Ambassador Sondland's addendum does not prove a nefarious quid pro quo. At most, and even discounting Yermak's subsequent denial, the addendum shows that as of September 1, Ambassador Sondland assumed there was a connection and relayed this assumption to Yermak— an assumption that the President would later tell Ambassador Sondland was inaccurate.[1]
During his deposition, Ambassador Taylor testified that he spoke by phone with Ambassador Sondland on September 8.[2] Ambassador Taylor recounted how Ambassador Sondland told him that President Trump wanted President Zelensky to "clear things up and do it in public" but there was no "quid pro quo."[3]
On September 9, Ambassador Sondland texted Ambassador Volker and Ambassador Taylor: "The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo's [sic] of any kind. The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that President Zelensky promised during his campaign."[4] When asked about this text message during his transcribed interview, Ambassador Volker testified that "Gordon was repeating here what we all understood."[5]
In his public testimony, Ambassador Taylor clarified his statement from his closed-door deposition that he had "clear understanding" that Ukraine would not receive security assistance until President Zelensky committed to investigations.[6] He explained his "clear understanding" came from Ambassador Sondland, who acknowledged that he had presumed there to be a linkage. In an exchange with Rep. Jim Jordan, Ambassador Taylor testified:
Q. So what I'm wondering is, where did you get this clear understanding?
A. As I testified, Mr. Jordan, this came from Ambassador Sondland.
***
Q. You said you got this from Ambassador Sondland.
A. That is correct. Ambassador Sondland also said he had talked to President Zelensky and Mr. Yermak and had told them that, although this was not a quid pro quo, if President Zelensky did not clear things up in public, we would be at a stalemate. That was the—that was one point.
***
- ↑ See infra note 297 and accompanying text.
- ↑ Taylor deposition, supra note 47, at 39.
- ↑ Id.
- ↑ Text message from Gordon Sondland to William Taylor and Kurt Volker (Sept. 9, 2019, 5:19 a.m.) [KV00000053].
- ↑ Volker transcribed interview, supra note 60, at 170.
- ↑ Impeachment Inquiry: Ambassador William B. Taylor and Mr. George Kent, supra note 2.
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