This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
As the House of Representatives returns from recess, investigators are pressing forward with their inquiry into the Trump impeachment affair. On Tuesday, they deposed George P. Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, in a move that underscores the growing scrutiny of the State Department's role in the scandal.
Mr. Kent's testimony is just one part of a broader effort to uncover the truth behind the Trump administration's dealings with Ukraine. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also been subpoenaed for documents related to the matter, further highlighting the State Department's involvement.
Meanwhile, new details have emerged about a heated confrontation that took place inside the White House last summer. According to testimony, John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, was alarmed by the effort to pressure Ukraine for political help and told an aide to alert White House lawyers.
Mr. Bolton's concerns centered on a rogue effort by Gordon D. Sondland, the Trump donor turned ambassador to the European Union, who was working with Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, to press Ukraine to investigate Democrats. The aide, Fiona Hill, testified that Mr. Bolton instructed her to notify the chief lawyer for the National Security Council about the situation.
Mr. Bolton's exact words, as relayed by Ms. Hill, were: 'I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up.' The quote highlights the tension and concern that existed within the White House at the time.
