Robert mueller. In his take home forms that his lawyers filled out for him. Yes, and it just continues and the Court Battles involving tax returns, chief Justice Roberts provided a stay for a few days which was really people overplayed that yesterday. That was administrative decision, but a lot coming at this president. A lot coming at this president , and i think a lot coming at the Republican Party this morning. Ari, the testimony of Colonel Vindman, the crossexamination will be interesting to see how far they go in trying to Demean Vindman in front of a national tv audience. I think that is a precarious place for them and if you want to put aside the obvious ethics of it, that these are people
that serve, diplomatic or military, there is also a a problem with going against a witness when is there are not many facts known to the witness. So if you want to look bad by exploding someone. It doesnt buy you much if two or three other people can basically testify to the same material. I t
name s person saying this was the president s wish. i never got that until the deputy small group meeting in which omb stated on the record, it was the president, through the chief of staff, mick mulvaney. they are looking to move people out of the white house and back to home departments. like many diplomatic staffers, several of the witnesses incl e including lieutenant colonel vindm vindman, they re on loan or assigned to the white house. his advisers warn that firing witnesses could be viewed as retaliation. many witnesses have been fired but they still have their jobs. the same day the president may testify in the impeachmenting inquiry, we re looking at whether he lied to
classified will be covered at another time. if you both would please rise and raise your right hand,ly begin by swearing you in. do you swear or affirm that the testimony you re about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god? let the record show the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. thank you and you may be seated. the microphones are sensitive, please speak directly into them. ms. williams you re recognized for your opening statement and when you have concluded, l lieutenant vindman, you will be recognized. thank you members of the committee for the opportunity to provide this statement today. i am prepared to answer your questions to the best of my
week, you re here today and we re grateful. vindman, we have attacks on your character and watched personalities on fox question your loyalty. i note that you have shed blood for america and we owe you an immense debt of gratitude. i hope no one on this committee will become part of those vicious attacks. today s witnesses like they testified were temperatursubpoe here, not because they were for or against impeachment. that question is for congress not the fact witnesses. if the president abuses his power and invited foreign interference into the election if they are conducting investigations to aide his reelection campaign and by doing so with official acts, or hundreds of mp millions in military aid, it will be up to us to decide if those acts are
presdsi pressing ukraine for weeks. indm vindman said that due to the unequal bargaining position of the two leaders, the favor that trump asked was really a demand. after the call, multiple individuals were concerned enough to report it to the national security council s top lawyer. it was the second anytime two weeks that vindman raised concerns with nsc lawyers. for her part, asking zelensky to under take these investigations was inappropriate, and it also made her aware of the hold on the aid to ukraine. she also took note of the word buresma, a fact left out of the record of the call now locked