Giuliani – trying to prize Giuliani away from the president? Will theRepublicansattack Giuliani?
Or will they attack Sondland, pointing out how much his testimony has changed since last month?
Or will they ignore everything we’ve heard this morning to rant about the whistleblower and Hunter Biden?
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