Gordon SondlandGordon SondlandSondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report Impeachment hearings don’t move needle with Senate GOP Lawmakers spar over upcoming Sondland testimony MORE, President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump reversed course on flavored e-cigarette ban over fear of job losses: report Trump to award National Medal of Arts to actor Jon Voight Sondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report MORE‘s ambassador to the European Union, reportedly kept top officials in the Trump administration updated on efforts to persuade Ukraine to launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenSondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report Biden says he won’t legalize marijuana because it may be a ‘gateway drug’ Impeachment hearings don’t move needle with Senate GOP MORE ahead of Trump’s much-publicized July call with the country’s president.
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Sondland updated officials, including acting White House chief of staff Mick MulvaneyJohn (Mick) Michael MulvaneySondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report Schiff knocks Mulvaney over failure to testify in impeachment probe Lawmakers skeptical of progress on spending deal as wall battle looms MORE and Energy Secretary Rick PerryRick PerrySondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report Highly irregular: Rudy, the president, and a venture in Ukraine White House releases rough transcript of early Trump-Ukraine call minutes before impeachment hearing MORE, via email on the results of his efforts, which have become the center of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry.
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The report comes as top officials, including former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie YovanovitchMarie YovanovitchSondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report Impeachment hearings don’t move needle with Senate GOP Trump rips ‘nasty’ and ‘obnoxious’ Chris Wallace after he presses Scalise about impeachment MORE, have testified that they were uncomfortable with a “shadow” foreign policy seemingly being run out of the White House by Trump and his personal attorney Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiSondland notified Trump officials of investigation push ahead of Ukraine call: report Impeachment hearings don’t move needle with Senate GOP Want to fight foreign influence? Fix FARA filings MORE.
The White House’s effort to push Ukraine to investigate Biden has been viewed by Democrats as an attempt to solicit foreign interference in the 2020 election. Lawmakers have also taken issue with reports that the administration held up aid to Ukraine on the condition of the country launching an investigation.
Trump and his allies have consistently denied that aid to Ukraine, which has been embroiled in conflicts with Russian-backed rebels in Crimea for years, was ever tied to an investigation of Biden. They also argue such an investigation was not tied to Biden’s entrance in the 2020 Democratic presidential race.