The Latest: Army officer Vindman arrives for testimony
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the House impeachment inquiry (all times local):
9:35 a.m.
A White House national security official who is prepared to testify that he was concerned about a call between President Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president has arrived for a closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill.
Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman arrived in full military uniform on Tuesday for his interview with House impeachment investigators.
According to prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press, Vindman raised concerns over the Trump administration’s push to have Ukraine investigate Democrats and Joe Biden.
Trump questions why people he’s “never even heard of” are testifying in the House Democrats’ impeachment probe. Trump has denied doing anything wrong.
___
7:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump is wondering why people he’s “never even heard of” are testifying in the House Democrats’ impeachment probe.
Trump tweeted Tuesday as Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is set to testify on Capitol Hill. Vindman will be the first current White House official and the first person to listen to Trump’s July 25 call with the president of Ukraine to come before Congress.
Vindman in prepared testimony says he twice raised concerns over the Trump administration’s push to have Ukraine investigate Democrats and Joe Biden.
Trump is claiming that the impeachment probe is a “sham” and says if people read the record of the call his White House released the investigation would be “OVER!” He tweeted: Why are people that I never even heard of testifying about the call. Just READ THE CALL TRANSCRIPT AND THE IMPEACHMENT HOAX IS OVER!”
___
12:35 a.m.
An Army officer at the National Security Council says he raised concerns twice over the Trump administration’s effort to have Ukraine investigate Democrats.
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is set to appear Tuesday before House investigators in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s actions.
In prepared testimony, Vindman says he first reported his concerns after a July 10 meeting in which a U.S. ambassador, Gordon Sondland, stressed the importance of having Ukraine investigate the 2016 election as well as a company linked to the family of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Vindman says he and others listened in the Situation Room as Trump spoke with Ukraine’s president on July 25 and pushed for investigations. In his prepared testimony, Vindman says he reported his concerns to the NSC’s lead counsel.
