We could be just days away from the Democrats making official this latest “formal impeachment inquiry” with a House vote on the subject – a move that would satisfy one of the requirements put forth by the White House in order to cooperate with the otherwise questionable investigation.
That doesn’t mean that the “informal” version of the probe is halting, however, with yet another National Security Counsel witness appearing before Congress today.
Alexander Vindman, a lieutenant colonel who served in Iraq and later as a diplomat, is the first official to testify who actually heard Trump’s July 25 call with new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He reported his concerns to the NSC’s lead counsel.
Vindman also told investigators he tried to change the White House’s rough transcript of the call by filling in at least one of the omitted words, “Burisma,” a reference to the company linked to Biden and his son, according to people familiar with his testimony. But Vindman was unsuccessful.
His concerns, though, were far bigger than the transcript. And lawmakers said his failed effort to edit it didn’t significantly change their understanding of what transpired during Trump’s call that sparked the impeachment inquiry.
Vindman’s testimony seemingly contradicts that of Ukraine Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who told Congress just days ago that no one had objected to his behavior during one of the meetings that was detailed in today’s hearing.
Today, a much different picture was painted; one in which both Vindman and former National Security Adviser John Bolton let Sondland know the error of his ways.
