Uh oh, Sondland Revises Impeachment Testimony

"The dramatic new testimony confirms that Sondland told an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that congressionally approved military aid would be contingent upon the government of Ukraine publicly announcing it would investigate the origins of the Russia probe and a gas company on which former Vice President Joe Biden’s son sat.

In the update, Sondland recalls a conversation he had Sept. 1 with top Ukrainian aide Andriy Yermak. Sondland noted that the conversation came after a meeting involving Vice President Mike Pence and Zelensky where the military aid was raised."
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/sondland-impeachment-testimony-update
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As someone in his 60's I have lapses of memory too. Mostly about the names of movie stars or who played for the 1967 Red Sox. Not so much about conversations.

Gordo was facing a perjury charge so.........you know.........that can help one focus quite a bit.

Anyway, the truth has a way of coming out. This is clearly not good for the spin doctors in the GOP, or should I say the POT.........party of Trump. It substantiates the behind the scenes efforts to bribe Ukraine going on in addition to the phone call. The transcript of which ended up in that classified server labeled "Don's perfect calls."

As I've been saying, the last line of defense is shaping up to be admitting the quid pro quo and just shrugging one's shoulders and saying..........."I can't vote for impeachment and expect to be re-elected................I mean what he did isn't bad enough to impeach him.............cuz.................... I can't vote for impeachment and expect to be re-elected."

 

In the words of Rick Perry:
Euoops.

 

Oh, you got him this time .... i know it ...

 

More like those people in his admin who were either complicit in the scheme and testified about their role, or discovered what was going on in the course of their duties "got him."

 

Yea we will see.... you spin on your BS. Nobody listens .

 

I don't blame you for not listening. Learning the truth can be upsetting, disorienting. So.......avert your eyes.

In his new testimony, Mr. Sondland said he believed that withholding the aid — a package of $391 million in security assistance that had been approved by Congress — was “ill-advised,” although he did not know “when, why or by whom the aid was suspended.” (*I do, it was the Extortionist-in-Chief*) But he said he came to believe that the aid was tied to the investigations.

“I presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anticorruption statement,” Mr. Sondland said. (You know...........the quid pro quo.)

 

Sondland was not a big witness still, the bandage has come off and poisonous corruption is oozing out from an open sore. The effluent seems to build daily. We have evolved to the Trump and Rudy show. I wonder if/when Bolton will appear on stage? Trump believes vengeance is his exclusively. It isn't, Bolton is a nasty viper that hates Trump's guts after a disgraceful banishment from the nest. This will be one ugly performance.

 

Remember when Lindsey Graham said in an interview with Axios that he could be persuaded to vote for impeachment if you could show him evidence of a quid pro quo outside of Trump's call? Gordy just put Lindsey behind the eight ball.

 

"assumed" "believed".... no mention of Biden, but only of corruption in the Ukraine.

This is supposed to be damning why?

 

When will you start?

 

QPQ with zero mention of the Bidens and with the words "assumed" and "believed" tied to the statement... and you think you have something here?

THIS!!!! THIS IS IT!!!!

Orange Man Bad has no barriers for these Orwellian victims.

 

This was Dirty Donalds hand picked ambassador who had donated $1Million to his presidential campaign,finally telling the truth.

 

Looks like Trump is left without a single witness in his favor.

Now what? I am puzzled as to you Republicans in the Senate can defend him. Trump was left with nothing.

Of course, they'll argue the process, and the whistleblower, and Obama, and Hilary, and the weather, and his star Defensive Tackle was in the DL .. (sorry... kinda got carried away)

 

Lindsey will continue to make up excuses until the day he is called to vote. He has to make as much time as he can so he doesn't get a primary opponent. But there has never been any doubt in my mind that he will vote for removal. But I'm not sure that there are 19 Republicans with a patriotic bone in their body..

 

Sondland is not a big witness against Trump, but he was the star witness for Trump. Now he's gone. Who is left?

 

Trump is done. I'm always amused to see how Limbaugh and Hannity spin these damning revelations.

 

Sondland was one of the guys that Trump had propped up as "proof" that nothing had happened.

 

I like a good snarky comment once in a while. But it's a poor substitute for not being able to refute a word I write.

 

As I've been saying, the last line of defense (for Repubs in the Senate) is shaping up to be admitting the quid pro quo and just shrugging one's shoulders and saying..........."I can't vote for impeachment and expect to be re-elected................I mean what he did isn't bad enough to impeach him.............cuz.................... I can't vote for impeachment and expect to be re-elected."

 

The Post reports, "Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters Tuesday that he would not be reading two newly released deposition transcripts, calling the Democratic-led impeachment probe a “bunch of BS.”

"Graham’s comments came hours after House investigators released transcripts of the depositions of Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union, and Kurt Volker, former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine."

Can you believe it? Graham will not read sworn testimony from two of Trump's staffers?

No doubt about it. Republicans are losing it.

 

Impeachment... take 3... and ACTION!!!!

 

For that reason, we should stop talking about "quid pro quo" and start calling it what it is: bribery. The Constitution leaves no doubt that that's bad enough to impeach. And Sonderland, and Vindman, and Taylor, and... every single witness in existence... leave no doubt that Trump committed it.

I'm thinking the only witness that Trump might try to use is Zelensky. After all, he still needs Trump to help him fend off the Russians. He would have no choice but to back Trump's story (whatever that is)... or lose his country.

 

Facing perjury charges based on his earlier testimony, political appointee and Trump loyalist, U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, revised his testimony so it conforms with other testimony, including that of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor. The revised testimony from the generous GOP donor and hotel magnate adds to the volume of evidence against Trump.

In a significant revision to his earlier testimony before House impeachment investigators, Sondland now says he told a Ukrainian official that security assistance to the country would only resume if the authorities in Kiev opened investigations requested by Trump and potentially damaging to former vice president Joe Biden.

Sondland’s “supplemental declaration,” provided to the House impeachment inquiry, offered further evidence of an effort directed by Trump and his personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, to tie nearly $400 million in security assistance to investigations that could politically benefit the President.

His earlier assertion that Trump didn’t seek a “quid pro quo” of security assistance in return for investigations has now been reversed. He admits now that the military aid was contingent upon Ukraine's cooperation regarding investigations of the Bidens.

In a Tuesday statement, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said that Sondland’s updated testimony shows how “there is even less evidence for this illegitimate impeachment sham than previously thought.”

Has the Trump White House lost its reading comprehension ability? They live in their own little world where black is white and night is day.

 

Ha! That is absolutely hilarious. What contortions some of these guys will have to make until they can be sure that they won't get a Primary opponent.

 

And these guys are getting nervous.

Love it!

BTW... Trumpists: just FYI... Pay attention: This is not about getting Trump. Trump was proven guilty since.... at a minimum since the Mueller Report (I would say before that, but...). This is all about getting Republican Senators. Leave them with no way out. Making the facts so clear to voters that if they choose to ignore them, they will have to answer to voters for decades to come.