To: D.Austin who wrote (1169316 ) 10/8/2019 9:59:54 AM From: sylvester80 Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 1585568 BOMBSHELL: TRUMP WHITE HOUSE BLOCKS U.S. AMBASSADOR FROM TESTIFYING TO CONGRESS ABOUT UKRAINE An attorney for Gordon Sondland said the ambassador "hopes" the State Department's qualms that "precludes his testimony will be resolved promptly." State Department blocks E.U. ambassador from testifying to Congress about Ukraine OCT. 8, 201903:49 Oct. 8, 2019, 5:32 AM MST By Allan Smith and Geoff Bennettnbcnews.com Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, has been directed by the State Department not to appear Tuesday for a scheduled interview with House committees leading the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Sondland , a Trump political appointee, has emerged as a central player in Trump's bid to persuade Ukraine’s new government to commit publicly to investigate corruption and the president's political opponents. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the impeachment inquiry "Ambassador Sondland had previously agreed to appear voluntarily today, without the need for a subpoena, in order to answer the Committee’s questions on an expedited basis," Robert Luskin, Sondland's attorney, said in a statement. Impeachment inquiry intensifies: US ambassador to EU set to testify OCT. 8, 201902:15 "As the sitting U.S. Ambassador to the EU and employee of the State Department, Ambassador Sondland is required to follow the Department’s direction," Luskin continued, adding that Sondland "is profoundly disappointed that he will not be able to testify today." Luskin noted that Sondland traveled to Washington from Brussels "in order to prepare for his testimony and to be available to answer the Committee’s questions." "Arrangements had already been made with Joint Committee staff regarding the logistics of his testimony," Lusin said. "Ambassador Sondland believes strongly that he acted at all times in the best interests of the United States, and he stands ready to answer the Committee’s questions fully and truthfully." Luskin said the ambassador "hopes" the State Department's qualms that "precludes his testimony will be resolved promptly." "He stands ready to testify on short notice, whenever he is permitted to appear," Luskin said. The New York Times was first to report that the administration had moved to block Sondland's interview, a move that is certain to inflame tensions between the White House and House Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry. Sondland, a hotelier and Republican megadonor, was nominated to be ambassador to the European Union one year after a $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural committee. Text messages provided to Congress show Sondland and another ambassador working to persuade Ukraine to publicly commit to investigating Trump’s political opponents and explicitly linking the inquiry to whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would be granted an official White House visit. The messages, released publicly last week by House Democrats , show the diplomats coordinating with both Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and a top Zelenskiy aide. Trump tweeted about blocking Sondland's testimony, writing, "I would love to send Ambassador Sondland, a really good man and great American, to testify, but unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised kangaroo court, where Republican’s rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public to see." He then appeared to confuse Sondland's text messages for tweets. "Importantly, Ambassador Sondland’s tweet, which few report, stated, 'I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind.' That says it ALL!" Trump said on Twitter. The exchange Trump references show William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, seeking clarification from Sondland on conditions for the White House meeting and whether the administration was withholding security aid to Ukraine in exchange for politically beneficial probes. "Are we now saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations?” Taylor texted Sondland in early September. "Call me," Sondland responded. One week later, Taylor texted Sondland: "As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign." Several hours later, Sondland pushed back, saying Trump "has been crystal clear no quid pro quos of any kind." "The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that President Zelensky promised during his campaign I suggest we stop the back and forth by text," he continued. More than a dozen House Democrats have called for Sondland to resign from his role in the Trump administration in light of revelations regarding his role in the Ukraine matter. Volker, who testified to Congress last week, resigned after being named in the intelligence community whistleblower complaint about Trump's July phone call with Zelenskiy . According to the White House summary of that call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The whistleblower’s complaint alleged that Volker went to Kyiv to try to guide Ukraine officials on how to handle Trump’s demands for them to investigate the younger Biden's nearly five years as a member of the board that manages Ukraine's Burisma, a natural gas producer.