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A FORMER NATIONAL security official has told the impeachment inquiry that a US ambassador carried out a controversial “domestic political errand” for President Donald Trump on Ukraine.
Fiona Hill told House of Representatives investigators she came to realise ambassador Gordon Sondland was not simply operating outside official diplomatic channels, as she and others suspected, but carrying out instructions from Trump.
She said: “He was being involved in a domestic political errand, and we were being involved in national security foreign policy and those two things had just diverged.”
Dr. Fiona Hill on Ambassador Sondland:
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) November 21, 2019
"He was being involved in a domestic political errand. And we were being involved in national security foreign policy, and those two things had just diverged." pic.twitter.com/uoa0VEFtBZ
Hill’s comment followed a blistering back-and-forth during questioning from Republicans at the House hearing.
Democrats, meanwhile, criticised Republicans heavily at the hearing with the Democratic chairman of the committee Adam Schiff comparing Trump’s behaviour to former president Richard Nixon.
“What we’ve seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters,” said Schiff, referring to the infamous 1972 Watergate break-in that Nixon ordered, eventually leading to his resignation.
What we’re talking about here is the withholding of recognition in that White House meeting (and) the withholding of military aid to an ally at war. This is beyond anything Nixon did.
‘Clearly pushing the idea’
Evidence from Hill and David Holmes, a state department adviser in Kiev, reinforced that Trump used foreign policy for political aims.
Democrats allege Trump was relying on the discredited idea that Ukraine rather than Russia interfered in the 2016 US election as he sought investigations in return for US military aid and a White House visit the new Ukrainian president wanted.
Hill and Holmes both told House investigators it was abundantly clear Mr Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani was pursuing political investigations of Democrats and political rival Joe Biden in Ukraine.
Hill said: “He was clearly pushing forward issues and ideas that would, you know, probably come back to haunt us and in fact, I think that’s where we are today.”
And Hill stood up for Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the army officer who gave evidence earlier and whom Trump’s allies tried to discredit. He remains on the White House National Security Council.
Some of Trump's defenders have accused Lt. Col. Vindman—a Purple Heart recipient—of disloyalty to country.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 21, 2019
I asked Dr. Hill, a fellow immigrant, her response to these scurrilous attacks:
"This is a country of immigrants... This is what, for me, really does make America great." pic.twitter.com/LmdWA7rIju
At one point, Republicans interjected, trying to cut off Hill. The Republican members of Congress had been trying to highlight her differences with Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union who delivered damaging evidence on Wednesday about what he said was Trump’s “quid pro quo” pursuit of the political investigations.
“You may not like the witness’s answer, but we will hear it,” Schiff said.
The Republican congressmen eventually wound down their questions but continued with mini-speeches decrying the impeachment effort. Democrats, in turn, criticised Trump’s actions.
Hill, a former aide to then-national security adviser John Bolton, sternly warned Republican congressmen to stop pushing a “fictional” narrative that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in US elections.
Trump has told others giving evidence in the inquiry that Ukraine tried to “take me down” in the 2016 election. Republicans launched their questioning reviving those theories.
Dr. Hill: "Some of you on this committee appear to believe that Russia... did not conduct a campaign against our country—and that... for some reason, Ukraine did. This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves." pic.twitter.com/ezVvJYMf3k
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) November 21, 2019
Hill said: “I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimise an alternative narrative that the Ukrainian government is a US adversary, and that Ukraine – not Russia – attacked us in 2016.”
Her evidence also raised fresh questions whether Bolton, who has yet to defy White House orders for officials not to give evidence, would appear in the inquiry. In what was seen as a nudge to her former boss, Hill said those with information have a “moral obligation to provide it”.
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They’re sick waiting.
And we’re sick paying.
Workers in social housing pay 15% of their wages. But don’t get to own it after 25 years.
Our retail workers can’t afford private landlord prices, workers who buy someone else’s second home/mortgage.
I feel for the people who are gonna be lumbered with some of the ‘ lovely ‘ folk from that complex when they are re housed elsewhere, same thing happened with O’Devaney flats, corpo moved them as far from there as they could, turned parts of bray in to a kip.
@Uncle Montys oaf: No one from O’Devaney moved to Bray.
@Uncle Montys oaf: Can you Tell us about the bad experiences you’ve with some people from Oliver Bond House?
Maybe get a job and stop living off the hardworking people who are paying for your keep
If the residents contributed to a sinking fund after a few months they would have enough in it to begin work.
Rory J Leonard: if SF had a plan it would probably be to build new housing so that these people could be moved while making the Flats more liveable in the interim. Sadly it would not be in scenic Phoenix Park. They would likely choose some empty council land that is not being developed due to politics or NIMBYism. Perhaps in your neighborhood . . . .
Crazy alternative plan, but why not get a job in another county where rents are cheaper!
put MM on trial
i have seen the dire conditions there, outside dog poop etc. i say knock them down and rebuild and rehouse the people in meantime.
@michael macken:
That is exactly what needs to be done, Michael!
If our Taoiseach operated under a similar political system to China, he could Decree that a Section of the many under utilised Phoenix Park’s 1,700 acres, be set aside for the construction of a large number of modern apartment blocks.
Oliver Bond tenants could then be temporarily relocated, whilst their existing homes were given that long overdue make over. This could all be achieved possibly within five years, not fifteen.
And it wouldn’t take long to fill all of those almost-new homes in The Park when all done and dusted!
But this not China! So under our system, how can this particular type of conundrum be solved expeditiously?
Perhaps SF has a masterplan in the works for a solution. We await with bated breath!
@Rory J Leonard: if our Taoiseach operated under a similar system to China the flats would be bulldozed to make way for fancy condos and the residents sent to a labour camp for complaining….!
@michael macken: and whose dogs are popping, whose rubbish is just flung into the grounds, who burnt the pitch and playground? The millions of tourists and visitors to the flats every year?
@Paul Clancy: The part time Taoisach Martin and the policy of FFG are the problem. As for China…A lot of criminal bankers. Developers, who were facilated by members of the above named parties would have deservedly have been put against a wall .
@Rory J Leonard: China can get stuffed for all the ruination it’s done over the past few years.
They moved resident’s from Dolphin House Flat’s while they were being renovated and families that wanted move back got a place. Why not offer same scheme to Oliver Bond resident’s.
@Mick McGuinness: as long as they only give flats to people who work locally.
If you never worked, why should you be housed beside where all the jobs are, while workers in those jobs commute for hours?
have your say