When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reached out to the Republican leadership last week about calling witnesses at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, the New York Democrat pointed to several individuals who could shed light on the White House’s Ukraine extortion scheme. Two names – former National Security Adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney – generated the most headlines.
The Center for Public Integrity obtained 146 pages of heavily redacted emails through a Freedom of Information Act request and court order.The timeline of events is striking, and as it turns out, still coming into even sharper focus. On the morning of July 25, according to the White House’s own call summary, Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on launching investigations in Kyiv intended to target the Republican’s domestic foes.
Reinforcing concerns about a possible cover-up, Duffey added, “Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute the direction.” If Duffey’s name sounds at all familiar, it’s because it came up quite a bit late last month. Mark Sandy, a career staffer in the White House Office of Management and Budget, told Congress in November that two OMB officials left the department because they believed the president’s scheme – withhold aid until Ukraine met Trump’s political demands – may have unfolded outside legal boundaries.
MaddowBlog Yeah he withheld funds weeks before the phone call .