Transcript of key diplomat's testimony in impeachment inquiry released

[0:00] Let's go to our justice correspondent, Jessica Schneider. [0:02] Jessica, State Department official George Kent will testify publicly next week. [0:07] And tonight, we're getting a taste of what he'll say. [0:09] That's exactly right, Wolf. [0:10] And if his public testimony is anything like what he said in private, [0:14] we will hear strong words from George Kent next week. [0:18] Kent's transcribed testimony really ripped into Rudy Giuliani, [0:22] saying that Giuliani used a campaign of lies and slander against the former ambassador to Ukraine. [0:27] And Kent also said he believed there was a quid pro quo when it came to promising a White House visit, [0:34] but not necessarily military aid, on Ukraine announcing investigations into the Bidens. [0:39] Tonight, the full extent of Rudy Giuliani's influence is coming into focus [0:45] with the release of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent's testimony transcript, [0:51] Kent detailing what he called a campaign of lies orchestrated by Giuliani [0:55] that led to the ousting of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. [1:00] Kent also recalled a conversation he had about Trump's July 25th call [1:03] with Ukrainian President Zelensky, saying that Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, [1:08] the top Ukraine expert at the White House, felt uncomfortable by the call, [1:13] adding he said that he could not share the majority of what was discussed [1:16] because of the very sensitive nature of what was discussed. [1:19] The testimony transcript comes as the spotlight of the impeachment inquiry [1:24] has turned to Vice President Mike Pence for the first time. [1:27] His top national security aide, the first from his staff to go behind closed doors [1:32] and answer lawmakers' questions. [1:34] Jennifer Williams was one of nearly a dozen officials listening to Trump's July 25th phone call. [1:39] A source says she testified that she found the conversation to be unusual [1:43] because it was political in nature, but did not raise those concerns to her supervisors. [1:48] Williams, though, could clarify what the Vice President knew about plans to withhold military aid [1:54] in exchange for Ukraine announcing investigations into the 2016 election and the Bidens, [1:59] which Pence was asked about today. [2:01] The President's focus has been, as my focus was in my meetings with President Zelensky, [2:07] on supporting President Zelensky's efforts to deal with a historic pattern of corruption in Ukraine. [2:13] As for Trump's call with Zelensky, which clearly shows him asking the Ukrainian leader [2:18] to look into the Bidens, Pence mimicked the President's talking point. [2:21] The American people have the transcript of the President's call, [2:25] and they can see there was no quid pro quo, and the President did nothing wrong. [2:30] But questions continue about Pence's interactions with the Ukrainian President. [2:34] On September 1st, Pence replaced President Trump on a trip to Poland, [2:38] where he held a bilateral meeting with Zelensky. [2:41] Pence has insisted the two did not discuss an investigation to the Bidens, [2:45] but has acknowledged military aid and corruption were on the agenda. [2:49] In all of my discussions with President Zelensky, [2:52] we focused exclusively on President Zelensky's efforts to end corruption in Ukraine [2:59] and also enlist more European support. [3:02] While Williams was cooperating, former National Security Advisor John Bolton [3:05] was a no-show on Capitol Hill, despite being invited to testify today. [3:10] Democrats never issued a subpoena for his appearance, as they have with other witnesses, [3:14] and Bolton's lawyer previously said he wouldn't testify without one. [3:18] Meanwhile, House Republicans are lining up a list of witnesses [3:21] they want at the public hearings next week. [3:24] Top on that list, the whistleblower. [3:26] This is the guy who started it all. [3:28] We think he should sit in front of us, under oath, answer our questions, [3:34] and do that in person. [3:37] Democrats, though, have the ultimate say when it comes to which witnesses will testify publicly. [3:42] Now, as for George Kent, he will testify publicly on Wednesday [3:46] when he could elaborate on the testimony that was released today [3:49] that he was told how extensive Giuliani's influence on the president was, [3:54] and that could add another voice to the case that Giuliani manipulated U.S. foreign policy [3:59] for President Trump's political benefit. [4:01] Wolf, of course, that being key to the impeachment inquiry. [4:04] Very significant development, indeed. [4:05] Thanks very much, Jessica Schneider, for that report. [4:08] Also tonight, there are new signs that Democrats are fast-tracking impeachment, [4:13] looking to wrap things up in the House of Representatives by Christmas. [4:17] Let's bring in our congressional reporter, Lauren Fox. [4:19] So, Lauren, so what are Democrats doing right now to streamline the process, [4:23] and can it really be done before a year's end? [4:28] Well, that's the big question right now, Wolf, [4:30] but I will tell you, things on Capitol Hill, they're speeding up. [4:33] We are moving into this public phase of this impeachment inquiry with public hearings next week, [4:38] including testimony from George Kent, Bill Taylor, and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. [4:44] All of that comes next week. [4:45] Then we could see more public hearings the next week after that. [4:49] But I will tell you, Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has been very clear. [4:53] Despite the fact they've heard from more than a dozen interviews behind closed doors, [4:58] they don't need to hear from everyone in public. [5:00] So, a couple weeks of public testimony, then we will move into the Thanksgiving recess. [5:05] After that, they will give time for the Intelligence Committee staffers, [5:09] in coordination with Foreign Affairs and Oversight, [5:11] to draft their full report on what their investigation has found. [5:15] Then things in December move over to the House Judiciary Committee. [5:19] They could have public hearings, and then they will draft articles of impeachment. [5:23] After that, those articles could go to the floor of the House of Representatives [5:27] as early as the week of December 16th. [5:29] Steny Hoyer, the House Whip, already making it clear they have to be here, [5:33] potentially, to deal with a funding deadline. [5:35] Yes, there is another funding deadline potentially coming in December, [5:39] depending on what they do with the CR in November. [5:41] So, Wolf, that gives you a sense of the timeline they're working on. [5:44] But things could be wrapped up, potentially, by Christmas. [5:47] As you know, Lauren, Republicans are calling on the whistleblower to testify. [5:52] Will Democrats let that happen? [5:56] Well, the House of Representatives, as they move forward into the public stage of this impeachment inquiry, [6:00] Republicans have an opportunity to request witnesses. [6:03] Yes. [6:03] However, the Democratic chairman and the full committee has an opportunity to stop Republicans [6:08] from getting all the witnesses they would want. [6:11] And, of course, Adam Schiff has been very clear. [6:13] He does not want to publicly oust the whistleblower. [6:16] Instead, what he wants to do is protect that person. [6:19] So, you can guarantee that Democrats are not interested in a public hearing where the whistleblower would have to come before the American people. [6:25] That is something they have been guarding against, as Republicans have amped up the calls to hear from that person. [6:31] All right, Lauren, thanks very much. [6:32] Lauren Fox up on Capitol Hill. [6:34] As Democrats press ahead with impeachment, President Trump is attacking new reporting about his reaction to this entire Ukraine scandal. [6:42] Our White House correspondent, Boris Sanchez, is joining us. [6:44] Boris, the president is pushing back on reports that he asked the attorney general, Bill Barr, [6:49] to hold a news conference that would clear his name on Ukraine. [6:53] What are you learning? [6:55] That's right, Wolf. [6:56] According to a source, President Trump had been having discussions with aides about having Bill Barr go before cameras [7:01] and declare him totally innocent of any wrongdoing in his phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine. [7:07] The president apparently feeling that it would help him with messaging, that it would make him look more innocent. [7:13] This reporting was initially in The Washington Post, and apparently, according to The Post, [7:18] Trump has been lamenting to aides that Barr didn't hold that press conference. [7:22] The president today lashed out about these reports on Twitter, effectively saying that The Washington Post made up the story. [7:29] It's clearly gotten under his skin. [7:30] Take a look. [7:31] The president at one point writing that Bill Barr did not decline my request to talk about Ukraine, [7:37] also adding that the Justice Department already ruled that the call was good. [7:42] An important clarification here, Wolf. [7:44] The DOJ did put out a statement saying that prosecutors found that the president didn't commit any campaign finance violations, [7:51] but it was not broader than that, Wolf. [7:53] Important point, Boris. [7:54] Thank you very much. [7:55] Let's discuss with Congressman Denny Heck. [7:57] He's a Democrat, serves on the Intelligence Committee that's taking the lead in the impeachment investigation. [8:03] Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. [8:05] And I want to quickly get to the breaking news. [8:07] The State Department diplomat, George Kent, testifying that Rudy Giuliani was involved in what Kent calls, [8:13] and I'm quoting him now, a campaign of lies. [8:17] Do you have evidence that President Trump directed this, or was Giuliani simply going rogue? [8:22] Well, Rudy Giuliani was the president's lawyer, Wolf. [8:27] It reminds me a little bit. [8:28] It's highly reminiscent of the situation with Michael Cohen, who was the president's lawyer, [8:33] then-candidate Trump's lawyer, who is in prison now for violation of federal law. [8:38] And, as a matter of fact, it was the president who was identified as individual one in the indictment procedure. [8:43] So, in that case, obviously, there was a coordination between the president's personal lawyer and himself. [8:49] In this case, look, here's what I want to say about Rudy Giuliani's campaign. [8:55] What level of moral depravity does it take to engage in an insidious and long-term campaign [9:01] to character assassinate and destroy the reputation and the career of somebody who is as much of a patriot [9:08] as Ambassador Yovanovitch was, 33 years in the State Department [9:12] with the progressive responsibilities, not only widely respected, [9:17] but beloved because of her professionalism and her integrity. [9:20] And according to this testimony in the transcript today, [9:23] that effort to degrade, to undermine the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, [9:29] was coordinated between Giuliani and these two individuals, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, [9:35] both of whom Giuliani associates who have, in recent days, been charged with federal crimes. [9:41] Yeah. Giuliani is Trump. Trump is Giuliani. [9:44] We'll see how all that plays out. [9:46] But the fact of the matter is that's just one of the pieces here. [9:50] You know, we have all these other bits of evidence. [9:52] In fact, there's a mountain of evidence. [9:54] As a matter of fact, there is more evidence to suggest that the president did the deed, [9:58] that he did seek to coerce Ukraine into a politically motivated prosecution, [10:04] threatened to withhold vital military assistance to a strategic partner and ally of us. [10:09] Then there is evidence to support the idea that the sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning. [10:14] The earlier discussion was about whether or not this is proceeding too much apace. [10:20] I have to tell you that there are an awful lot of people saying, [10:23] what's holding you back from getting there, given all the evidence that you already have?