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  • >> HE WAS VERY TRANSPARENT.

  • I DON'T KNOW THERE WAS A SINGLE

  • QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED TODAY

  • THAT HE DIDN'T ANSWER.

  • AND ANSWER FULLY, WHICH IS

  • UNIQUE.

  • AND WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THERE

  • WAS DEFINITELY NO QUID PRO QUO.

  • I MEAN, IT CAME OUT OVER AND

  • OVER.

  • IT WAS ASKED PROBABLY 20

  • DIFFERENT TIMES.

  • >> Sandra: REPUBLICANS AND

  • DEMOCRATS CLASHING OVER

  • YESTERDAY'S CLOSED DOOR

  • INTERVIEW WITH FORMER U.S.

  • ENVOY TO UKRAINE KURT VOLKER.

  • HE HANDED OVER DOZENS OF PAGES

  • OF TEXT MESSAGES SHOWING HIM

  • AND OTHER DIPLOMATS ARGUING IF

  • PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS PUSHING

  • UKRAINE TO INVESTIGATE HIS

  • POLITICAL RIVAL.

  • LEE ZELDIN IS A MEMBER OF THE

  • HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

  • YOU WERE IN THE ROOM YESTERDAY.

  • WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY.

  • >> I DIDN'T KNOW AMBASSADOR

  • VOLKER BEFORE YESTERDAY.

  • I KNEW WHO HE WAS BUT I HAD NOT

  • MET HIM BEFORE.

  • HE CAME ACROSS AS CANDID,

  • GENUINE.

  • HE WAS VERY WELL VERSED ON

  • UKRAINE AND YEARS AND REALLY

  • DECADES OF BACKGROUND HERE.

  • HE KNEW ALL THE PLAYERS,

  • PRONUNCIATION OF THEIR NAMES

  • AND THE SPELLINGS.

  • I THOUGHT HE WAS A GREAT

  • WITNESS ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS

  • FROM THE REPUBLICANS AND

  • DEMOCRATS.

  • AND DURING THAT -- BASICALLY

  • PUT A DAGGER STRAIGHT TO THE

  • HEART OF SCHIFF'S FAIRYTALE

  • IMPEACHMENT STORY HERE WITH

  • REGARDS TO THE QUID PRO QUO AS

  • YOU JUST PLAYED FROM THAT PIECE

  • FROM MARK MEADOWS.

  • HE HEARD WHAT I DID AS WELL.

  • AND BASICALLY JUST DESTROYED,

  • BLEW OFF THAT NARRATIVE WITH

  • EVERY ANSWER HE GAVE.

  • >> Sandra: HOW SO?

  • >> WHERE TO START.

  • I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE.

  • FIRST OFF THE ALLEGATION THAT

  • UKRAINE WOULD BE PROVIDING SOME

  • TYPE OF ASSISTANCE WITH REGARDS

  • TO AN INVESTIGATION IN RETURN

  • FOR SECURITY AID.

  • THEY HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A

  • HOLD ON SECURITY AID AT THE

  • TIME OF THAT CALL.

  • AS A MATTER OF FACT THERE WAS A

  • LOT OF INTERACTION WITH KURT

  • VOLKER THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE

  • WEEKS TO FOLLOW THE JULY 25th

  • PHONE CALL BETWEEN THE TWO

  • PRESIDENTS.

  • >> Sandra: WHO IS THEY?

  • WHEN YOU SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA.

  • >> UKRAINE.

  • AMBASSADOR VOL KER WAS IN

  • PRETTY REGULAR CONTACT WITH THE

  • UKRAINE GOVERNMENT.

  • HE HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITH AIDES

  • TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKY AND HE

  • MET WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKY

  • RIGHT AFTER THE JULY 25th PHONE

  • CALL.

  • IN THE READ-OUTS HE RECEIVED

  • AFTER THE JULY 25th PHONE CALL

  • FROM NOT JUST THE UNITED STATES

  • GOVERNMENT BUT THE UKRAINE

  • GOVERNMENT, UKRAINE HAD NO IDEA

  • THAT THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF HOLD

  • ON SECURITY ASSISTANCE.

  • IT WASN'T BROUGHT UP.

  • THERE WAS NO CONCERN ABOUT A

  • QUID PRO QUO IN ANY WAY, SHAPE

  • OR FORM.

  • AND THEN --

  • >> Sandra: THEY KNEW THEY

  • DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS YET,

  • THOUGH, CORRECT?

  • >> THEY RAISED NO CONCERN

  • WHATSOEVER THAT -- THERE WAS NO

  • BELIEF, THERE WAS NOTHING

  • EXPRESSED THAT FUNDS WERE NOT

  • GOING TO BE RECEIVED.

  • AS A MATTER OF FACT THEY'RE

  • VERY GRATEFUL BECAUSE NOT ONLY

  • WAS THERE APPROVALS OVER THE

  • COURSE OF THIS YEAR.

  • THEY WERE EXPECTING MONEY, BUT

  • THERE WAS ALSO GOING TO BE

  • ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN ORDER TO

  • PROVIDE LETHAL WEAPONS SYSTEMS

  • THAT THE PAST ADMINISTRATION

  • WASN'T WILLING TO PROVIDE.

  • THE READ-OUTS, THE MEETING WITH

  • PRESIDENT ZELENSKY, AND THEN

  • THE FOLLOW-UP -- THE WEEKS THAT

  • FOLLOWED AND ALL THE

  • INTERACTION AMBASSADOR VOLKER

  • HAD WITH AIDES, THEY HAD NO

  • IDEA THERE WAS A HOLD ON THESE.

  • >> Sandra: INCLUDING THIS

  • SEPTEMBER 9th TEXT MESSAGES

  • THAT I KNOW YOU HAVE HAD A

  • CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH AND READ

  • YOURSELF.

  • BETWEEN BILL TAYLOR THE TOP

  • AMERICAN DIPLOMAT IN UKRAINE

  • AND THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE

  • E.U.

  • TAYLOR SUGGESTS THAT THE

  • PRESIDENT WAS HOLDING BACK THE

  • PACKAGE OF MILITARY AID TO

  • UKRAINE AS A BARGAINING CLAIM.

  • AS I SAID ON THE PHONE I THINK

  • IT'S CRAZY TO WITHHOLD SECURITY

  • ASSISTANCE FOR HELP WITH A

  • POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

  • THERE WAS A REPLY I BELIEVE

  • YOU'RE INCORRECT BY P

  • PRESIDENT'S INTENTION.

  • HE HAS BEEN CLEAR NO QUID PRO

  • QUO OF ANY KIND.

  • WHY WAS TAYLOR MAKING THE

  • SUGGESTION THAT THERE WAS GOING

  • TO BE THE WITHHOLDING OF THAT

  • AID BY THE PRESIDENT UNTIL AN

  • AGREEMENT WAS MADE ON BEHALF OF

  • UKRAINE TO INVESTIGATE THE

  • BIDENS?

  • >> WELL FIRST OFF YOUR QUESTION

  • HIGHLIGHTS EXACTLY WHY THE

  • TRANSCRIPT FROM YESTERDAY

  • SHOULD BE RELEASED.

  • NOT JUST DRIP BY DRIP RELEASED

  • SELECTIVELY CHERRY PICKING

  • WHICH TEXTS TO PROVIDE TO THE

  • MEDIA AND AMERICAN PUBLIC.

  • THE TRANSCRIPT OF YESTERDAY'S

  • SEVERAL HOUR-LONG INTERVIEW

  • WOULD BE VERY GREAT CONTEXT

  • HERE.

  • BILL TAYLOR WANTED AID TO BE

  • PROVIDED TO UKRAINE.

  • HE BELIEVED IN THE MISSION AS

  • DID VOLKER AND OTHERS IN THE

  • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

  • THEY WANTED THE AID RELEASED.

  • WHAT YOU SAW FROM AMBASSADOR

  • SUNDER LUND IMMEDIATELY

  • SHOOTING DOWN ANY TYPE OF

  • SPECULATION AS TO WHY THERE WAS

  • A HOLD.

  • AMBASSADOR VOLKER TESTIFIED

  • YESTERDAY THAT EVEN THEY DID

  • NOT RECEIVE THE REASON AS TO

  • WHY THERE WAS A HOLD PLACED AT

  • THAT TIME BUT AS SOON AS THAT

  • SUGGESTION, THAT QUESTION, THAT

  • SPECULATION WAS MADE IT WAS

  • IMMEDIATELY SHOT DOWN.

  • THERE WAS -- THE PRESIDENT MADE

  • IT CRYSTAL CLEAR TO OTHER

  • REPRESENTATIVES WHO WERE PART

  • OF THIS TEXT EXCHANGE THAT

  • THERE WAS NO QUID PRO QUO.

  • THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS SITUATION

  • IS.

  • THAT'S WHY THAT WAS SHOT DOWN.

  • >> Sandra: HE SEEMS TO SUGGEST

  • IN THE TEXT, HOW DO YOU SEE IT?

  • I THINK IT'S CRAZY TO WITHHOLD

  • SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR HELP

  • WITH A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

  • SO SOMEHOW BILL TAYLOR WAS LED

  • TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A PLAN TO

  • DO THAT.

  • DOES THAT CONCERN YOU AT ALL?

  • >> ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER

  • REASON WHY THAT TRANSCRIPT

  • SHOULD BE RELEASED.

  • A GREAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW

  • FOR ADAM SCHIFF TO PROVIDE TO

  • THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO FORM

  • THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT DECISION

  • AND JUDGMENT IS TO PROVIDE THE

  • TRANSCRIPT.

  • ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT

  • DURING YESTERDAY'S HEARING

  • DIFFERENT MEETINGS THAT TOOK

  • PLACE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE

  • UNITED STATES IN THE OVAL

  • OFFICE MEETINGS THAT TOOK PLACE

  • WITH AMBASSADOR JOHN BOLTON,

  • WITH HIS COUNTERPART IN THE

  • UKRAINE.

  • AND WHO WAS IN THAT ROOM?

  • AMBASSADOR VOLKER WAS IN THAT

  • ROOM TIME AND AGAIN AND YOU HAD

  • --

  • >> Sandra: BEFORE WE GO.

  • WE'RE SHORT ON TIME HERE.

  • POMPEO.

  • SHOULD HE COMPLY WITH TODAY'S

  • SUBPOENA DEADLINE AND TURN OVER

  • THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT THEY'RE

  • DEMANDING?

  • >> IF HE WANTS TO THAT'S FINE.

  • WHAT I'M HEARING THE RIGHT MOVE

  • HERE AND SOMETHING THAT THE

  • ADMINISTRATION IS SERIOUSLY

  • CONSIDERING DOING IS FORCING

  • THE HOUSE TO TAKE A VOTE.

  • PROCESS-WISE YESTERDAY WE

  • WEREN'T ABLE TO GET STAFF IN.

  • CHAIRMAN SCHIFF DIDN'T WANT TO

  • ALLOW MEMBERS TO ASK QUESTION.

  • HE WAS DISCOURAGING IT.

  • WE SHOULD HAVE A VOTE IN THE

  • HOUSE.

  • IF THEY WANT TO HAVE AN

  • IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.

  • I DON'T BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE

  • ONE.

  • BUT IF THEY WANT ONE THERE

  • SHOULD BE A VOTE.

  • MINORITY RIGHTS, SUBPOENAS FROM

  • BOTH SIDES.

  • THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE

  • REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL.

  • HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRESENT

  • EVIDENCE.

  • IF THEY CHOOSE TO COMPLY TODAY

  • THAT'S FINE BUT REALLY FORCING

  • THE HAND OF THE HOUSE I THINK

  • IS THE RIGHT MOVE HERE.

>> HE WAS VERY TRANSPARENT.

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