3.7 C
New York
Saturday, November 23, 2024
HomeUSA NewsWhite House witnesses are no-shows in impeachment probe

White House witnesses are no-shows in impeachment probe

Date:

Related stories

Rare pink dolphin spotted in North Carolina, fact check pending

The extremely rare 'pink' dolphin spotted in North Carolina,...

Two Indian restaurants in US defraud investors of over £300,000: Officials

TWO Indian restaurants in Colorado have duped investors to...

Two Indian students killed in Arizona accident

TWO Indian students in the US were killed on...

G7 pushes for free and open Indo-Pacific region

G7 foreign ministers have reiterated their commitment to promoting...

Kiran Ahuja to step down from key White House post

INDIAN AMERICAN attorney and activist Kiran Ahuja has announced...

A White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal refused to testify Monday in the congressional impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, as three other witnesses were also expected no-shows.

John Eisenberg, Trump’s deputy counsel for National Security Affairs, defied a summons to appear before the three House panels conducting the investigation, a sign of renewed stonewalling by the White House as Democrats press to take the inquiry into a new public phase.

Trump said early Monday he felt there was “no reason” for witnesses to answer questions by investigators, in particular about his call with his Ukrainian counterpart that is at the heart of the probe.

“What I said on the phone call with the Ukrainian President is ‘perfectly’ stated,” Trump said on Twitter.

“There is no reason to call witnesses to analyze my words and meaning. This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected.”

- Advertisement -

Eisenberg, who by mid-morning had yet to appear for a scheduled 9:00 am (1400 GMT) closed-door deposition, is reported to have been on the July 25 call.

At least four national security officials raised concerns with Eisenberg about Trump’s dealing with Ukraine before his call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and immediately after it, the Washington Post reported last month.

Investigators are seeking greater access to officials with knowledge of Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating one of his chief political opponents, Democrat Joe Biden, who is running for president in 2020.

Robert Blair, an assistant to the president and senior advisor to the acting chief of staff, was also due to appear before investigators at 9:00 am but did not arrive.

Trump senior associate counsel Michael Ellis and White House budget office associate director for energy Brian McCormack were due for afternoon depositions but gave no indication they would appear.

The Trump-Ukraine scandal came to light when a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower who works in the US intelligence community was made public in September.

Trump and his Republican loyalists have repeatedly pressed for the whistleblower’s identity to be revealed, despite laws protecting government officials who raise the alarm about alleged wrongdoing, and for him or her to testify.

Several current and former diplomats and officials have corroborated the essence of the whistleblower complaint — that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here