Blindsided Trump allies urge better coordination on impeachment after administration blocks testimony of ambassador
-- Donald Trump blindsided key Republican allies on Tuesday when the White House blocked a diplomat’s testimony in the House impeachment probe, and the lawmakers later asked the president to make sure it doesn’t happen again, according to people familiar with the matter.
The impromptu huddle highlights the risks of Trump’s vigorous but improvised self-defense against the impeachment inquiry House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced two weeks ago. While many Republicans, especially in the House, are anxious to defend the president, they could step into political danger if they’re caught off guard by Trump’s actions.
But less than an hour before the testimony was to begin, Robert Luskin, the attorney representing the ambassador, informed the committees that the State Department instructed his client not to appear. Republicans got that information from news reports. Sondland, a hotel executive who donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, came under increased scrutiny last week after Volker turned over text messages in his closed deposition, which showed Sondland seeking to encourage Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
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