WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s withholding of $391 million in military aid to Ukraine was linked to his request that the Ukrainians look into a claim - debunked as a conspiracy theory - about the 2016 U.S. Election, a senior presidential aide said on Thursday, the first time the White House acknowledged such a connection.Trump and administration officials had denied for weeks that they had demanded a “quid pro quo” - a Latin phrase meaning a favor for a favor - for delivering the U.S. Aid, a key part of a controversy that has triggered an impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives against the Republican president.But Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, acknowledged in a briefing with reporters that the U.S. Aid - already approved by Congress - was held up partly over Trump’s concerns about a Democratic National Committee (DNC) computer server alleged to be in Ukraine.“I have news for everybody: Get over it. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney answers questions from reporters during a news briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 17, 2019.
REUTERS/Leah MillisSondland, a Republican Trump political donor and a wealthy Oregon hotelier before being named by the president to his EU post last year, also said that “inviting a foreign government to undertake investigations for the purpose of influencing an upcoming U.S. Election would be wrong.”His testimony underscored the pivotal role of Giuliani in the Ukraine scandal.
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Before the president’s July call with Ukraine’s president, Giuliani had been working to persuade Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.The impeachment inquiry could lead to the House passing formal charges - known as articles of impeachment - which would prompt a trial in the Senate on whether to remove Trump from office. The Senate is controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans, who have shown little inclination toward removing him. MAY 23 MEETINGSondland said that on May 23, three days after Zelenskiy’s inauguration, U.S. Officials who had attended debriefed Trump and key aides at the White House.The ambassador said the officials taking part in the meeting emphasized the strategic importance of Ukraine and the importance of the relationship with Zelenskiy, whom he called a reformer planning to fight corruption.“We asked the White House to arrange a working phone call from President Trump and a working Oval Office visit. However, President Trump was skeptical that Ukraine was serious about reforms and anti-corruption, and he directed those of us present at the meeting to talk to Mr. Giuliani, his personal attorney, about his concerns,” he added.“It was apparent to all of us that the key to changing the president’s mind on Ukraine was Mr.
Giuliani,” he said.During his White House briefing, Mulvaney acknowledged that Trump had directed officials to work with Giuliani on Ukraine, and defended the move as proper. Mulvaney denied that there was a “shadow foreign policy” on Ukraine led by Giuliani.Giuliani did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sondland’s testimony.Sondland is the latest witness to speak to lawmakers in the impeachment inquiry about his knowledge of efforts by the president to urge Ukraine to investigate Biden as lawmakers investigate whether Trump committed any “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Trump withheld the military aid to Ukraine before making the request.“Please know that I would not have recommended that Mr. Giuliani or any private citizen be involved in these foreign policy matters,” Sondland said.While he expressed misgivings in his testimony about Giuliani’s role, other witnesses have described Sondland as being among a trio of senior U.S. Officials who were considered more reliable than career diplomats in pressing Ukraine to launch investigations that might help Trump’s re-election bid.Trump has accused the Bidens of corruption related to Ukraine, without offering evidence.
The Bidens have denied any wrongdoing.