Sondland's role in Trump's impeachment inquiry explained
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Where things stand now
Key testimony: Gordon Sondland, the US Ambassador to the European Union, testified for 10 hours before Congress. He reportedly told lawmakers that he was directed by President Trump to work with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine. You can read his prepared testimony here.
Ukraine aid: Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed the existence of a quid pro quo and offered this retort: “Get over it.”
Stepping down: Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced tonight in a newly released video that he is resigning effective later this year.
Our live coverage on the impeachment probe has ended. Catch up on the latest in the posts below.
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Trump praises Rick Perry and confirms his departure at rally
From CNN's Betsy Klein
President Trump recognized Energy Secretary Rick Perry, a Texas native, during his Dallas rally tonight, telling the crowd that Perry would be leaving at the end of the year.
Trump speculated that Perry will return home to Texas, offering praise for his Energy Secretary.
More background: The news of Perry’s impending departure comes as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed today that Trump asked Perry to work with Rudy Giuliani on policies related to Ukraine.
Mulvaney said this took place during a May meeting at the White House that was attended by Perry, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine. Mulvaney said the administration was “very interested in trying to get Ukraine as an energy partner,” and said that is why Perry was involved.
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Trump talks impeachment and rails against Inspector General at rally
From CNN's Betsy Klein and Nikki Carvajal
President Trump attacked the impeachment inquiry and the whistleblower who set off the inquiry, asking the crowd at his Dallas rally, “who is the whistleblower? Is the whistleblower a spy?”
The President told his supporters that what Democrats were “really doing” with the impeachment inquiry was targeting the Republican party, “and what they’re really, really doing is they’re coming after you,” he said, “and we never lose.”
Trump also took aim at the way the investigation is being handled, saying that Nancy Pelosi hands subpoenas out, “like it’s cookies.”
At one point, Trump briefly went after the intelligence community’s Inspector General during his speech.
The inspector general found the whistleblower’s complaint to be both “urgent” and “credible.”
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Trump criticizes whistleblower during rally in Dallas
From CNN's Daniel Dale
President Trump delivered one of his most aggressive attacks on the whistleblower during a rally in Dallas tonight.
For at least the 22nd time in the last two-and-a-half weeks, Trump has falsely said “the whistleblower got it all wrong.”
The whistleblower was highly accurate. As CNN has repeatedly explained, the whistleblower’s three main allegations about Trump’s July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—including that Trump tried to get Zelensky to investigate the Bidens—were all accurate.
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Trump targets Democrats, including Pelosi and Schiff, in Dallas
From CNN's Betsy Klein
Within minutes of kicking off his Dallas rally tonight, President Trump unleashed strong rhetoric targeting Democrats.
Trump continued, “I really don’t believe anymore that they love our country,” prompting a chant of “four more years” from the crowd. He later said Democrats “want to destroy America as we know it.”
Trump then went on to target House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who he called “crazy” three times, as well as Rep. Adam Schiff.
Trump suggested he wants to see Schiff testify himself.
“I want to get him before Congress and I want to see what he has to say. They say he has immunity. Why would you have immunity from outright fraud?” Trump questioned.
The President compared the 2020 presidential election to a tree: “It’s like the roots of a tree, you plant a baby tree, it’s gotta catch,” he said, promising “more tax cuts.”
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Rick Perry says he’ll “resign effective later this year” in new video
From CNN's Rene Marsh
ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images
Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced tonight in a newly released video that he is resigning effective later this year.
The video was posted on Youtube and addresses the Energy Department staff.
“I thank President Trump for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, I am so glad that I said ‘yes,’” Perry said.
Some context: The news of Perry’s impending departure comes as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed today that Trump asked Perry to work with Rudy Giuliani on policies related to Ukraine.
Mulvaney said this took place during a May meeting at the White House that was attended by Perry, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine. Mulvaney said the administration was “very interested in trying to get Ukraine as an energy partner,” and said that is why Perry was involved.
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Trump was not happy with Mulvaney's press briefing
From CNN's Jim Acosta and Jeremy Diamond
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
A source close to President Trump said he was not pleased with acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s press briefing today and his acknowledgement of a quid pro quo.
“He was not happy,” the source said.
A separate White House official blamed much of Trump’s anger on the press saying the president believes the media “intentionally misinterpreted” Mulvaney’s comments.
White House lawyers and press staff prepped Mulvaney before his press briefing today, which Trump knew and approved of, according to two White House officials, but the focus of the prep session was on questions Mulvaney would face about the selection of Trump National Doral in Florida as the site for the 2020 G7, not impeachment.
White House aides spent only a short time prepping Mulvaney on impeachment questions and did not expect he would go as far as he did in describing the freeze of aid to Ukraine.
Trump approved of Mulvaney briefing reporters on the Doral site selection and understood that Mulvaney would also take questions on Ukraine.
No sooner had the briefing ended than attorneys—both in the White House counsel’s office and on the President’s legal team—privately expressed concerns about Mulvaney’s performance.
Those concerns led to the White House’s release of a statement from Mulvaney attempting to backtrack on his confirmation of a quid pro quo involving security aid to Ukraine.
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GOP defends Trump's decision to rely on Rudy Giuliani in Ukraine
From CNN's Jeremy Herb
CNN
Asked about US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland’s concerns with the role Rudy Giuliani played in setting US policy in Ukraine, Rep. Jim Jordan defended the President’s decision, and Republicans argued that the full picture was being obscured because the testimony was behind closed doors.
Jordan and congressional Republicans went on to say there was no quid pro quo with the Ukrainian aid.
Jordan said Sondland “was very clear” with his text message.
About the text message: Sondland’s text message was sent to the top US diplomat in Ukraine, Bill Taylor, who raised concerns in a text to Sondland about the US withholding nearly $400 million of US military and security aid.
“As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” Taylor writes to Sondland on September 9, prompting Sondland to respond that Taylor was incorrect and that “the President has been crystal clear no quid pro quo’s of any kind.”
Saying he was concerned the Ukrainians could perceive a connection, Sondland told lawmakers that he responded to Taylor after he called the President directly to ask about the Ukraine aid.
“I asked the President: ‘What do you want from Ukraine?’ The President responded, ‘Nothing. There is no quid pro quo,’” Sondland said. “The President repeated: ‘no quid pro quo’ multiple times. This was a very short call. And I recall the President was in a bad mood.”
Sondland told House investigators today that his text message was only based on his conversation with Trump, according to a source with knowledge of his testimony.
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Gordon Sondland is done testifying
From CNN's Manu Raju
Alex Wong/Getty Images
After 10 hours behind closed doors, US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland is done testifying on the Hill, lawmakers told CNN.
Sondland reportedly testified that he was unaware of Rudy Giuliani’s desire to have Ukraine investigate President Trump’s potential 2020 opponent Vice President Joe Biden.
In his opening statement, Sondland testified that he wasn’t aware until “much later” that Giuliani’s agenda might have included an effort to investigate the Bidens, despite Giuliani talking about his efforts publicly in the spring.
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Democratic congressman: Mulvaney was "either lying then or lying now"
From CNN's Matthew Hoye
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu reacted today to acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s attempt to walk back his earlier remarks on the Ukrainian military aid, saying he thinks the White House official is lying.
Mulvaney issued the statement this evening, saying his comments during a televised news briefing at the White House were misconstrued.
At today’s briefing, Mulvaney told reporters that President Trump froze nearly $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine in part to pressure that country into investigating Democrats.
After weeks during which Trump denied the existence of any political quid pro quo in his withholding of security aid to Ukraine, Mulvaney confirmed the existence of a quid pro quo and offered this retort: “Get over it.”
“We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said of the influence of politics in the Trump administration.
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Trump says he has picked Rick Perry's replacement
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
President Trump said he has picked Rick Perry’s replacement on the same day it was reported that Perry informed the President he was resigning as Secretary of Energy.
Trump called Perry “outstanding” and added that the two had been “talking for six months, in fact I thought he might go a little bit sooner.”
Some context: The news of Perry’s impending departure comes as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed today that Trump asked Perry to work with Rudy Giuliani on policies related to Ukraine.
Mulvaney said this took place during a May meeting at the White House that was attended by Perry, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine. Mulvaney said the administration was “very interested in trying to get Ukraine as an energy partner,” and said that is why Perry was involved.
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Mulvaney says his comments today have been misconstrued
From CNN's Jim Acosta
Win McNamee/Getty Images
White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said his comments today have been misconstrued by the media.
In a statement, Mulvaney said, “Let me be clear, there was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election.”
During a rare news conference in the White House briefing room earlier today, Mulvaney admitted President Trump froze nearly $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine in part to pressure that country into investigating Democrats.
Mulvaney insisted that he only knew of a US request to investigate the handling of a Democratic National Committee server hacked in the 2016 election, but text messages between US diplomats show efforts to get Ukraine to commit to an investigation into Burisma, the company on which former Vice President Joe Biden’s son sat. There is no evidence of wrongdoing in Ukraine by either Biden.
“That’s why we held up the money,” Mulvaney said after listing the 2016-related investigation and Trump’s broader concerns about corruption in Ukraine.
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Trump says he did not see Mulvaney today
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
President Trump said he “wasn’t able to see” acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s remarks at the White House today.
“You know what I’ve been focused on today? Turkey and the great thing that happened in Syria,” he added.
Trump went on to say that he thinks Mulvaney is “a good man.” He also said he has “a lot of confidence” in his acting chief of staff.
What Mulvaney said: He made a stunning admission at news briefing earlier today by confirming that Trump froze nearly $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine in part to pressure that country into investigating Democrats.
Mulvaney insisted that he only knew of a US request to investigate the handling of a DNC server hacked in the 2016 election, but text messages between US diplomats show efforts to get Ukraine to commit to an investigation into Burisma, the company on whose board former Vice President Joe Biden’s son sat. There is no evidence of wrongdoing in Ukraine by either Biden.
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Defense official expected to testify next week in impeachment inquiry
From CNN's Manu Raju
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper is scheduled to testify behind closed doors next Thursday, according to an official working on impeachment inquiry.
Cooper was scheduled to testify tomorrow in the House impeachment inquiry.
She is the deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. No reason for the delay was given.
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Podcast: A look at Gordon Sondland's testimony
CNN Political Director David Chalian covers the deposition of Gordon Sondland, US ambassador to the European Union, in the latest episode of “The Daily DC: Impeachment Watch” podcast.
Sondland told Congress he was directed by President Trump to work with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine, and was left with a choice: abandon efforts to bolster a key strategic alliance or work to satisfy the demands of the President’s personal lawyer.
He also looks at:
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s remarks today. He acknowledged that Trump suspended Ukrainian aid because he wanted Ukrainian help on an investigation into the 2016 election.
The Trump administration’s attempt to push debunked conspiracy theories about 2016 election interference.
Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment strategy. She is resisting to set a timeline for the inquiry.
How would an impeachment trial actually work?
Chalian is joined byCNN reporter and producer Marshall Cohen and CNN Justice Correspondent Jessica Schneider.
Democrats say questions are emerging over Gordon Sondland's testimony on Giuliani
From CNN's Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb and Lauren Fox
House Democrats say questions are emerging over some elements of US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland’s testimony, particularly his contention that he was unaware of Rudy Giuliani’s desire to have Ukraine investigate President Trump’s potential 2020 opponent Vice President Joe Biden.
In his opening statement, Sondland testified that he wasn’t aware until “much later” that Giuliani’s agenda might have included an effort to investigate the Bidens, despite Giuliani talking about his efforts publicly in the spring.
Here’s what Democrats are saying about Sondland’s testimony:
Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee: “I think he’s basically trying to defend his reputation and his own behavior. Some of the testimony that he provided was not credible to me with respect to his sort of not understanding all the things that were happening around him and in full view of the American people. I would say there were parts of his testimony that were credible, there were parts of his testimony that were incredible, like this sort of overall lack of knowledge about all of these moving parts seems to me really hard to accept.”
Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee: “I think he is trying to make some distance between him and the President.”
Rep. Harley Rouda, a California Democrat on the Oversight Committee: She said Sondland appeared to have “a severe case of selective amnesia” in his closed-door testimony.
Rep. Ami Bera, a Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee: He said he wished the ambassador’s memory “was a little bit better,” adding that there were “gaps.”
What we know: Sondland’s testimony is ongoing, and lawmakers predict it will last well into the evening.
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Sources: Energy Secretary Rick Perry notified Trump today that he plans to resign
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal and Sarah Westwood
Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Two sources confirm to pool reporters that Energy Secretary Rick Perry notified President Trump today that he plans to resign from his post.
Earlier today, Deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley would not dispute reports that Perry was stepping down.
Perry is among one of the longest serving Cabinet members who has remained on the job since the start of Trump’s presidency.
About Perry: He was confirmed as energy secretary on March 2, 2017, with a 62-37 vote in the Senate. The former Texas governor, who has largely kept a low profile throughout his tenure, has been drawn into the impeachment inquiry.
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed today that Trump asked Perry to work with Rudy Giuliani on policies related to Ukraine, but he denied doing so constituted a “shadow foreign policy,” as multiple witnesses have said Giuliani conducted.
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Democratic congressman calls Mulvaney's comments "damning" to the President
Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s remarks that the White House conditioned aid to Ukraine on the opening of an investigation are “very damning” for President Trump.
What Mulvaney said: He made a stunning admission at news briefing earlier today by confirming that Trump froze nearly $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine in part to pressure that country into investigating Democrats.
Mulvaney insisted that he only knew of a US request to investigate the handling of a DNC server hacked in the 2016 election, but text messages between US diplomats show efforts to get Ukraine to commit to an investigation into Burisma, the company on whose board former Vice President Joe Biden’s son sat. There is no evidence of wrongdoing in Ukraine by either Biden.
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Democrats say there doesn't have to be a quid pro quo to make Trump's action impeachable
From CNN's Jeremy Herb
CNN
Democrats say that the existence of a quid pro quo on Ukraine aid is not required for President Trump to have committed an impeachable offense — because enlisting a foreign government to aid in your campaign is already a crime.
That said, Democrats do believe that acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s admission of an apparent quid pro quo tying the release of foreign security aid to Ukraine to an investigation into the 2016 election was significant and further evidence advancing the impeachment probe.
But it isn’t essential for the impeachment inquiry to move forward.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat on the Oversight Committee, agreed.
“I thought that was a big, almost admission, of a quid pro quo — not that you need a quid pro quo for a crime to have been committed in this instance,” Krishnamoorthi said of Mulvaney’s comments. “But the fact that he said that openly is either a brazen admission or they just don’t know the law. They just don’t know how to operate government.”
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Two men involved in alleged campaign finance scheme tied to Giuliani associates plead not guilty
The two defendants, David Correia and Andrey Kukushkin, were arraigned and each charged with one count of conspiring to funneling foreign money into the US election system.
Two additional defendants in the case, Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas, are set to be arraigned next week. They have not yet entered a plea.
Some background: The case has received particular attention because Parnas and Fruman are linked closely to Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney, having introduced Giuliani to former and current Ukrainian officials in his effort to compile what he has claimed is damaging information on Trump’s political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
