Top U.S. Diplomat: Confirms What Trump Admitted
Statement of Lisa Gilbert, Vice President of Legislative, Public Citizen
Note: Ambassador Bill Taylor appeared today before a joint meeting of the U.S. House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees as part of an impeachment inquiry sparked by an August whistleblower complaint.
We expected a bombshell from Ambassador Bill Taylor today and indeed, his deposition was stunning. Taylor confirmed in a game-changing opening statement that there was a quid pro quo and it can be traced directly to the president.
In his written testimony, Taylor corroborated what we know from the whistleblower, Trump’s own statements and Trump Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Trump attempted to use military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens in order to gain an advantage in the 2020 election.
Taylor shared that everything – including U.S. security assistance to Ukraine – was contingent on Ukraine first announcing an investigation into the president’s domestic political rival.
The takeaway from this is undeniable. The impeachment inquiry is the essential step to hold Trump accountable for this blatant abuse of his presidential power.