The latest news on the impeachment inquiry
- President Trump wanted Attorney General Barr to hold a news conference saying he didn’t break any laws during his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
- The House Intelligence Committee will hold the first open hearings of the impeachment inquiry next week, featuring public testimony from three key witnesses.
- Democrats released the transcript of closed-door testimony by one of the witnesses, Bill Taylor, on Wednesday.
- Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Treasury Department official Tony Sayegh are expected to join the White House communications team to work on impeachment.
Washington — President Trump wanted Attorney General William Barr to hold a news conference saying he didn’t break any laws during his July 25 call with the Ukrainian president, CBS News has confirmed, according to multiple sources.
Barr ultimately declined to do so, although the Justice Department did release a statement alongside the release of a rough transcript summary of the call saying that the Office of Legal Counsel had found no evidence of wrongdoing. However, an anonymous whistleblower submitted a complaint to the government expressing concern about the call, and that complaint prompted the impeachment inquiry of the president.
The president’s desire to publicly be cleared by Barr was first reported by the Washington Post. Mr. Trump called the Post story a “fake Washington Post con job” in a tweet Thursday morning. He also called it “pure fiction” about “Bill Barr & myself,” and said, “We both deny the story.” However, Barr has not yet denied the story, and the Justice Department has not responded.
The House Intelligence Committee announced the first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry will take place next week, featuring testimony from three witnesses.
The committees released a transcript of closed-door testimony by one of those witnesses on Wednesday. Bill Taylor, the top American diplomat in Ukraine, repeatedly raised concerns about linking U.S. military aid to investigations into the president’s rivals.
“That was my clear understanding: security assistance money would not come until the president [of Ukraine] committed to pursue the investigation,” Taylor said under questioning, according to the transcript.
The committee will hear from Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent next Wednesday, November 13. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch will testify before the committee two days later.
“Those open hearings will be an opportunity for the American people to evaluate the witnesses themselves,” House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters at the Capitol.
On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland revised earlier testimony to the House committees leading the impeachment probe, saying he now recalls telling a top Ukrainian official that the release of military aid “likely” required the country to announce anti-corruption investigations into President Trump’s rivals.
Sondland, in an addendum to his October testimony, claimed his memory has been “refreshed” after reviewing others’ testimony. Now, in revised testimony dated Monday, November 4, Sondland said he recalls that aid to Ukraine was, according to his understanding, conditioned on Ukraine making a public anti-corruption statement.
–Paula Reid contributed reporting
Trump tweets Joe and Hunter Biden “must” testify
9:51 a.m. Repeating what Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said at a rally in his state Wednesday night, the president insisted that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden testify.
Kennedy had asked what Biden had done to get $50,000 a month for being on the board of a Ukraine energy company.
“A very good question,” the president tweeted Thursday morning. “He and Sleepy Joe must testify!”
The Washington Post reported some Senate Republicans were considering having the Bidens testify in a Senate trial, should one take place.
Pence aide arrives at Capitol to testify
8:50 a.m.: Jennifer Williams, a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence who participated in the July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president, has arrived at the Capitol to testify before the committees conducting the impeachment inquiry.
Williams is appearing before the committees under subpoena, an official working on the impeachment inquiry told CBS News.
“In light of an attempt by the White House to direct Jennifer Williams not to appear for her scheduled deposition, and efforts to limit any testimony that does occur, the House Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena to compel her testimony this morning. As required of her, Ms. Williams is complying with the subpoena and answering questions from both Democratic and Republican Members and staff,” the official said.
— Rebecca Kaplan
Trump wanted Barr to hold a press conference saying the president did not break any laws
8:27 a.m.: President Trump wanted Attorney General William Barr to hold a press conference saying the president did not break any laws during the July 25 phone call, when he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate a political rival, CBS News has confirmed.
Barr ultimately declined to do so, although the Justice Department did release a statement alongside the release of a rough transcript summary of the call saying that the Office of Legal Counsel found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Mr. Trump’s desire for Barr to state publicly that the president had broken no laws was first reported by The Washington Post. The whistleblower complaint expressing concern about the call has been the impetus for an ongoing impeachment inquiry. Barr has largely stayed absent from the spotlight since the impeachment inquiry was opened.
On Thursday morning, Mr. Trump denied that Barr had declined his request to hold a press conference, calling the story a “fake Washington Post con job.”
“Bill Barr did not decline my request to talk about Ukraine. The story was a Fake Washington Post con job with an “anonymous” source that doesn’t exist. Just read the Transcript. The Justice Department already ruled that the call was good. We don’t have freedom of the press!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter.
— Paula Reid and Grace Segers
Pence adviser expected to appear in closed hearing Thursday
7:18 a.m.: Jennifer Williams, an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, is expected to appear before the committees conducting the impeachment inquiry on Thursday. Williams participated in the July 25 call between Mr. Trump and the Ukrainian president.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton was also scheduled to appear before the committees in a closed hearing on Thursday, but he is unlikely to show up. His attorneys have previously said that he would not appear without a subpoena.
White House coordinating with House GOP
Wednesday, 5:49 p.m.: Since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched the impeachment inquiry in late September, the communications teams for Republican leaders in the House and the ranking members of the committees involved have held daily meetings to go over new developments and hash out messaging and strategy for handling the inquiry.
Until a week ago, no one from the White House attended these meetings, a senior House Republican aide told CBS News. The aide said the White House eventually reached out and asked to be part of the sessions.
The White House has been represented by either Tori Symonds, the director of government communications, or Alexa Henning, director of broadcast media. But they are essentially in “listen only” mode — they don’t deliver messages on behalf of Mr. Trump or the press shop. Instead, they report back what House Republicans are doing and saying so everyone is on the same page.
Still, their participation is another sign that White House officials are finally recognizing the need to have a stronger game plan.
The White House wants to have a firm impeachment-specific communications team in place before the public hearings start on Wednesday, but it’s unclear when or if a formal announcement will be made. — Weijia Jiang
House withdraws subpoena for official who asked court to intervene
Wednesday, 4:08 p.m.: The House of Representatives has formally withdrawn its subpoena of Charles Kupperman, a deputy of former National Security Adviser John Bolton, court records show.
Although he received a subpoena to appear in October, he was told by the White House that he couldn’t testify. Torn between the legislative and executive branch directives, Kupperman filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia requesting the court decide whether he should comply with the subpoena or the White House’s directive.
“There is no proper basis for a witness to sue the Congress in court to oppose a duly authorized congressional subpoena,” a committee official said to explain the move. “Nevertheless, given the schedule of our impeachment hearings, a court process that leads to the dismissal of Dr. Kupperman’s flawed lawsuit would only result in delay, so we have withdrawn his subpoena.”
Oral arguments in the case weren’t scheduled to take place until December 10 – well after the depositions would have wrapped and moved onto public hearings in the impeachment inquiry.
The Intelligence Committee likely expects Kupperman to follow whatever guidance the court gives when it rules on whether former White House Counsel Don McGahn has to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in a separate case. The White House tried to claim that both Kupperman and McGahn had “absolute immunity” from subpoenas to testify.
The McGahn case is much further along and will likely be resolved sooner than the Kupperman case.
It is unclear is what this means for Bolton, who has the same attorney as Kupperman. — Rebecca Kaplan and Grace Segers
Giuliani hires several attorneys
Wednesday, 3:43 p.m.: Rudy Giuliani wrote on Twitter that he is being represented by several attorneys himself. The attorneys all have extensive experience in criminal investigations in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, including one who was previously a former deputy chief of criminal investigations.
“I am represented and assisted by Robert Costello and the Pierce Bainbridge firm in particular , Eric Creizman and Melissa Madrigal,” Giuliani tweeted. — Paula Reid
White House brings on Pam Bondi and Tony Sayegh to help with impeachment messaging
Wednesday, 2:18 p.m.: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Treasury Department official Tony Sayegh are expected to join the White House communications team to work on proactive impeachment messaging and other special projects as they arise, according to a senior administration official.
Their roles will be within the White House as temporary special government employees.
Trump allies have long pushed for a more coordinated messaging strategy from the White House. But the president’s senior aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner has been pushing hard to bring Sayegh on board.
Kushner had been a strong advocate for ally Sayegh while he was in the administration, and had been lobbying for Sayegh to replace former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. That role ultimately went to Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s communications director. Sayegh left the administration six months ago to join the consulting company Teneo.
— Paula Reid and Fin Gomez
Graham says Trump administration “incapable of forming a quid pro quo”
Wednesday, 11:58 a.m.: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham made the argument to reporters Wednesday that the Trump administration’s Ukraine policy was “incoherent,” and the administration was “incapable of forming a quid pro quo.”
Graham made the comments to reporters on Capitol Hill, reiterating that he won’t read the transcripts from the impeachment inquiry. Graham said the entire impeachment process is a sham.
“I heard something yesterday I could not believe,” a reporter posed to Graham. “Former impeachment manager Lindsey Graham says he’s not going to read the impeachment transcripts? Really?”
“I’m not going to read these transcripts,” Graham responded. “The whole process is a joke.”
“You just pick things you like,” Graham added. “Y’all hate this guy you all want to get him impeached. I’m not buying into Schiff running a legitimate operation.”
Graham had told reporters on Capitol Hill the day before he didn’t plan on reading transcripts released Tuesday from depositions with U.S. ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland and Kurt Volker, former special representative to Ukraine. — Alan He and Kathryn Watson
