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| Trump Impeachment Inquiry: What Happened Today | Trump Impeachment Inquiry: What Happened Today |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The House subpoenaed the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget for documents about the Trump administration’s decision to withhold $391 million in security aid for Ukraine. | The House subpoenaed the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget for documents about the Trump administration’s decision to withhold $391 million in security aid for Ukraine. |
| George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state and Ukraine expert, did not appear for a scheduled deposition with House Democrats, and several other witness interviews scheduled for this week are in doubt. Still, two key figures from the State Department were confirmed for depositions: Gordon Sondland, the United States ambassador to the European Union, on Tuesday, and Marie Yovanovitch, the former American ambassador to Ukraine, on Friday. | George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state and Ukraine expert, did not appear for a scheduled deposition with House Democrats, and several other witness interviews scheduled for this week are in doubt. Still, two key figures from the State Department were confirmed for depositions: Gordon Sondland, the United States ambassador to the European Union, on Tuesday, and Marie Yovanovitch, the former American ambassador to Ukraine, on Friday. |
| Secretary of State Mike Pompeo missed a Friday deadline to produce documents, even as the State Department continues talks with the House. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo missed a Friday deadline to produce documents, even as the State Department continues talks with the House. |
| I asked my colleague Charlie Savage what was at stake here: “It was predictable that the Trump administration would balk at turning over the subpoenaed documents related to the Ukraine matter — including many internal White House communications that any administration would see as covered by executive privilege,” he told me. “But the subpoena will likely also allow the House, if it chooses, to link an impeachment article about obstruction directly to the Ukraine scandal.” | I asked my colleague Charlie Savage what was at stake here: “It was predictable that the Trump administration would balk at turning over the subpoenaed documents related to the Ukraine matter — including many internal White House communications that any administration would see as covered by executive privilege,” he told me. “But the subpoena will likely also allow the House, if it chooses, to link an impeachment article about obstruction directly to the Ukraine scandal.” |
| More on that note: The Miami Herald reported today that two Florida businessmen who helped connect Rudy Giuliani to Ukrainian politicians would not comply with a request for documents and depositions from the three House committees conducting the impeachment investigation. | More on that note: The Miami Herald reported today that two Florida businessmen who helped connect Rudy Giuliani to Ukrainian politicians would not comply with a request for documents and depositions from the three House committees conducting the impeachment investigation. |
| Over the weekend, we learned that a new whistle-blower with “firsthand knowledge” has provided information related to President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. His lawyers are also representing the first whistle-blower, and say that both are now legally protected from retaliation. | Over the weekend, we learned that a new whistle-blower with “firsthand knowledge” has provided information related to President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. His lawyers are also representing the first whistle-blower, and say that both are now legally protected from retaliation. |
| [Sign up here to get the Impeachment Briefing in your email inbox every weeknight.] | [Sign up here to get the Impeachment Briefing in your email inbox every weeknight.] |
| I asked Lara Jakes, who covers the State Department, about Mr. Pompeo’s delay tactics in the impeachment investigation. She got back to me from a busy press room, just after she finished some reporting on Mr. Trump’s decision to pull back from military involvement in Syria. | |
| Lara, we seem to have hit a stalling point in witness depositions. What recourse do Mr. Pompeo and the State Department have at this point? Can he simply block these witnesses from testifying? | Lara, we seem to have hit a stalling point in witness depositions. What recourse do Mr. Pompeo and the State Department have at this point? Can he simply block these witnesses from testifying? |
| It’s not that cut and dried. He hasn’t said he won’t let them take part. He’s said he wants them to have time to consult with administration lawyers. He accused Democrats of going straight to the diplomats and asking them to talk to investigators without the State Department’s knowing or approving of it. In some cases, the administration might claim some executive privilege to prevent some employees from testifying. Mr. Pompeo also could be called as a witness. He was on the call with Trump and the Ukrainian president. | It’s not that cut and dried. He hasn’t said he won’t let them take part. He’s said he wants them to have time to consult with administration lawyers. He accused Democrats of going straight to the diplomats and asking them to talk to investigators without the State Department’s knowing or approving of it. In some cases, the administration might claim some executive privilege to prevent some employees from testifying. Mr. Pompeo also could be called as a witness. He was on the call with Trump and the Ukrainian president. |
| What official action, then, can he take? | What official action, then, can he take? |
| He could try to delay. And that is what we have seen so far, such as the case of Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine. He said this weekend that he’s going to comply with subpoenas as much as the law requires. It may not be as quick as the House Democrats want. It may be more than what the Trump administration writ large is 100 percent comfortable with. But there will be some kind of meeting in the middle. | He could try to delay. And that is what we have seen so far, such as the case of Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine. He said this weekend that he’s going to comply with subpoenas as much as the law requires. It may not be as quick as the House Democrats want. It may be more than what the Trump administration writ large is 100 percent comfortable with. But there will be some kind of meeting in the middle. |
| The State Department is now juggling the news of Mr. Trump’s decision to pull back in the Middle East with all of activity around impeachment, right? | The State Department is now juggling the news of Mr. Trump’s decision to pull back in the Middle East with all of activity around impeachment, right? |
| It’s odd, because last week when all of the impeachment stories were breaking, we couldn’t get much information at all out of the State Department on almost any topic. This morning, the State Department is talking about Syria and Turkey and very eager to relay its side of the story. It shows how many complex issues American diplomacy is facing, and on such a fast-moving timeline. | It’s odd, because last week when all of the impeachment stories were breaking, we couldn’t get much information at all out of the State Department on almost any topic. This morning, the State Department is talking about Syria and Turkey and very eager to relay its side of the story. It shows how many complex issues American diplomacy is facing, and on such a fast-moving timeline. |
| A federal judge allowed the Manhattan district attorney’s office to move forward with a subpoena seeking eight years of Mr. Trump’s personal and corporate tax returns, rejecting an argument that sitting presidents are immune from criminal investigations. Here are some key takeaways from that ruling. | A federal judge allowed the Manhattan district attorney’s office to move forward with a subpoena seeking eight years of Mr. Trump’s personal and corporate tax returns, rejecting an argument that sitting presidents are immune from criminal investigations. Here are some key takeaways from that ruling. |
| We surveyed former White House chiefs of staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. None of them recalled a time when the White House solicited or accepted political help from a foreign country. | We surveyed former White House chiefs of staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. None of them recalled a time when the White House solicited or accepted political help from a foreign country. |
| The Associated Press outlined the different things we can expect to see this week in the impeachment investigation, adding to The Washington Post’s useful impeachment calendar. | The Associated Press outlined the different things we can expect to see this week in the impeachment investigation, adding to The Washington Post’s useful impeachment calendar. |