1 UNCLASS IFIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, joint with the COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM and the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHTNGToN, D.C. 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 T7 18 r.9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 DEPOSITION OF: TIM MORRISON Thunsday, Octoben 31, 2Ot9 Washington, D.C. The deposition in the above matten was held in Room HVC-3O4, Capitol Visiton Center, commencing at 8:10 a.m. UNCLASS I FIED 2 UNCLASS I FIED L Pnesent: Repnesentatives Schiff, Himes, Sewe11, Speien, Quigley, Swalwe11, Castno, Heck, WeIch, Maloney, Demings, Knishnamoonthi, Nunes, Conaway, Tunnen, Wenstnup, Stefanik, Hund, and Ratcliffe. Also Pnesent: Repnesentatives Bena, Cicilline, Connol1y, Coopen, Keating, Lieu, Lynch, Malinowski, Phi1lips, Raskin, Rouda, Tlaib, Wassenman Schultz, Anmstnong, C1oud, Higgins, Jondan, Ke11y, Massie, Meadows, Nonman, Penny, and Roy. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNCLASS I FIED 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 UNCLASS I F]ED Appeanances: Fon the PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 UNCLASS ] F]ED 4 UNCLASS IFIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fon the COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM: 10 FOn thc COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS: 11 t2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 Fon TIM MORRISON: BARBARA VAN GELDER HANNAH CORNETT UNCLASS I FIED 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L1 L2 13 t4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED THE CHAIRMAN: Good monning, Mn. Monnison. We'ne on the necord now. Good monning, and welcome to the House Penmanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which, along with the Foneign Affains and Oversight Committees, is conducting this investigation as pant of the official impeachment inquiny of the House of Repnesentatives. Today's deposition is being conducted as pant of the impeachment inquiny. In light of attempts by the administnation to dinect witnesses not to coopenate with the inquiny, including effonts to limit witness testimony, the committee had no choice but to compel youn appeanance today. We thank you for complying with the duly authonized congnessional subpoena. Mn. Monnison has senved fon almost two decades in government, having held positions in both the executive and legislative bnanches. Mr. Monnison senved as a pnofessional staff memben fon Repnesentative Mank Kennedy of Minnesota and Senaton Jon KyI of Anizona. Laten, Mn. Monnison senved as the longtime policy dinecton fon the Republicans on the House Anmed Senvices Committee. In July 201-8, Mn. Monnison joined the National Secunity Council staff as Senion Dinecton fon Countening Weapons of Mass Destnuction. Following the depantune of Dn. Fiona Hill in JuLy 2OL9, Mp. Monnison assumed the position of Senion Dinecton fon Russia and Eunope. In this position, Mn. Monnison would have had access to and been involved in key policy discussions, meetings, and decisions on Russia and Uknaine that nelate dinectly to aneas under investigation by the UNCLASS I FIED 6 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED committees. Fina1ly, to nestate what I and others have emphasized in othen interviews, Congness will not tolenate any neprisal, threat of nepnisal, on attempt to retaliate against any U.S. Govennment official fon testifying befone Congness, including you on any of youn colleagues. It is distunbing that the t^Jhite House has sought to pnohibit employees fnom coopenating with the inquiny and have tnied to limit what they can say. This is unacceptable. Thankfully, consummate pnofessionals have demonstnated nemankable courage in coming forward to testify and tell the tnuth. We undenstand that you have nesigned fnom the NSC, Mn. Monnison, and we sincenely hope this is not a nesult of netaliation on repnisal due to youn testimony hene today. If it is, we would ask youn attonney to infonm us of any relevant information as Soon as possible. Befone I tunn to committee counsel to begin the intenview, I invite the nanking memben of the Intelligence Committee, Mr. Nunes, to make any opening remanks. MR. NUNES: Welcome, Mn. Mornison. Just be advised, because this is being done behind closed doors, the tnanscnipts anen't being neleased, thene's been a histony of the majonity cutting off oun questioners. Thene's also been a histony of leading the witness. And so I just want to advise you of that in advance. we hope that you will be fonthnight with us and answen the UNCLASS 1 FIED 7 UNCLASS I EIED 1 questions and not take coaching fnom the majority. And youn lawyen, 2 youn counsel should be advised that this has been a common theme 3 thnoughout the last month of these depositions. 4 And, with that, welcome. It's great to have you. s THE CHAIRMAN: In the intenest of time, I will not bothen to nebut 6 my colleague, but recognize Mn. Goldman. 7 MR. GOLDMAN: Thank you, Mn. Chainman. 8 This is a deposition of Timothy Monnison conducted by the House 9 Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence punsuant to the impeachment 10 inquiny announced by the Speaken of the House on Septemben 24th, 2OL9. 11 Mn. Mornison, if you could please state youn fu1l name and speII Lz youn last name fon the recond. 13 MR. MORRISON: Timothy Aron Monrison, M-o-n-n-i-s-o-n. t4 MR. GoLDMAN: And if you could just pu1l the mike close to you, 15 then you can nelax and just talk into it. Thank you. 16 Now, along with othen pnoceedings in funthenance of the inquiny t7 to date, this deposition is pant of a joint investigation led by the 18 Intelligence Committee, in coondination with the Committees on Foneign 19 Affains and Ovensight and Reform. 20 In the noom today are majonity staff and minonity staff fnom all zt thnee committees, and this will be a staff-Ied deposition. Membens zz of counse may ask questions duning thein allotted time, as has been 23 the case in eveny deposition since the inception of this investigation. 24 My name is Daniel Goldman. I'm the dinecton of investigations zs for the Intelligence Committee's majonity staff. And I want to thank UNCLASS I EIED 8 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t7 12 13 t4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED you again fon coming in today. Let me do some bnief intnoductions. To my night hene is Daniel Noble, senion investigative counsel fon the Intelligence Committee's majority staff. Mn. Noble and I will be conducting most of the intenview fon the majonity. And now I'd like to ask my countenparts on the minonity to intnoduce themselves. MR. CASTOR: Steve Caston with the Ovensight Committee Republican staff. I MR. GOLDMAN: This deposition will be conducted entinely at the unclassified leve1. Howeven, it is being conducted in HPSCI secure spaces and in the pnesence of staff with appropniate security cleanances. We understand that youn attorneys also have thein secunity cleanances. Is that night? MS. VAN GELDER: NO. MR. GOLDMAN: Okay. They do not. It is the committee's expectation, regandless of that, that neithen questions asked of you non answens pnovided by you will requine discussion of any information that is cunnently or at any point could be pnopenly classified unden Executive Onden 13526. UNCLASS ] FIED 9 L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED You are neminded that E0 13526 states that, quote, "in no case shall infonmation be classified, continue to be maintained as classified, on fail to be declassified fon the punpose of concealing any violations of law on pneventing embannassment of any penson on entity. " If any of our questions can only be answened with classified infonmation, please infonm us of that fact before you answen the question, and we can adjust accondingly. Today's deposition is not being taken in executive session, but because of the sensitive and confidential natune of some of the topics and matenials that will be dlscussed, access to the tnanscnipt of the deposition will be limited to the thnee committees in attendance. Unden the House deposition nuIes, no Memben of Congness non any staff memben can discuss the substance of the testimony that you provide today. You and youn attonney will have an oppontunity to review the tnanscnipt befone it is neleased. Befone we begin, I'd like to go oven some of the gnound nules fon the deposition. We will be following the House negulations fon depositions, which have pneviously been pnovided to youn counsel. The deposition will pnoceed as follows. The majonity will be given t houn to ask questions; then the minonity will be given t houn to ask questions. Theneaften, we will altennate back and fonth between majonity and minonity in 45-minute nounds until questioning is complete. UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 74 15 16 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 10 UNCLASS IF]ED We will take peniodic bneaks, but if you need a bneak at any time, please let us know. Unden the House deposition nules, counsel fon othen pensons on government agencies may not attend. You are penmitted to have an attonney pnesent duning this deposition, and I see that you have bnought two. At this time, if counsel could please state thein appeanances fon the necond. MS. VAN GELDER: BANbANA VAN GEldEN. MS. CORNETT: Hannah Connett. MR. GgLDMAN: Thene is a stenognaphen taking down evenything that is said hene today in onden to make a wnitten necord of the deposition. Fon that necond to be cIean, please wait until each question is completed befone you begin your answen, and we will wait until you finish youn nesponse befone asking the next question. The stenognaphen cannot necond nonvenbal answens such as shaking your head, so it is important that you answen each question with an audible, venbal answer. We ask that you give complete replies to questions based on your best necollection. If a question is unclean on you ane uncentain in youn response, please let us know. And if you do not know the answen to a question or cannot nememben, simply say so. You may only nefuse to answer a question to pneserve a pnivilege necognized by the committee. If you nefuse to answen a question on the basis of pnivilege, staff may eithen proceed with the deposition UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 1l UNCLASS ] F]ED on seek a nuling fnom the chairman on the objection. If the chair ovennules any such objection, you ane requined to answen the question. Fina1ly, you ane neminded that it is unlawful to delibenately pnovide false infonmation to Membens of Congress or staff. It is impenative that you not only answen oun questions truthfully but that you give full and complete answers to all questions asked of you. Omissions may also be considened as false statements. Now, as this deposition is unden oath, Mn. Monnison, would you please stand and naise youn night hand to be swonn? Do you swean that youn testimony pnovided hene today will be the whole tnuth and nothing but the tnuth? MR. MORRISON: I do. MR. GOLDMAN: Thank you. You can be seated. Let the necond neflect that the witness has been swonn. Mn. Monnison, ifyou have an opening statement, now is the time. MR. MORRISON: Thank you. Chainman Schiff and membens of the committees, I appean today under subpoena to answen youn questions about my time as Senion Directon fon Eunopean Affains at the White House in the National Secunity Council. I will give you the most complete infonmation I can, consistent with my obligations to the Pnesident and the pnotection of classified infonmation. I do not know who the whistleblowen is, non do I intend to speculate as to who it may be. Befone joining the NSC in 2OL8, I spent 17 years as a Republican UNCLASS I FIED t2 UNCLASS I FIED 1 staffer senving in a vaniety of noles in both houses of Congness. My 2 last position was policy directon for the then-majonity staff of the 3 House Anmed Services Committee. 4 Fnom luly 9, 2078' to July 15, 2OL9, I senved as a Special 5 Assistant to the Pnesident fon National Secunity and as the NSC Senior 6 Directon fon Weapons of Mass Destnuction and Biodefense. In that roIe, 7 I had limited exposune to Uknaine, focusing pnimanily on foneign e military sales and anms contnol. 9 On July tS, 2O\9, I became Deputy Assistant to the Pnesident for 10 National Secunity. In this nole, I serve as the lead intenagency tt coondinaton fon nationat security issues involving Europe and Russia. L2 It is impontant to stant with the nole of the NSC. Since its 13 cneation by Congness in 1947 , the NSC has appropniately evolved in shape t4 and size to suit the needs of the Pnesident and the National Secunity 15 Advison it senves at the time. But its mission and core function has 16 fundamentally nemained the same: to coondinate acnoss departments and L7 agencies of the executive branch to ensure the Pnesident has the policy 18 options he needs to accomplish his objectives and to see that his 19 decisions ane imPlemented. 20 The NSC staff does not make policy. NSC staff ane most effective zL when we ane neutral anbitens helping the nelevant executive bnanch 22 agencies develop options fon the Pnesident and implement his dinection. 23 In my cunnent position, I understood oun primary U.S. policy 24 objective in Ukraine was to take advantage of the once-in-a-generation zS oppontunity that nesulted fnom the election of President Zelensky and UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 13 UNCLASS ] E]ED the clean majonity he had gained in the Uknainian Rada to see neal anticonnuption nefonm take noot. The administration's policy was that the best way fon the United States to show its suppont fon Pnesident Zelensky's nefonm efforts was to make sure the United States' longstanding bipartisan commitment to stnengthen Uknaine's secunity nemained unaltened. It is easy to fonget here in Washington, but impossible in Kyiv, that Ukraine is still unden anmed assault by Russia, a nuclean-anmed state. We also tend to fonget that the United States had helped convince Uknaine to give up Soviet nuclear weapons in 1994. United States secunity-secton assistance fnom the Depantments of Defense and State is, thenefone, essential to Uknaine. Also essential is a stnong and positive nelationship with Ukraine at the highest levels of oun respective governments. In my nole as Senion Dinecton fon Eunopean Affains, I reponted dinectly to fonmen Deputy National Secunity Advison Dn. Chanles Kuppenman and fonmen National Secunity Advison Ambassadon John Bo1ton. I kept them fully infonmed on mattens that I believe menited thein awaneness on when I felt I needed some dinection. Duning the time nelevant to this inquiny, I neven bniefed the Pnesident on Vice Pnesident on mattens nelated to Ukrainian secunity. It was my job to coondlnate with the U.S. Embassy Chief of Mission to Ukraine, William Taylon, Special Repnesentative fon Uknaine Negotiations Kunt Vo1ken, and othen intenagency stakeholdens in the Depantments of Defense and State on othen Ukrainian mattens. UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LT 72 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 74 UNCLASS I FIED My pnimany responsibility has been to ensune Fedenal agencies had consistent messaging and policy guidance on national secunity issues involving Eunopean and Russian affairs. As Dn. Fiona Hill and I pnepaned fon me to succeed hen, one of the aneas we discussed was Uknaine. In that discussion, she infonmed me of hen concenns about two Uknaine pnocesses that were occunring: the nonmal intenagency pnocess led by the NSC with the typical depantment and agency panticipation, and a sepanate pnocess that involved chiefly the U.S. Ambassadon to the Eunopean Union. Dr. Hill told me that Ambassadon Sondland and President Trump's pensonal lawyen, Rudy Giu1iani, wene tnying to get Pnesident Zelensky to reopen Uknainian investigations into Bunisma. At the time, I did not know what Bunisma was on what the investigation entailed. Aften the meeting with Dn. HiIl, I googled "Bunisma" and leanned that it was a Uknainian energy company and that Hunten Biden was on its boand. I also did not undenstand why Ambassador Sondland would be involved in Uknaine policy, often without the involvement of oun duly appointed Chief of Mission, Ambassador Bill Taylon. My most fnequent convensations wene with Ambassadon Taylor because he was the U.S. Chief of Mission in Uknaine, and I was his chief conduit fon infonmation nelated to White House delibenations, including secunity-sector assistance and potential head-of-state meetings. This is a nonmal part of the coondination pnocess. In pnepanation fon my appearance today, I neviewed the statement Ambassadon Taylon pnovided this inquiry on October 22nd' 2019. I can UNCLASS I EIED 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LT L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I F]ED confinm that the substance of his statement as it nelates to convensations that he and I had is accunate. My necollections differ on two of the details, howeven. I have a slightly diffenent necollection of my Septemben L,2OL9' convensation with Ambassadon Sondland. 0n page t@ of Ambassadon Taylon's statement, he recounts a convensation I nelayed to him neganding Ambassadon Sondland's convensation with Uknainian Pnesidential Advison Yenmak. Ambassadon Taylon wnote, and I quote, "Ambassadon Sondland told Mn. Yenmak that secunity assistance money would not come until Pnesident Zelensky committed to punsue the Bunisma investigation, " end quote. My necollection is that Ambassadon Sondland's pnoposal to Mn. Yenmak was that it could be sufficient if the new Ukrainian Pnosecuton General, not Pnesident Zelensky, would commit to punsue the Bunisma investigation. I would also like to clarify that I did not meet with the Uknainian National Secunity Advison in his hotel noom, as Ambassadon Taylor indicated on page 11 of his statement. Instead, an NSC aide and I met with Mn. Danylyuk in the hotel's business centen. I also neviewed the memonandum of convensation of the July 25 phone call that was neleased by the White House. I listened to the call as it occunned from the Situation Room. To the best of my necollection, the MEMCON accunately and completely reflects the substance of the caII. UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 1.1. L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 16 UNCLASS IP]ED I also necall that I did not see anyone fnom the NSC Legal Advison's Office in the noom duning the caII. Aften the ca}1, I pnomptly asked the NSC Legal Advison and his deputy to neview it. I had thnee concenns about a potential leak of the MEMCON: finst, how it would play out in tnlashington's polanized envinonmentl second, how a leak would affect the bipartisan suppont oun Uknainian pantnens curnently expenience in Congness; and, thind, how it would affect the Ukrainian penceptlons of the U.S.-Uknaine nelationship. I want to be clean: I was not concenned that anything iI1ega1 was discussed. I was awane that the White House was holding up secunity-sector assistance passed by Congness -- excuse me. I was not aware that the White House was holding up the security-secton assistance passed by Congness until my supenior, Dn. Chanles Kuppenman, told me soon aften I succeeded Dn. Hil1. I was awane that the Pnesident thought Uknaine had a connuption problem, as did many othens familian with Uknaine. I was also aware that the Pnesident believed that Eunope did not contnibute enough assistance to Uknaine. I was dinected by Dr. Kuppenman to coordinate with the interagency stakeholdens to put togethen a policy process to demonstnate that the intenagency supponted secunity- secton assistance to Uknaine. I was confident that oun national secunity pnincipals -- the Secnetanies of State and Defense, the Dinecton of the Centnal UNCLASS T FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 L7 UNCLASS I FIED Intelligence Agency, and the head of the National Secunity Council -- could convince Pnesident Tnump to nelease the aid, because Pnesident Zelensky and the nefonm-oniented Rada wene genuinely invested in thein anticonnuption agenda. Ambassadon Taylon and I wene concenned that the longen the money was withheld, the more questions the Zelensky administnation would ask about the U.S. commitment to Uknaine. Oun initial hope was that the money would be neleased before the hold became public, because we did not want the newly constituted Uknainian Govennment to question U.S. suppont. I have no neason to believe the Uknainians had any knowledge of the neview until August 28, 201-9, Ambassadon Taylon and I had no neason to believe that the release of the secunity-secton assistance might be conditioned on a public statement reopening the Bunisma investigation until my Septemben 1, 20L9, convensation with Ambassadon Sondland. Even then, I hoped that Ambassadon Sondland's stnategy was exclusively his own and would not be considened by leadens in the administnation and Congness who undenstood the stnategic impontance of Ukraine to oun national secunity. f am pleased oun pnocess gave the Pnesident the confidence he needed to appnove the nelease of the secunity-secton assistance. My negret is that Uknaine even leanned of the neview and that, with this impeachment inquiny, Uknaine has become subsumed in the U.S. political process. UNCLASS I FI ED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LT 72 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 18 UNCLASS I EIED After 19 yeans of govennment senvice, I have decided to leave the NSC. I have not submitted a fonmal resignation at this time because I do not want anyone to think thene is a connection between my testimony today and my impending depanture. I plan to finalize my tnansition from the NSC aften my testimony is complete. Duning my time in public senvice, I have wonked with some of the smantest and most self-sacnificing people in this countny. Senving at the White House in this time of unpnecedented global change has been the oppontunity of a lifetime. I am pnoud of what I have been able in some small way to help the Tnump administration to accomplish. Thank you fon your attention. THE CHAIRMAN: Mn. Goldman, you ane necognized for t hour. MR. GOLDMAN: Thank you, Mn. Chainman. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Mn. Monnison, I just want to stant whene you ended, about your resignation. You said that it had nothing to do with youn testimony today. What is the neason that you ane nesigning anound this time ? A I have decided that it's time fon a change in my careen. a And so it had nothing to do with this Uknaine issue and the impeachment inquiry? A No. a Did you have any discussions with anyone -- othen than any fonmal lettens on convensations between any attorneys and youn attonney, did you personally have any discussions with anyone at the UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 19 UNCLASS I EIED White House about youn testimony hene today? A I discussed with pensonnel at the White House that I would be testifying. I did not talk about the substance of what my testimony would be. a Did anyone discourage you from testifying? A No. a Who did you speak to? A I talked to the Deputy National Secunity Advison, Matthew Pottingen. I talked to vanious pensonnel fnom NSC Pness. And I talked to the NSC Legal Advisor and his deputy. And I believe I informed my deputy that I would be testifying hene today. a Did anyone ask you what you wene going to say hene today? A No. a Did anyone encounage you to testify in a centain way? A No. a So is youn testimony hene today entinely of youn own necollection and volition? A Yes, and based on the consultations with my lawyen. a Did you review any notes befone you came to testify hene today? A Yes. a What did you neview? A I reviewed, among othen things, the notes I took on Ju1y 25th duning the head-of-state phone call between Pnesident Trump and Pnesident Zelensky. I neviewed vanious entnies in my official UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1L L2 13 t4 15 15 \7 18 19 20 21, 22 23 24 25 20 UNCLASS I FIED calendar with nespect to dates that meetings occurned, dates that phone calls occunred. I neviewed emails I sent to make sune I was connectly remembering the timelines on which things occunned. a Okay. Now, Iet's focus on when you took oven as the Senion Dinecton for Eunope and Russia. What date was that? A July 15, 2OL9. a And, pnion to that, you indicated that you had some involvement in Uknaine nelated to some of the anms sales that was the focus of youn pnion position? A Foreign militany sales and anms control. a Okay. Wene you following -- pnion to when you assumed this -- wel1, when did you know that you wene going to take oven this nole ? A I began negotiating with Ambassadon Bolton and Dn. Kuppenman pnobably mid-May of 2@19 about whethen and if I would take on the no1e. a How much of youn time in this position related to Uknaine? A Which position? a Your cunnent position. A A significant quantity. a And when you had those initial convensations with Ambassadon Bolton and Dn. Kupperman in May, did you specifically discuss Uknaine at all? A No. a Were you awane of the, sont of, swinling pness neponts UNCLASS I FlED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 27 UNCLASS I EIED nelated to Uknaine in May? A In passing. a And can you explain what you knew at that time? A I necall seeing vanious pness neponting about these -- about Uknaine issues, but I had a mone-than-full-time job that kept me pnetty occupied. a And what do you rememben? What issues do you nememben? A I have no specific necollection of a panticular Uknaine issue. I just neca}l seeing press neponting about who this Pnesident Zelensky was. He's a comedian. He had a TV show. Those kinds of issues. a Uh-huh. Wene you following any public statements made by Rudy Giuliani related to Uknaine at this time? A Not that I can recaI1. a And between mid-May when you accepted the job and July 15th when you stanted, what did you do, if anything, to study up on Ukraine issues befone you took oven the job? A I had one on two, sont of, tnansition convensations, handoff convensations with Dn. HilI. a That was befone July 15th? A That was befone JuIy 15th. Pnobably beginning around July 1, the fact of the tnansition became known to Dn. Hi11, and we began talking about how to make sune there was an ondenly handoff. a But aften you knew you were going to take this position, did you pay closen attention to the media neponts nelated to Uknaine? UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL 12 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 22 UNCLASS ] FIED A In fainness, no. I still had a full-time job that was occupying me. a Okay. So when you started talking to Dr. Hill on July 1st, wene you awane of any of the altennative nannatives that Mn. Giuliani and othens were pnomoting in the media? A As I said in my statement, DF. HiI1, when we began these handoff convensations, Uknaine was a topic of those convensations, and she infonmed me of hen concenns about this altennate pnocess. a So I just want to undenstand what youn knowledge was befone you met with Dn. HiII. Wene you awane of any of these altennative narnatives befone that? A I have no specific recollection about any altennative nannative. a Okay. So you descnibed that in your meeting with Dn. Hi1l, in youn opening statement, that you discussed, I think you said two -- I don't want to misstate what you said, but two pnocesses nelated to Uknaine. Is that night? A Yes. a So can you descnibe what you undenstood from Dn. Hill to be the two separate pnocesses? A As I said in my statement, thene was the nonmal pnocess, where decisionmaking went thnough the duly appointed pensonnel, whethen that's the Chief of Mission, Ambassador Taylor, Envoy Volken, the appnopniate pensonnel fnom the Depantments of State and Defense and Energy and intetligence agencies and so forth, as we nonmally do UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 23 UNCLASS I E]ED business unden the NSPM-4 pnocess. And thene was this second tnack, chiefly led by Ambassadon Sondland, where Rudy Giuliani's name would come up. a In that convensation, did you have any discussion about the policy positions of both pnocesses, as you call them, including whethen thene was any diffenence between the, sont of, two tracks in tenms of policy ? A Not as such. It was chiefly focused on, hene's the nonmal pnocess where decisions get made that I was familian with fnom my own job, and hene was this other tnack where Ambassadon Sondland and Mn. Giuliani wene involved. Fiona mentioned that they wene intenested in issues such as the Bunisma investigation, and I noted that. And that was essentially the substance of the convensation. a What did she say specifically about Ambassador Sondland and his nole? A She described Ambassadon Sondland as a pnoblem. We both discussed that Uknaine was not in the EU, which led to the follow-on question of, why is he involved in Ukraine? And, as I mentioned, she mentioned Bunisma, which I neaIly did not know what that was. a So just focusing on Ambassadon Sondland fon a minute, did she explain to you hen undenstanding as to why Ambassadon Sondland was involved in Ukraine policy? A She stated that Ambassadon Sondland believed he had the mandate to get involved based on his nelationship with the Pnesident. a Was it based on his nelationship on based on a dinective fnom UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 77 L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 24 UNCLASS I EIED the Pnesident, as you undenstood it? A The way I necall hen nelating it to me, based on hen penspective, was his nelationship. a Othen than the fact that Uknaine is not in the EU, did she indicate to you any othen concenns about Ambassador Sondland's nole? A It was less about his nole in Ukraine and mone about how he conducted himself. He did not panticipate in the pnocess. So we ane very pnocess-oniented on the NSC; we have a way we do things that works. And so when people come in and get involved in issues and they'ne not of that process, it cneates risk. a And what did she say to you about Rudy Giuliani? A She mentioned that Gondon talked with Rudy, and she mentioned that she stayed away fnom any convensation with Rudy and that I would be wise to do the same. a And we'1l get to Bunisma in a minute, but did she mention anything else, othen than Bunisma, in connection to what Rudy Giuliani's interest in Uknaine was? A She mentioned Rudy - - and I should say cleanly fon the recond that, in some cases, I considen Bunisma to sont of be a bucket of issues. Bunisma is Bunisma the company, Bunisma is Hunten Biden on the boand, and I sometimes lump togethen Burisma and the 2016 serven in my head, chiefly because they ane all issues I tnied to stay away from. a Why did you tny to stay away -- do you necall that she also mentioned in that convensation or subsequent convensation the 2016 election, separate from -- UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 25 UNCLASS I FIED A She mentioned the fact a Bunisma? A -- of some -- excuse me. a Go ahead. A She mentioned the fact of some speculation about a senven. a And did she mention anything about some allegations that Uknaine may have been involved in intenfening in the 2016 election? A She mentioned that thene was some concenn in some quantens that thene was a server that had something to do with the 2@L6 election, but it was all fairly unknown to me. a And why did you want to stay away fnom this bucket that you descnibe as Bunisma? A I deemed it appropniate to fo1low Dn. HilI's counsel to do so. a And what was the neason that she gave you to do so? A Because it had nothing to do with oun policy process. a Can you explain how on why? A We wene chiefly involved in issues nelated to -- in the Uknaine pnocess, we were chiefly involved in issues related to managing the new Uknainian Government, wonking with them to cement thein nefonm agenda, wonking with them on secunity, wonking with them on a dozen othen projects that ane beyond the scope of today's proceeding. a Did you come to leann about a July 10th meeting at the White House with Ambassadon Bolton, Ambassadon Sond1and, Volken, othen Amenican officials, as well as Uknainian officials? UNCLASSIFIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 14 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 26 UNCLASS 1 FIED A No. a Dn. Hill didn't tell you about that meeting at all? A No. a And you didn't attend it? A No. a So, by the time she left, you wene not aware of this meeting that had occunned? A No. a Okay. Pnion to the July 25th call, did you have any sense as to whethen Ambassadon Sondland was speaking with any Uknainians directly? A Yes. I think that was pant of the handoff convensations that Dn. Hill and I had and pant of why she expnessed concenn about him acting outside of the nonmal process. a Okay. When you had these tnansition meetings with Dn. Hill -- and, by the way, how many wene thene, do you know, nelated to Uknaine? A I think Uknaine pnobably - - thene wene pnobably three meetings, about an houn each. Ukraine came up in two ofthe meetings. a And do you necall when? A When the meetings occurred? a Right. A Between July 1 and JulY L5. a Okay. Did Dn. Hilt discuss with you the possibility of a White House UNCLASS IEIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 UNCLASS I FIED meeting between Pnesident Zelensky and Pnesident Tnump? A Yes. A What did she say to You about that? A It was on a list of meetings that we were tnacking, head-of-state meetings, othen impontant meetings that would involve the Pnesident. tnle called them schedule pnoposals. So, here's what's pending. a In youn convensation with Dn. HiIl about a potential White House meeting fon Pnesident Zelensky, did she discuss at all Ambassadon Sondland's role on Rudy Giuliani's nofe in setting up that meeting? A No. a Did she indicate to you at all whether thene wene some numblings about punsuing the bucket of Bunisma investigations in onden to get a White House meeting? A No. a So aften July 15th and pnion to JuIy 25th, let's focus on that timefname fon a minute. When did you become awane that thene was the possibility of a phone call between Pnesident Zelensky and President Tnump? A Fainty eanly. I 'd have to necall exactly when the Uknainian Rada election occunned, but we wene watching it closely. We expected Pnesident Zelensky's panty, the Senvant of the People, to do weII. We did not expect it to do as well as it did. It obtained a clean mandate, a clean majonity. And we wanted Uknaine -- we wanted thene to be a phone call similan to the phone call the Pnesident placed to UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t1 L2 13 1.4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 28 UNCLASS I FIED congnatulate Pnesident Zelensky fon his own election, we wanted thene to be a phone call to congratulate Pnesident Zelensky fon his decisive victony. a hlhen you took oven this role, did you go back and neview the tnanscript of the Apnil 21st call? A No. a Did you get a neadout on any information about that call? A No. a So how do you know that it was congnatulatory? A Because that was the punpose of the call that was descnibed to me. a So someone did descnibe it to you? A I was awane that thene was a caII. I neven got a debniefing. I never read the MEMCON of that package. a Did someone just descnibe to you genenally what happened? A It was descnibed to me that the call occunned, it was a congnatulatony phone call on his election. a t,lJhen you said we wanted to set up a congnatulatony phone caII, who do you mean by "we"? A My office, my dinectorate. a Did you even speak to Ambassadon Bolton specifically about a phone call between Zelensky and Tnump? A Yes. a What did Ambassadon Bolton say to you about that possibility? A That he was wonking on it. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 29 UNCLASS I FIED a Was thene some discussion as to whethen it would be befone the election or aften the election, as fan as you know? A No. a By the time you got thene, it was always going to be aften the panliamentany election? A YeS. a To youn knowledge, was thene any difficulty in setting up this call? A No. a Was it set up, as fan as you know, thnough nonmal channels? A Yes. a Do you know whethen Mn. Giuliani had any discussions with anyone about setting up a call? A No. a Do you know whether Ambassadon Sondland had any discussions with anyone in the Chief of Staff's office on the Pnesident about setting up this call? A Yes. a hJhat do you know about that? A Which? MS. VAN GELDER: I don't think that his convensations with the Pnesident he can talk to. MR. GOLDMAN: About Ambassadon Sondland's conversations with the Pnesident ? MS. VAN GELDER: I'm going to say if he knows about it, if he was UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 30 UNCLASS I E]ED thene, he can't talk about it. If he was told by Ambassador Sond1and, he can talk about it. If you could nepeat the question, maybe we can get thnough it anothen way. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a I'11 bneak it out. Do you know whethen Ambassadon Sondland spoke with Mick Mulvaney on anyone in Mick Mulvaney's office about a call? A No. MS. VAN GELDER: Which call? BY MR. GOLDMAN: a A potential call with Pnesident Zelensky, what ultimately became 7/25. A No. a Do you know whethen Ambassadon Sondland spoke to Pnesident Trump about it? A I know that Ambassadon Sondland told me he spoke to the Pnesident about it. a And when did he teII you that? A The morning of JuIy 25th. a And so can you describe the convensation that you had with Ambassadon Sondland the monning of July 25th? A Ambassadon Sondland emailed me and sevenal othen t^Jhite House staff to inform us that he had spoken to the Pnesident that monning to bnief him on the caII. UNCLASS IFIED L 31 UNCLASS I FIED a And did he explain to you what he told the Pnesident in that bniefing ? A The convensation was entinely oven emai1. He sent me an email listing thnee topics that he was wonking on, the finst of which was "I spoke to the President this monning to bnief him on the calL." a And so he didn't give any more descniption as to what his bniefing was? A The convensation was exclusively oven email. a I undenstand, but in the email he didn't explain any more A That was the extent of what he said about the Uknaine call. a OkaY. And do you know if Pnesident Tnump was pnepped thnough the nonmal NSC pnocess? A I know we provided him the regulan call package. a Did Ambassadon Bolton even express any reservations to you about a call between Pnesident Trump and President Zelensky? A No. a Pnion to this caII, did you have any discussions with Ambassadon Bo1ton younself about this altennative pnocess with Sondland and Giuliani? A No. a Did Dn. HiIl bnief you at all on Ambassadon Bolton's views about Sondland on Giuliani? A Could you nestate and be more specific? a In youn tnansition meetings about Uknaine with Dn. Hi11, did UNCLASS I FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 32 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.1 72 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I P]ED she relay to you what she undenstood to be Ambassadon Bolton's opinion of Mn. Giuliani? A No. a And how about Mn. Giuliani's role as it nelates to Uknaine? A No. a So, prion to this call on July 25th, YoU wene unaware, eithen fnom dinect convensations on convensations with othen people, about any resenvations Ambassadon Bolton had about the Uknaine situation? A That is conrect. a OkaY. Were you pnesent when the Pnesident was pnepped for this caIl? A No. a Do you know if he was onaI1y pnepped fon it? A No. a Do you know whethen Ambassadon Sondland or -- we1l, withdrawn. When did you finst leann about Kunt Volken's role with Uknaine ? A Duning the tnansition meetings with Dn. HiI1. THE CHAIRMAN: If I could just clanify, Mn. Goldman. Mn. Monnison, you mentioned that eithen you on others pnepaned a negulan call package in anticipation ofthe July 25th call. Is that night ? MR. MORRISON: COrrCCt. THE CHAIRMAN: And that would've been the necommendations of the NSC as to what should take place on the call on to help prepare the UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7t t2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 33 UNCLASS I FIED Pnesident fon the call? MR. MORRISON: Yes. THE CHAIRMAN: And I take it that the Bunisma bucket of issues that you descnibed was not mentioned anywhene in that ca}l package? MS. VAN GELDER: He can't talk to what was in the call package. THE CHAIRMAN: WeII, I'm asking what was excLuded fnom the call package. You said you wanted Mn. Monnison to avoid that whole bucket of issues. I take it that bucket of issues was not part of the official call package to the Pnesident. M5. VAN GELDER: I'm going to instruct him not to answen that question. THE CHAIRMAN: Mn. Monrison, I need to infonm you and youn counsel, the White House has not invoked any pnivilege. They had the oppontunity, knowing of youn testimony, to convey to the committee that this question on that question on this convensation on that question was pnivileged. They have made no such nepnesentation to the committee, non have they sought to obtain an opinion fnom the Justice Depantment that anything that we'ne asking about is pnivileged. So we don't recognize any potential futune invocation of pnivilege in this committee, and you are instnucted to answen the question. MS. VAN GELDER: f'm going to instnuct him not to. I will just basically say we ane taking oun guidance fnom the U. S. Distnict Count's decision in U.S. v. Miens. We believe that there is a pnesumptive UNCLASS IEIED 34 UNCLASS IF]ED 1 Pnesidential pnivilege. It is not his to waive. It is not his to answen. If the committee desires to go to the count, as Judge Bates said in the Miens case, it is a question-by-question matten, then we will answen it. But we have been put in an awkward position, at most, in which the bunden of noncompliance is on the individual. so I say this with all due nespect, sin. I do not want to have eithen him on I in contempt, but I also recognize that this is a man with an ongoing secunity cleanance and that, you know, if we can get this laten, you can deal with it, we can go anound it, maybe we can wonk it out. But fon this moment, I would respectfully ask you if you could table that and go back and get to the other issues which he can talk. Then we can maybe, duning a bneak, talk about it. But at this point, it's a hard stoP. THE CHAIRMAN: trle will -- let's do this. Let's duning a bneak see if we can do a workanound. But I do want to say fon the necond, while it is not the witness's position to waive a pnivilege, it is also not his position to assent the pnivilege on behalf of the White House. MS. VAN GE LDER: Right . tale ' re not asserting pnivilege . we are just dinecting him not to answer it. THE CHAIRMAN: And therein lies the problem. MS. VAN GELDER: Yes, I know. THE CHAIRMAN: We}1, we',11 come back to this, and hopefully we can do a wonkanound. If this was not part of the call package, it seems to me thene is no potential pnivilege involved hene, but we can discuss 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 tl L2 13 14 15 t6 t7 18 L9 20 27 22 23 24 25 ) UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TL 72 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 35 UNCLASS] FIED that duning a necess. Mn. Goldman. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a So I was asking you about Ambassadon Volken, who was the Special Envoy for Uknaine negotiations. But when did you leann that Ambassadon Volken was al.so involved in broaden Uknaine issues? Let me phnase it this way: When did you learn that Ambassadon Vo1ken was involved in issues sepanate fnom the conflict in the eastern pant of Uknaine? A It would've been in one of my convensations with Ambassadon TayIon. a And when was your first convensation with Ambassadon Taylor aften July 15th? You may consult with youn attonney. I mean, You ane fnee to nefnesh youn necollection with any document that you wish to look at. IDlscussion off the necond.] BY MR. GOLDMAN: a We'11 move on. I guess the question is, did you speak with Ambassadon Taylon, do you know, befone the luly 25th call? A To the best of my necollection, my initial conversation with Ambassadon Taylon was to pnovide him what I thought was an appnopniate out-bniefing on the call. a So you didn't speak to Ambassadon Taylon befone the call? A Not that I can necall. a Did you speak with Ambassadon Volken befone the call? UNCLASS IFIED 1 36 UNCLASS ] FIED A No. a Did you speak with Ambassadon Sondland befone the call? A Can you be mone specific? a Speak on the phone on in penson. A 0n any topic? a No. Sonny. 0n Uknaine issues. A I believe so. a When did you speak to him? 0n -- sonry. Let's just do it this way. The specific date doesn't matten as much as: Did you speak to him between July 15th and July 25th? A YeS. a And can you descnibe what that conversation was about? A So we had an initial discussion, sont of an introduction, befone I officially took oven, whene we just genenally had an introductony convensation. We had a phone convensation not long aften I took oven, and while we wene planning the cal1, to discuss what I knew, essentially. He was asking, did I have any visibility on when a call might occun. A And how did you respond? A I told him whene I undenstood it to be; we wene trying to schedule it. I -- yeah. I mean, we just generally -- "Do you know when the call will occun?" I placed inquinies in oun pnocess to figune out whene the nequest fon the call was, and I informed him of what I knew. a Did he say anything to you about convensations - - duning that UNCLASS ] FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2l 22 23 24 25 t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 37 UNCLASS I FIED phone call, did he say anything to you about convensations he was having with any Uknainian officials? A Not that I necaII. a Do you know whethen he spoke to any Uknainian officials befone the call? A The only necollection I have of that fact is based on what I have neviewed in the testimony. a Okay. And did the testimony nefnesh youn necollection? A To the best of my necollection, it was the finst I }eanned of some of these engagements. a Okay. That's a diffenent answen. Wene you awane of whethen Ambassadon Volken was in touch with any Uknainian officials about the call pnion to the call? A No, I don't believe I was. a A11 right. Wene you awane that Dn. Kuppenman had a call with Oleksandn Danylyuk on July 20th? A 0n JuIy 20th? No. a 0n anound that time? A No. But I was on tnavel pnetty much immediately aften taking over on July 1-5th. a Okay. So you helped to pnepane those, sont of, typical talking points fon a Pnesidential calll And I say "typical-" in the sense that that's the nonmal pnocess. UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 17 18 79 20 27 22 23 24 25 38 UNCLASS I FIED A We have a fonmal package. t^Je are veny pnocess-oniented; everything has a template. We completed the template. a And, at that point, you had alneady detenmined that you wanted to stay away fnom the Bunisma bucket of investigations. Is that night ? A I was advised to do so by Dn. Hill duning oun tnansition convensations, yes. a And did you follow that advice? A Yes. a So let's -- in neviewing open-sounce infonmation today, did you review any text messages that have been neleased nelated to this issue ? A Yes. a Did you neview a text message fnom -- one second. IDiscussion off the necord.] BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Did you neview a text message fnom Kunt Volken to Andney Yenmak whene Volken said, quote, "Heand from White House. Assuming President Z convinces Tnump he will investigate/'get to the bottom of what happened' in 2OL6, we will nail down date fon visit to Washington. Good luck"? Did you A Yes. a -- read that one? You wene not awane of this back-channel effonts by Ambassadon Volker? Is that what youn testimony is? A At what point in time? UNCLASS I FlED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L7 12 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 39 UNCLASS I F]ED a At this point. A In the lead-up to the call on JuIy 25? a Right. A No. a And pnion to neading about it in the news, did you become awane of -- A Yes. a 0kay. When did you become awane? A f can't recaLL exactly, but it was something that Ambassadon Taylon bnought to my attention. a Okay. In the JuIy 28th call you had with him? A No. a A11 night. Let's get to the July 25th call. Whene did you listen to the call? A The White House Situation Room. a Who else was in the Situation Room with you? A To the best of my recollection, Rob BIain from the White House Chief of Staff's office, I fnom NSC Pness, Alexanden Vindman fnom my office, lennifen Williams, and Genenal Keith Kellogg fnom OVP. a Was Dn. Kupperman thene? A He was not in the Situation Room. a Do you know whethen he was listening to the call elsewhene? A I have been infonmed, based on neview of open-source matenial aften the fact -- and f can't speak to its venacity -- that he was. a But you didn't leann fnom him dinectly at that point? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 1.4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 40 UNCLASS IE]ED A NO. a Do you know whethen Secnetany Pompeo joined the call? A I've leanned fnom open-sounce neponting aften the fact that Secnetany Pompeo's counseLon was listening to the call on a dnop 1ine, but I can't independently vouch fon that fact. a Okay. We1l, let me ask you this question: Do you know whethen any other American officials wene listening to the call who wene not in the Situation Room? A Yes. a Who? A WHSR pensonnel who prepane the MEMCON package. a What pensonnel? A Sonny. hJhite House Situation Room. a Okay. They'ne the ones who pnepane the summany of the call that has been neleased? A They pnepane the original input to the MEMCoN package that we then review. a Okay. To youn knowledge, did President Tnump follow the talking points that you had pnepaned fon him? A On advice of counsel, I can't answer that question. a Okay. Sonny. I'm just pulling up youn -- Mn. Morrison -- A I would like to clanify, I was not the sole author of the bniefing package. I was the final neviewing authonity. a Undenstood. who was the othen -- who was the pnimany author? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 4L UNCLASS IE]ED A Alex Vindman. a So, as you wene listening to the call, did thene come a time when you became concenned about anything that you heand? A Yes. a And what do you necall being the first time -- fon the finst moment that you were concenned, what was the subject that concenned you ? A So I was concenned about how Pnesident Zelensky was talking to President Tnump. I found it obsequious. I heand issues nelated to the senven. And I was concer.ned that Dn. HiIl was connect about thls panalIe1 pnocess. And I gnew concenned that the call was not the full-thnoated endonsement of the Uknaine refonm agenda that I was hoping to hean. a What language did Pnesident Zelensky speak? A I necall him speaking sont of chopped English, but he also had a tnanslaton. a Meaning that he also spoke Uknainian? A Yes. a Okay. Do you speak Uknainian? A No. a You said that when you heand the senven mentioned that confinmed the concenns of Dr. Hill -- ot', sonry, that concerned the altennative pnocess of Dn. Hill, what do you mean by that? A It menely pnovided confinmation of the concenns Dn. Hill naised about this panallel pnocess that was completely new to me. This UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 42 UNCLASS IF]ED is one of the topics she advised was in that para1Ie1 pnocess. a And did it concern you because this was now the Pnesident of the United States pnomoting those altennative views? A My pnimany concenn was I was focused on -- I was waiting fon the president to talk a little bit more fonwand-leaning -- with a little bit mone of a fonwand-leaning endonsement of the Zelensky nefonm agenda. a okay, but you specifically said that the senven confinmed fon you that there was an alternative pnocess that was -- but I guess you knew thene was an -- on you had been told thene was an altennative pnocess. What was youn concenn hearing Pnesident Tnump? A I was not directly awane of it. I was not dinectly awane of it finsthand, pensonally, until that point. a Got it. Do you recall in the moment when President Tnump stanted talking about Ambassadon Yovanovitch? A I necall -- I don't think he mentioned her name, but I necall him making an oblique refenence that I laten understood was Ambassadon Yovanovitch. a And did you have an immediate neaction to that? A No. a Do you necall hearing him mention Bidens? A Yes. a And what was youn immediate neaction to that? A Again, it was mone confirmation of what Dn. Hill had infonmed UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 43 UNCLASS I FIED me was out thene. a You said that an NSC Legal no one from the NSC Legal Advisor's Office was in the noom but that you pnomptly went to see the NSC Legal Advison and his deputy to -- on you asked them to review it. Who ane you nefenning to, with the NSC Legal Advison and the deputy? A The NSC Lega1 Advisor is lohn Eisenbeng. His deputy is Michael E]]is. a How pnomptly aften the call did you ask them to neview it? A It was fainly contemponaneous. It was -- I don't recall if it was the finst thing I did after the caII, but it was fainly shont orden. a And why did you go to speak to them to ask them to neview it? A Oniginally -- so my initial concern was, as I said in my statement, thene was nobody fnom the Lega1 Advison's Office on the call. I wanted them to have eyes on it. I didn't want it to fall to one of thein deputies, one of the line attonneys. I wanted them to put eyes on it. a tl'Ihy? A Because I was concenned about whethen on not they would agnee that it would be damaging fon the neasons I outlined in my statement if the caII package if the call MEMCON on its contents leaked. a So your primany concenn aften this call occunned was that it would leak? A Yes. UNCLASS I FIED 44 UNCLASS I F]ED 1 Q You wenen't I understand that you didn't think that it 2 was iIIegaI, but did you think that it was appnopniate on propen? 3 A Did I think what was appnopriate on pnopen? 4 Q Pnesident Tnump's convensation. Do you think that 5 Pnesident Tnump's wonds wene propen? 6 A I did not have a view on that. 7 Q Okay. So you wene just concenned that it would leak. And 8 you wene concerned that it would leak you gave fon thnee neasons in 9 youn opening statement. The first is how it would play out in 10 Washington's polanized envinonment. So is another way of saying that 11 that you were concenned about the political implications of that? L2 A I was concenned about how the contents would be used in 13 Washington's political pnocess. t4 a Because you thought it would look poonly on the Pnesident? 15 A Wel1, I mean, it's neally the thnee neasons I outlined. It 16 was, I was concenned about how it could be used. I didn't necessarily t7 fully undenstand how everybody could use it, but I was concenned that 18 it would wind up politicizing Uknaine. I was concenned that that 19 would, in turn, cost bipantisan suppont. And I was concenned about 20 how the Uknainians would intennalize that. 2L a We1}, the Uknainians wene obviously on the cal1. 22 A Yes. 23 a So what was youn concenn about them? 24 A We1I, thene's one thing fon what they hean finsthand fnom zS the Pnesident; thene's anothen thing fon how that then gets used in UNCLASS IFIED 45 UNCLASS IFIED 1 2 3 4 5 the political pnocess. a But you wenen't concenned what they heard about finsthand. You were just concenned about what they would hean in the political pnocess ? A Yes. UNCLASS ] FIED L 46 UNCLASS I FIED 19:tO a.m. l BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Why wene you more concerned about the political pnocess rathen than what they heand fnom the Pnesident of the United States? A I can't speak to that. I'm simply netelling you what I was wonnied about when I heand the call and why I went oven and talked to the Lega1 Advisor. a Why can't you sPeak to that? A I'm tnying to relate to you what I thought at the time. This is what I thought at the time as I nelated it in my statement. a Right. I undenstand what you said in youn statement. I'm cunious, though, that you wene concerned about the effect on Ukrainian penceptions of a leak, but you wene not concenned about Uknainian penceptions from the content of the convensation? A Connect. THE CHAIRMAN: Did you have anything you wanted to add? MR. MORRISON: No, sir. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. I just wanted to fo1low up a bit on this. One of the concerns, and thene may be an overlap between the finst two concenns you mentioned about the caII, and if the call became public. Finst, you said you wene concenned how it would play out in Washington's polanized envinonment and, second, how a leak would affect bipantisan suppont fon oun Uknainian pantners. Wene those concenns nelated to the fact that the President asked his Ukrainian countenpant to look into on investigate the Bidens? UNCLASS I FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 t4 15 16 17 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 47 UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: No, not sPecificallY. THE CHAIRMAN: So you didn't think that the Pnesident of the United States asking his countenpant to conduct an investigation into a potential opponent in the 2@2@ election might influence bipantisan suppont in Congness? MR. MORRISON: NO. THE CHAIRIvIAN: And you wenen't concenned that the Pnesident bninging up one of his political opponents in the Pnesidential election and asking a favon with respect to the DNC senven or 2@!6 theony, you wenen't concerned that those things would cause people to believe that the Pnesident was asking his countenpant to conduct an investigation that might influence his neelection campaign? MR. MORRISON: No. THE CHAIRMAN: That neven occunned to you? MR. MORRISON: NO. THE CHAIRMAN: Did you necognize duning the -- as you }istened to the call that if Uknaine wene to conduct these investigations, that it would inure to the Pnesident's political intenests? MR. MORRISON: NO. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Did the Pnesident's discussion of CnowdStnike, the senven, and the Bidens, was that consistent with what you undenstood to be U.S. official policy towands Uknaine? A No. a Did you have any funthen convensations with lohn Eisenbeng UNCLASS I EIED 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 48 UNCLASSI FIED or Michael Ellis about this call? A Subsequent to when I talked to them on the 25th, did I have additional convensations with them about the call? A Yes. A Yes. a When was the next convensation that you had? A It may have been laten that day. a Okay. And had they neviewed the call tnanscript by the time you had youn second meeting - - on the preliminany - - A Yes. a -- tnanscnipt? And what was the punpose of that second conversation with them? A I necommended to them that we restnict access to the package. a And how did you necommended to do that? A I recommended that we did not need quite so many people to have access to the package. a Did you necommend a specific way to nestrict access? A No, I did not. a Why wene you concerned about a leak of this call? I'm sonny. Why did you think this call may be leaked? A Because it's been my expenience in government thene's veny little that doesn't. a Had you even asked fon nestnicted access to any other head of state call that you listened in on? A Could you nestate? UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 49 UNCLASS I FIED a Have you Iistened to othen caIls between Pnesident Tnump and foneign leadens? A YeS. THE CHAIRMAN: In that negand, Mn. Monnison, wene thene any othen calls that you listened in on whene immediately theneaften you went stnaight to the Office of the Legal Counsel? MS. VAN GELDER: I 'm sorry. You can 't answer that. I think that in looking at youn subpoena, it's outside the bounds of what he has been subpoenaed to testify about. THE CHAIRMAN: WeI1, with nespect, Counsel, if this is the only time that he went dinectly to the legal counsel's office, that would be nelevant. If this was a noutine pnactice, that would also be nelevant. Mr. Mornison, can you tell us whethen thene wene any othen calls where you went essentially dinectly fnom the call to the Office of Legal Advisor ? MS. VAN 6ELDER: Can he answen the question whethen it was noutine on THE CHAIRMAN: Yes. Let's ask it that way. Was it noutine fon you, aften a Presidential call that you listened in on, to go to the Lega1 Advison? MS. VAN GELDER: To nestrict access, to ask to nestnict accesses. THE CHAIRMAN: No. I'm just asking whethen -- MS. VAN GELDER: Okay. A11 right. THE CHAIRMAN: -- this was unusual, on your usual pnactice aften UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 76 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 50 UNCLASS I F]ED listening in on Pnesidential call to go dinectly to the legal counsel? MR. MORRISON: Not to the best of my recollection. THE CHAIRMAN: I just want to make sune that I'm undenstanding youn answen. To the best of youn necollection, this was unusual? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I'm tnying to be caneful in my answen in tenms of I don't want to say something that I subsequently have a diffenent necollection about. I am specifically prepaned, fon the punpose of today's heaning, on the scope you outlined in youn letten. So I specifically looked into what I did with nespect to the July 25th phone caII. Thene wene othen calls I listened in to. I did not invest any time in attempting to reca11 evenything I did about those caI1s. THE CHAIRMAN: No, I'm not asking about evenything that you did with nespect to othen ca1ls. Let me ask you this way: Was it your practice to go immediately to the legaI counsel's office aften you listened in on Pnesidential calls on was this unusual? MR. MORRISON: It was not my pnactice. THE CHAIRMAN: MN. GOIdMAN. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Have you even asked the legal counsel to restrict access on any othen Presidential phone call? A Could you nestate the question? a Had you even asked the Legal Advison A No. a -- to nestnict access? The answen is no. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 51 UNCLASS ] FIED Do you necall whethen the White House neleased a neadout of this call ? A Yes. a It did? The Whlte House did, publicly? A A press neadout aften the call? No, I guess I don't necall. a You pnepaned one, though? A Yes. a Was that pnepaned in advance of the call? A Yes. a Did it have to be changed aften the call? A It was -- it may have been. It was not uncommon fon us to adapt a pnepaned statement fon what actually transpined on the ca11. a Undenstood. But do you necaIl specifically whethen you had to change the pness nelease on nead public neadouts? A I don't necall specifically. a Was that a pne-pnepaned pness nelease based on the talking points that you and Lieutenant Colonel Vindman had pnepaned? A Oun pnocess is to coondinate with NSC pness to pnepane a statement to issue aften a call based on, yes, what we expect to come up in the ca1l. A Going back to youn conversations with.the Lega1 Advison, just to necap, you asked them to nestnict access. Did you say anything else to them about the call? A I asked them to take a look at the call, because I didn't see anybody fnom their office on the call. UNCLASS IFIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 T2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 52 UNCLASS T FIED a That was in the finst convensation? A Connect. a The second convensation? A I necommended that we nestnict access to the package. a And did you say anything else about the substance of the call -- A Not that I necall. a -- to them? Did you speak to both Eisenberg and Ellis the second time? A I believe so. a And who nesponded to youn request to nestnict access that you recall? A Who nesponded? a Yes. Ellis or Eisenbeng? A It was an in-person convensation. I don't necall which of them spoke. a Okay. What was their nesPonse? MS. VAN GELDER: I'm going to ask you fon this one MR. MORRISON: TheY agneed. MR. GOLDMAN: Did they indicate to you whethen they had spoken to anyone else about the call? MS. VAN GELDER: ThAt -. MR. GOLDMAN: The fact of the convensation is not pnivileged. MS. VAN GELDER: I agree with you on that. If you go fanthen, you'ne night. I was pnematune, and I withdraw my objection. UNCLASS IE]ED 53 UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Did they indicate whethen they had spoken to anyone else? A Yes, I undenstood they did. a who? A The NSC Executive Secnetaniat. a Was that in connection to youn request to nestrict the access ? A Yes. a And did they speak -- do you know if they spoke to anybody else who listened to the call? A No. a Did you have an oppontunity to review the tnanscnipt to make edits based on youn notes? A I wouldn't agnee it was a tnanscnipt. a Undenstood. Sonny. How would you like to descnibe it? A A MEMCON package. a A MEMCON package. Did you neview the MEMCON package in orden to make any edits based on youn notes? A I neviewed the package. I do not recall making any edits. a But the punpose of the neviewing the package was to neview youn notes and make any edits that you deem necessany? A Yes, but it's also to neview the original speech-to-text tnanslation of the caIl. a And by the time that you neviewed it, had the tnanscnipt alneady divented fnom the nonmal pnocedunes? 10 11 72 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 54 UNCLASS I FIED A No. a At some point did you become aware of whethen it was put into the highly classified f sYstem? IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: I don't want to acknowledge the tenms fon the systems, but yes. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a We will just talk about a highly classified system. And wene you even pnovided with an explanation for why it was placed in the highly classified system? A Yes. a What was the explanation you wene given? A It was a mistake. a It was a mistake? A Yes. a Who told you that? A lohn Eisenbeng. a When did he te}l you that? A It would have been in the course of pneparing the Pnesident fon the meeting between himself and Pnesident Zelensky in Wansaw. a How did that convensation come uP? A Because I tried to gain access to the package. a And what happened when you tnied to gain access? A It was no longer in the Pontal. a And what did you do next? UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 79 20 2L 22 23 24 25 A a A a system ? A a thene ? 55 UNCLASS ] FIED I figured out where it was. How? By talking to the Executive Secnetaniat staff. And it turned out that it was in this highly classified Yes. And Eisenbeng told you it was a mistake to have been put it A The Exec-Sec staff related that they believed they wene instnucted by John Eisenbeng to put it on that system. a And so whose mistake was it to put it on the system? A Thein mistake. A So, just to be cIean, John Eisenbeng said to the Executive Secretany -- said that Executive Secnetary made a mistake by putting it on the highly classified system? A Yes. a And this was aften John Eisenbeng had told you that he agneed that access would be nestnicted? A Yes. a Ane you awane of any othen Pnesidential phone calls that wene put on the highly classified system? A I have no finsthand knowledge of that. a To youn knowledge, thene was nothing in this MEMC0N that would meet the nequinements to be put on a highly classified system, connect ? UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 tl L2 13 L4 15 L6 t7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 56 UNCLASS I EIED A Conrect. Sorny. a Did you have any funthen discussions with John Eisenbeng about nemoving it fnom the highly classified system? A Yes. a Descnibe what -- that convensation. It is not pnivileged. MS. SEWELL: [Pnesiding.] I just want to nemind the attonney that it is impontant that you speak into the mike MS. VAN GELDER: 0h, I'm sornY. MS. SEWELL: -- so that it can be tnanscnibed. Thank you. MR. CASTOR: When you confen with youn client, why don't you turn the mike off? MS. VAN GELDER: Did you hean what I said, Steve? MR. CASTOR: I did not. MS. VAN GELDER: Thank you. MS. SEWELL: But at any nate, fonmally speaking into the mike when tnanscnibed. MS. VAN GELDER: We have a height diffenence here. MS . SEIdE LL : GOtChA . MS. VAN GELDER: In an effont to continue this, can he speak in a genenal tenm and then if you want to foIlow up? MR. GOLDMAN: SUTC. MR. MORRISON: Could you nepeat the question? BY MR. GOLDMAN: a So describe, genenally, the convensation that you had about UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 57 UNCLASS I EIED lohn Eisenbeng about aften he said it was a mistake and whethen thene was any discussion about moving it out of that system. A So when we -- if we'ne still on when we wene tnying to gain access to it to pnepare the Pnesident fon the planned Wansaw meeting, it was, how did it get on thene. John nelated that he did not ask fon it to be put on thene, but that the Executive Secnetaniat staff misundenstood his necommendation fon how to nestnict access. a So he undenstood that he had told the Executive Secnetany staff to nestnict access, that much he acknowledgedi A He acknowledged -- he agneed with my necommendation and he had also infonmed the Exec-Sec staff to restnict access. a What othen ways would thene be to nestrict access? A You have to undenstand the pontal system. You can assign access to any panticular package on, nealIy, any topic to an entine distnibution list fon an entire dinectorate, like my dinectonate, the EUR dinectonate, or you can, by name, assign access. a And just to be cIean, you did not ask fon this MEMCON to be placed on this highly classified system? A I did not. a OkaY. MR. GOLDMAN: I think oun time is up, so we yield to the minonity. MS. SEWELL: The minonity will have t houn. MR. CASTOR: Thank you. BY MR. CASTOR: a When you mentioned to lohn Eisenberg youn concenns about the UNCLASS I FIE D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.I L2 13 74 15 16 T7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 58 UNCLASS I FIED memo leaking, did you have any idea what might be implemented othen than put it on the highly classified system? A I had in mind that we would by name -- that we would nestnict access to by name access. a And that can be done on the system that's not highly classified ? A That's connect. That's the function of the Exec-Sec pensonnel. a Okay. Did you have any -- you talked about two communications you had with Eisenbeng, EIlis. Any othens about that nefenned on nelated to the 7 /25 call? A So, in the counse of preparing Ambassador 0'Bnien fon the -- what became the POTUS-ZeIensky meeting at the U.N. Genenal Assembly, we again sought access and it was again sti11 nestnicted. So I necall talking to John at that time of, John, did we even figune out how to get this thing moved down? a Did Eisenberg on EIIis even appnoach you about othen concenns that wene naised to them by othen people? A Based -- I'm going to be clean -- based on the July 25 call? a Connect. A No. a Did you know if anybody else listening to the call -- A -- even, ever? Not to the best of my necollection. a Okay. Do you know if anyone else on the call went to Eisenbeng to express concenns? UNCLASS I FlED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 l4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 59 UNCLASS I FIED A I leanned based on pnepaning fon today's pnoceedings, based on open-sounce neponting, which I have no finsthand knowledge, that othen pensonnel did naise concenns. a Who? A Based on the open-sounce neporting, without finsthand knowledge, AIex Vindman on my staff. a And he neponts to you, conrect? A He does. a Did you find it unusual when you leanned that that youn dinect report went to Mn. Eisenbeng? A Unfontunate, but not unusual. a Can you explain that? A My pnedecesson had a diffenent style fon managing hen staff than I do. a And what was that style? A She did not have the same view of how neponting thnough the chain of command should work. a Okay. So it was youn expectation that people who neponted to you ought to keep you in the loop about impontant mattens? A Yes. a And so people if people that neponted to you needed to go talk with the lega1 team about concerns they had, you would expect to be kept in the loop? A Depending upon the issue. a Okay. If the issue didn't involve any, you know, sensitive UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.7 72 13 14 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 60 UNCLASS I EIED misconduct or employee issues? A Yes. a So, if it is official business, you would expect to have a convensation with youn dinect reponts befone communicating with the lawyens ? A Yes. a And it wasn't until -- at what point did you learn that Lieutenant Colonel Vindman went to Mn. Eisenbeng? A About the JuIy 25th phone call? a Yes. A In the counse of neviewing for this pnoceeding, neviewing the open necond. a So nelatively recently? A Yes. a So Eisenberg neven came to you and relayed to you that conversation ? A No. a El1is didn't eithen? A Not to the best of my necollection. a The memonandum of convensation that, the MEMCON, you believed it was accurate? A I believe it was accunate and complete. a And in youn view, there was nothing impnopen that occunred duning the call? A Correct. UNCLASSI FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 61 UNCLASS I FIED a Nothing illegal? A As I said in my statement, connect. a And that you'ne youn only reason fon going to legaI counsel was because you wene concenned about leaks? A No, thene wene two reasons. I was concenned about leaks, but I also wanted to make sune that the package was reviewed by the appnopniate senion level attention. a Okay. Fain enough. Had thene been any leaks that you had been awane of that give you concern that these things have been -- you know, that leaks is something to be wonnied about? A Yes. a Okay. And what can you tell us about othen leaks genenally? M5. VAN GELDER: Sonny, Mn. Caston. I'm not going to have him go beyond the scope of his testimony hene today. BY MR. CASTOR: a But thene have been enough leaks that you had a genenalized concenn about that? A Yes. a Duning the counse of the editing process of the MEMCON, wene you in the loop with othen individuals who supplied or suggested edits to the package? A I am effectively the final cleaning authonity. a okay. Were you awane of Colonel Vindman's suggested edits? A I saw edits in the package made by Colonel Vindman and othens. a okay. Do you nememben what Colonel Vindman's edits were? UNCLASS IF]ED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 62 UNCLASS ] FIED A As I necaII, Colone1 Vindman, being a fluent Uknainian speaken, was concenned at vanious points, the tnanslation was not true, was not high fidelity. And so he made edits to tny to connect what he heand. And in the counse of these neviews, based on how these packages ane cneated, it's not uncommon, especially when you're deali.ng with a foneign language like Ukrainian and foreign language tenms, to have to cornect things. a Do you nememben if all his edits wene inconporated? A I accepted all of them. a Okay. To the extent he believes edits wenen't accepted, do you know how that could have occunned? A I do not. a Any othen edits fnom othen individuals that supplied edits, listened to the cal1, but wene not implemented -- A Not that I can necall. a -- to youn knowledge? So is your pnactice as the final cleaning authonity to accept the edits if you had a contemporaneous agneement with what occunned? A Yes. a Okay. MR. CASTOR: Can you make as exhibit 1 the call recond on the MEMCON? [Minonity Exhibit No. 1 was manked fon identification.l BY MR. CASTOR: UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 76 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 63 UNCLASS I FIED a Hene is exhibit 1. Hene ane a couple of extna copies if you want to mank it up. I'm going to nefen you to page 4. The ]ast line of the finst panagnaph ending in, "So if you can look into it. . . it sounds horrible to me. " Do you necall if anybody offened edits to fill in the gap there fon the ellipse? A I do not. a And would an ellipse ondinanily, in youn expenience, mean what ? A That this is a conversation and it doesn't necessanily occun in complete sentences. a Okay. So the ellipse could mean that the speaken tnailed off without finishing a sentence? A It could. a Could it mean anything else? A That's the most commonplace meaning. Usually if something is said that is inaudible, we would note in bnackets "inaudible." a Okay. Then I want to nefen you to the veny next panagnaph. I think it is the seventh line down, sixth line down, as the sentence neads: He on she will look into this situation, specifically to the company that you mentioned in this issue -- and this is Pnesident Zelensky speaking. Do you rememben if anybody supplied edits to this pant of the MEMCON? A I do not. UNCLASS I FIED 64 UNCLASS I FIED 1 Q okay. And you wene on the call. Do you nememben whethen 2 the name Bunisma came up on the call? 3 A No, I don't believe it did. 4 Q Okay. Do you rememben whethen anyone suggested edits adding 5 the word Bunisma to the MEMCON? 5 A Idonot. 7 e Okay. But if somebody had suggested that edit, was on the 8 call, and youn contemponaneous necollection that the wond was 9 mentioned, you would have gone ahead and implemented the edit? 10 A Had I recalled on had in my notes that was mentioned, YQS, 11 I would have agneed to the edit. t2 a Did you have any convensations, emails, communications with 13 Dr. Kuppenman about this call? t4 A Not that I necall. 15 a Okay. Anybody else on the call on your chain of command that 15 you spoke with about the call? L7 A Beyond those I've already mentioned? 18 a Yes. 19 A No. ZO a And with those that you've mentioned, did you have bny 2t communications with them about concerns, about the content of the call? 22 A Within my chain of command? 23 A Within eithen the people on -- on the call and you mentioned 24 Blain, I, Vindman, Wi1liams, Kellogg, and then youn chain of command 25 would be Dr. Kuppenman, Ambassadon Bolton. UNCLASSI FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 65 UNCLASS I EIED A Uh-huh. a So that's sont of the univense I'm thinking about hene. A Uh-huh. a And also Mn. Eisenbeng. A Uh-huh. a Did you have any communications with any of that gnoup about concenns, whethen they wene youn concenns on anyone in that gnoup's concenns ? A My only necollection of discussing concenns was with lohn and Michael. a Okay. And it was about the leak issue? A Yes. a Duning the July 25th ca}I, you're in the Situation Room, the I think you refenned to them as the WHSR staff? A Yes. a How many officials pnepane the I'm going to say tnanscnipt -- that's not the night tenm, as I undenstand it, but how many Situation Room officials ane tnanscnibing the call? A I don't know. a Do they do the -- thein wonk in a diffenent noom? A YeS. a So it is an anteroom off the Situation Room? A It's mone appnopniate to think of the Situation Room as a lange facility of which the listening noom is a small pnivate confenence noom. UNCLASS I F]ED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 66 UNCLASS I FIED a So they ane in anothen pant of the Situation Room complex? A Yes. a Do you know how they pnepane thein tnanscnipt? Do they have count neporting type devices, or do they speak into a micnophone? A I have no firsthand knowledge. My knowledge of how they do it this is limited to what I have obsenved -- what I have nead in neponting in pnepanation fon today exclusively. a Okay. Fnom youn expenience of MEMCONs genenally, ane they considened accurate among those in the building? A Cou1d you nestate on be mone specific? a Are MEMCoNs, within the building, within the NSC genenally considened definitive documents? A We do oun best to adhene to the Pnesidential Reconds Act. a Okay. So -- A It should be a complete and accunate netelling of the convensation. a Okay. And have there any been any episodes whene you can nememben whene people wene -- MS. VAN GELDER: He's not going to answen that. Mn. Caston, and just fon the necond the basis is it is outside the scope of this inquinY. MR. CASTOR: OkaY. BY MR. CASTOR: a Did you subsequently have a convensation with Ambassadon Taylon about what occunned on the July 25th call? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 1.4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 67 UNCLASS] F]ED A Yes. a And do you nememben when that was? A I remember neaching out to Ambassadon Taylon to that day to find out when we could schedule a secune call so I could pnovide him what I deemed an appropniate neadout of the call. a Okay. And when did that occun? A Um -- a To the best of youn necollection. A So I think Ambassadon Taylon's statement is genenally about the night timefname fon when we wene able to get on a secune call togethen. a Okay. And what do you rememben relating to Ambassadon Taylon about the caII? A As I said in my statement, I think his -- his statement is genenally conrect. I gave him a genenal neadout of the calI, and I told him I think it could have gone betten. A And why did you think the call could have gone betten? A As I said in my statement, and subsequent to that in answering questions today, I was hoping fon a mone fonward leaning embrace of Pnesident Zelensky's nefonm agenda fnom the President. a In the counse of youn duties, what othen officials did you pnovide a neadout to about the call? Wene thene any othen intenagency pantnens that you had to bnief? Anybody at the State Depantment? A Not that I necall. a Okay. So including Ambassadon Taylon, we sort of identified UNCLASS IFIED 68 UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 all of the folks you spoke to about the call duning the time peniod? THE CHAIRMAN: If I could intenject hene and counsel wanned about this at the initiation of the heaning. We want to make sune that thene is no effont to tny to, by pnocess of elimination, identify the whistleblowen. If you think these questions ane designed to get at that infonmation, on may pnoduce that information, I would encounage you to follow youn counsef's advice. IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: Could you nepeat the question? BY MR. CASTOR: a lust wondening if you had any othen communications about the call ? A Not that I -- not that I can recall. a Colonel Vindman, he neports to you. What types of officials in the course of his duties would he be nesponsible fon providing neadouts to? IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: He -- he may have felt it appnopniate to speak to other depantments and agencies if they had questions about the ca11. BY MR. CASTOR: a Do you know if he did? A Yes. a And who -- do you know who he spoke to? MS. VAN GELDER: I'm not going to allow him to answen that, it is beyond the scope of this inquiny. 10 11 L2 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 69 UNCLASS I EIED MR. CASTOR: How is that, we' ne talking about the 7 /25 cal1, just asking if he knew who Lieutenant Colonel Vindman pnovide readouts to. MS. VAN GELDER: Yes. And he is to talk about his knowledge with respect MR. CASTOR: WeI1, I'm not asking him to testify about something he doesn't know about. MS. VAN GELDER: I'm just saying it is outside the scope of what I believe his testimony is, which is whethen President Tnump jeopandized U.S. national secunity by pnessing Ukraine to intenfene with the 2O2Q election, and by withholding a White House meeting with Ukraine and militany assistance pnovided by Congness to help Uknaine counten Russian aggnession, as well as any effonts it to coven up these matters. If you would like to ask him if he knows of anybody who has asked to cover up those mattens MR. CASTOR: Oh, no, I'm just asking about readouts that Vindman, an official who wonks fon Morrison, gave on the call. MS. VAN GELDER: Mn. Caston, with all due nespect, we can talk with counsel as I alneady have an appointment with Mn. Goldman duning the bneak on how we can maybe wonk anound these. MR. CASTOR: Okay. MS. VAN GELDER: But night now I'm going to instnuct him not to. THE CHAIRMAN: And again, I want to expness my concenn that these questions are designed to tny to identify and out the whistleblower. And I would hope that's not counsel's intention. The whistleblowen UNCLASS I FIED 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 15 15 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 70 UNCLASS I F]ED has a night to anonymity. Thene ane public neponts that the life of the whistleblowen has been thneatened. We do not want this committee used, on this testimony used, to tny to exact political netnibution again the whistleblowen. So I would, again, unge caution to both counsel and the witness to avoid anything that pnesents that nisk. MR. CASTOR: lust so I'm clean, the objection to answening the question is it nelated to that on is it nelated to executive pnivilege? MS. VAN GELDER: My objection, it is beyond scope of his deposition testimony. His subpoena is related to his letten. His letter does not nelate to who Vindman spoke to about a call. MR. CASTOR: Okay. BY MR. CASTOR: a Can I ask whethen you know on don't know, because if you don't know, then this kind of ends this. MS. VAN GELDER: I think that if the way that -- sonny -- the way the state of the play night now is do you know if he talked to anybody about this? MR. CASTOR: In his official in the counse of his official duties, the people he's supposed to be talking to. MS. VAN GELDER: And he said he may have. He has no finsthand knowledge. I assume that Lieutenant Vindman preceded us and you have youn answen. MR. CASTOR: Okay. I'm just asking if the witness knows. If he doesn't know, that would be the answen. MS. VAN GELDER: We can talk about this laten, Mn. Caston. I UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 7t UNCLASS I EIED neally am not tnying to -- MR. CASTOR: I'm not tnying to -- MS. VAN GELDER: I've wonked with you befone, I undenstand. We can talk later. MR. CASTOR: Do you know if Lieutenant Colonel Vindman had communications with any State Depantment officials like Geonge Kent? MS. VAN GELDER: We'ne not going talk about anybody Mn. Vindman had convensations with. MR. CASTOR: Okay. Can I ask him about his convensations with Mn. Vindman, on Colonel Vindman? MS. VAN GELDER: You may. My instnuction, again, not by the White House, not by anyone. My instnuction based on my neading of the applicable count documents, which wene neven cited which ls U.S. v. Myens is a question-by-question basis. MR. CASTOR: Fain enough. Just to be clean, like I want to tny to get around these things and get as much infonmation as we can in oun houn. And we will BY MR. CASTOR: Did you have any communication with Colonel Vindman about the call? A Yes. a How many? A I r-- I can't necall precisely, but A Okay. What do you nemember about youn communications with Colonel Vindman about the call? UNCLASS ] EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 T4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 72 UNCLASS I FIED IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: Alex and I spoke about the prepanation of the package and what we believed needed to be done make the package as tnue as possible? BY MR. CASTOR: a Did Colonel Vindman expness any concenns to you about what happened on the call? A Yes. a What wene his concenns? A He had two namely. He was concenned, as I was, that the call did not get into the subject matten we had hoped. And he had concenns about the fidelity of the tnanslation. a And that communication occunned duning the counse of the pnepanation of the MEMCON package? A That communication did, yes. a Okay. Did you have any subsequent communications with him? A Yes. a And what's the next time you nememben whene he naised concenns about the subject of the call content of the call? IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: Could you repeat youn question? BY MR. CASTOR: a What's the next time you nememben talking to Mn. -- Colonel Vindman, on emailing with Colonel Vindman about any concenns he might have had about what happened on the call? UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2l 22 23 24 25 73 UNCLASS I FIED A About concenns he had about what happened on the call? a yes. A That was the only time I necall him expnessing concenns about the content of the call. a Okay. Did you have any othen communications with him about the call? A Yes. a And what wene those? MS. VAN GELDER: You're not going to talk about that. BY MR. CASTOR: a Was Colonel Vindman on the call you had with Ambassador Taylon ? A No. a And was that unusual? Like, if you wene going to have a call with the ambassadon to one of othen countnies in youn pontfolio, would you ondinanily, in the negulan counse of youn duties, include the directon with nesponsibility fon that country on that call? A At this point -- at this point, I was 10 days in to the this assignment. I had been in the office fon maybe 4 days, because I had been on tnavel the first week. And so, I don't know that thene was an ondinany at this point. It was my decision to have the convensation one on one with Ambassador Taylon. a Okay. Did you give a neadout of that call to CoIoneI Vindman ? A Yes. UNCLASS ] F]ED 1 74 UNCLASS I FIED a Okay. And what do you nememben nelating to Colonel Vindman? A lust that I bniefed BilI. Bill was concerned and that was -- that was effectively -- and it was a brief neadout. a Okay. Did Colonel Vindman expness concenns that he wasn't on the call with you? A He may have. a Okay. In -- we'll get into Ambassadon Sond1and, youn expenience with him. A Yes. a When was the finst time you met him? A JuIy 10. a And was that befone on aften Dn. Hill had nelated to you hen expeniences with the Ambassadon? A Aften. a And did you -- subsequent to that, did you have negulan communications with Ambassadon Sondland? A I don't know about regulan, because that speaks to peniodicity. But I had it was not uncommon fon me to have a convensation with Gondon. a Did he nelate to you that he speaks to the Pnesident A Yes. a -- with some fnequency? A I don't know that he spoke to the fnequency. a Okay. But it was youn undenstanding that, in his own mind, he believed he had a 1ot of convensations with the Pnesident? UNCLASS I FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 77 t2 13 14 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 75 UNCLASS I F]ED A Yes. a And thene ane times in Ambassadon Taylon's statement whene he is relating infonmation you conveyed to him that was conveyed to you by Ambassadon Sondland? A Yes. a And to the best of youn knowledge, you wene nelating to Ambassadon Taylon what you believe Ambassadon Sondland nelated to you? A Yes. a And but you'ne not able to evaluate whethen -- what Ambassadon Sondland was telling you was accunate? A Connect. a Did you have any concenns that anything Ambassadon Sondland was telling you may have been exaggerated on inaccunate? A Yes. a And why is that? A Fiona's -- Dn. Hill's admonitions and my own nead of Ambassadon Sondland's sense of self-impontance. a Okay. Do you think that Ambassadon Sondland believed what he was saying, on do you think that he exaggenated intentionally? A I believed that Ambassador Sondland believed what he was saying. a Okay. But if he was nelating something that may have fallen in the exaggenation categony, you know, he may have just misintenpreted ? A I -- I believe that Ambassadon Sondland believed what he was UNCLASS I E]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t7 L2 13 L4 15 15 t7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 76 UNCLASS ] FIED telling me is what he is what he thought occunned. a Okay. He nelated to you a number of communications he had with the Pnesident? A Yes. a And is thene any way to know whethen he was actually talking to the President? A Yes. a Okay. And you believe he was? A I was not able to confinm eveny time he said he talked to the Pnesident, but I did so as often as I had the time to do. a okay. And wene thene times when he indicated he was talking to the President, when you came to learn he was not? A No. a I want to dinect your attention to -- THE CHAIRMAN: Counsel, if I could, I have got to go up to the floon to speak on the resolution on the impeachment pnocess. If thene ane any disputes about whethen questions ane appropniate on not appropniate, on should or should not be answened, we can hold those into abeyance until I netunn. MR. CASTOR: Okay. I will try to stay out of any of those aneas. THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Counsel. BY MR. CASTOR: a I'd like you to tunn youn attention to Ambassadon Taylor's statement that you nefenenced, page 9, the penultimate panagnaph, my concenns have -- about midway thnough the penultimate panagnaph: My UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 74 15 1.6 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 77 UNCLASS I FIED concerns deepened the next day sentence. Ambassadon Taylon is nelating a telephone convensation he had with you on on about August 22nd. He asked you whether thene would be a change in policy in stnong suppont of Uknaine, to which he nelates, you nesponded, It nemains to be seen. That's to the best of youn necollection, accurate? A Yes. a What else do you nememben of that convensation and what you nelated to Ambassadon Taylon? A So it was not uncommon duning this peniod fon Bill and I to check in with each othen, among the issues we wanted to ensune we wene sync'd on was the timeline fon oun pnocess to have the aid neleased, and whethen on not thene's any neason to believe the Uknainians had yet become awane of the ho1d. a Okay. And at that point in time, acconding to youn statement, you didn't -- you wenen't awane that the Ukrainians knew about the hold? A To the best of my knowledge, and the best of my necollection of my convensations with Ambassadon Taylon and I, neither one of us believed they wene yet awane of hold. a Okay. And duning this time peniod, did you have a hope that the aid would be neleased? A Yes. a And did you have an expectation that, in fact, it would be neleased ? UNCLASS] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 78 UNCLASS IEIED A Expectation? The best I could say is I had a hope. a Okay. Just genenally, what ane the Pnesident's views on foneign aid? A He doesn't -- a Does he have some skepticism about it? A Yes. a Okay. I think I may have been talking oven -- did you say he doesn't like it? A Genenally, he does not. a And when foneign aid is going to a countny like Uknaine that has a negional significance, and thene's othen of oun allies in the negion, does the Pnesident often want oun allies to also step up thein aid contnibutions? A Without going on it, I would argue Uknaine's significance is beyond the negion, but, yes, he would like to See a Eunopean country more supponted mone supponted by Eunopeans. a Okay. If the aid wene to be penmanently, you know, not released, he1d, not neleased, thene would have to be a pnocess of nescission on nepnognamming. Is that connect? A That's my undenstanding. a Do you know if any officials at OMB or DOD, State Department took any affinmative steps to begin the nescission on nepnogramming pnocess ? A At this time, thene was a paraIIeI foneign aid nescission pnocess. It was neponted that we were considening $4 billion in UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1.0 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 79 UNCLASS I FIED foneign aid nescissions. a Okay. A To my knowledge, thene was no pnocess even undentaken to seek a neprognamming of the Defense Depantment on State Depantment funds. a Okay. Was the nescission effont even neLated to the Uknaine funds ? A Some of the funds that would have been included in the nescission package, as it has been nelated to the pness, would have touched on funds that could have gone to Uknaine. a Could have gone? A Yes. a Okay. MR. GoLDMAN: Did you say $4 million? MR. MORRISON: $4 billion. BY MR. CASTOR: a Retunning to page 9 of Ambassadon Taylon's statement. Ambassadon Taylon nelates that you told -- you told him that the Pnesident doesn't want to pnovide any assistance at all? A Yes. a And can you help me understand what that meant? A The Pnesident's genenal antipathy to foneign aid, as well as his concenn that the Uknainians wene not paying thein fain shane, as well as his concern when oun aid would be misused because of the view that Uknaine has a significant connuption pnoblem. a Okay. In youn mind, ane the lavelins sepanate fnom the UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 T4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 80 UNCLASS I FlED secunity assistance funds? A Yes. a 0kay. And wene the lavelins in play -- the funds fon the lavelins in play at this time? A So the Javelins, to the best of my knowledge, have always occunned thnough foneign militany sales a Okay. A -- which is a sepanate pnocess entinely. a Okay. Sepanate process from USAI? A Yes. a And youn understanding at the time of youn ca]I with Ambassadon Taylon, August 22nd, it was the USAI funds that wene A No. Thene were two pots of money, which is why I don't typicalty speak about secunity assistance. I speak about secunity secton assistance, because secunity assessments -- assistance has a lawful meaning. Thene wene Defense Depantment funds and State Depantment funds that wene included within the $445 million that had been appnopriated by the Congness. a Okay. Did you -- aften the cal1, did you nelate what happened on the call to Colonel Vindman? A I believe I've alneady answened this. I had a conversation with Ambassadon Taylon on or about July 28th and I pnovided a I'm sonny. I'm talking about the August calI. A 0h. a My bad. UNCLASS I F]ED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 81 UNCLASS I EIED A I -- I don't necall specifically, but it was my pnactice to pnovide my team with readouts a OkaY. A -- of those kinds of things. a Okay. But Colonel Vindman, was he on the call with you? A I don't believe so. a Was Colonel Vindman on any calls with you that you did with Ambassadon Taylon duning this nelevant time peniod? A Yes. WeII, so, please define the nelevant time peniod. a Fnom luly 15th thnough Septemben 25th. A And about the topic of this inquiny? a yes. A No. a Okay. Did Colonel Vindman expness concenn to you on complain that he wasn't allowed to be on the caI1, any of these calls? A Yes. a Okay. And how often did he raise that concenn to you? A Once on twice. a Okay. And what was youn neason fon doing the call without Colonel Vindman? A The natune of the convensation. a OkaY. A The subject matten of the convensation. a Okay. It had nothing to do with youn tnust in Colonel Vindman ? UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LL 12 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 82 UNCLASS I FIED A I had two motivations to do my best to pnotect my personnel from my concenns about this issue, the concerns that I weighed out about the Washington's political environment. a Uh-huh. A And -- IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: I had concerns about Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's j udgment . BY MR. CASTOR: a Judgment with nespect to what? A Among the discussions I had with Dn. Hill in the tnansition was oun team, my team, its stnengths and its weaknesses. And Fiona and othens had raised concenns about Alex's judgment. a Okay. Did you ever have any concenns that he might leak something ? A No. a Did anyone even bning concenns to you that they believed Colonel Vindman may have leaked something? A Yes. a Would you te11 us about that? MS. VAN GELDER: That is outside the scope. MR. CASTOR: How many instances of that MS. VAN GELDER: Again, we can talk about this during the bneak, but he's not going to answen it. MR. CASTOR: Okay. UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 83 UNCLASS IF]ED BY MR. CASTOR: a Wene thene any othen things that Colonel Vindman was excluded fnom that he naised to youn attention, that he felt excluded? A Could you nestate the question? a talere there any othen things Colonel Vindman was excluded fnom that he bnought to youn attention? A I'm only going to speak within the scope of this inquiny, and the answen is yes. a Okay. And what was that, in the scope of the inquiny? A I took steps eanly on to attempt to pnotect my people fnom being dnagged into this process -- what I expected would become a pnocess. And when I saw that thene was a pnocess that was going to happen, I took steps to ensune that neither myself non they would subsequently be accused of coondinating testimony. a Okay. And when did you implement that pnocess? A Sometime in August. a Did you nelate that to Colonel Vindman? A No. a And did he come ask you why he felt excluded from centain things ? A Yes. a And what did you tell him in nesponse to that? A It was my judgment as to the needs of the mission. a Okay. And did he push back? Did he take his concenns to any other authonities? UNCLASS I FIED 84 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t\ L2 UNCLASS I EIED A He pushed back. I can't speak to the latten. a Okay. So you don't know if he went to Dr. Kuppenman on anybody else A I can't sPeak to -- a Did Dn. Kuppenman on anybody else, lohn Eisenbeng even come to you and nelate concenns that were nelated to them by Vindman on this topic ? A Not that I can recall. a okay. Do you know whethen Colonel Vindman even had access to infonmation he wasn't supposed to see? A Not finsthand. UNCLASS ] FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 85 UNCLASS I FIED It@:@9 a.m.l BY MR. CASTOR: a But you have secondhand infonmation about that? A It was bnought to my attention that some had -- some of my pensonnel had concenns that he did. a Okay. How was it bnought to youn attention? A In penson and by email. a Okay. And how many people ane in youn team? MS. VAN GELDER: I don't know who -- BY MR. CASTOR: a I'm not going to ask. I just want to know how many people ane on the team. A At the time, it was maybe f . a Okay. Any concenns about his handling of classified infonmation naised to you? A In what sense? a Did anyone bning concerns to you that they wene -- they had issues with the way he was handling classified infonmation? MS. VAN GELDER: With nespect to the Uknalnian investigation? MR. CASTOR: With nespect to anything. MS. VAN GELDER: He won't answen anything outside the scope. MR. CASTOR: Okay. With nespect to the Ukrainian -- with the mattens subject to this inquiry. MR. MORRISON: Could you nepeat the question? MR. CASTOR: Did anyone bring concenns to you about how they UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 tt L2 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 86 UNCLASSlFIED believed Colonel Vindman was handling classified infonmation? MS. VAN GELDER: hJith nespect to the Uknainian calls with the Pnesident of the United States? BY MR. CASTOR: a Yes. A Not that I can necall. a Okay. The luly L0th meeting that Mn. Goldman asked you about in the finst nound A Yeah. a -- this was a meeting involving Ambassadon Sondland, Volken, Ambassadon Bolton, and some Ukrainian officials, Danylyuk and A My only undenstanding is what I -- my only awareness of the meeting is what was nelated to me in the -- by Ambassador Taylon's statement a Okay. So I think when Mn. Goldman was asking you about that, the question was whethen Dn. Hill nelated to you A I don't necall that she did. a And I guess, I just wanted to follow up and ask whether anybody else that was in that meeting told you about it? A I have no necollection of that. a Okay. So youn only knowledge of the meeting comes via open-sounce infonmation, neponts, pness reports? A From Ambassadon Taylor's statement. a Okay. And pness nePonts? A I'm sure I read pness neponts about how Ambassadon Taylon's UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 !7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 87 UNCLASS I FIED statement has been, you know, was neponted on publicly. a Okay. At any point fnom July L5th thnough Septemben 11th, did anyone in the counsel's office, Mn. Eisenbeng, MP. E1}is, have communications with you about this altennative channel that had developed involving Ambassadon Sondland? A Yes. a And what wene those concerns? MS. VAN GELDER: He's talking to legal counsel. I can only pnesenve the pnivilege, and so I would say that it's tnaditional attonney-client pnivilege. He will not discuss that. MR. CASTQR: Okay. You discuss a sepanate pnocess that chiefly involved Sondland nelating to some of these bilatenal effonts. What else can you teII us that was youn undenstanding of the sepanate pnocess? Was it pnincipally Sondland led on Volken led on Giuliani led ? MR. MORRISON: It was principally Sondland Ied, based on my intenactions with Ambassador Sondland and his netelling to me of these issues. I would noutinely infonm Ambassador Taylon about my convensations with Ambassadon Sondland when I felt that Ambassador Sondland was nelating to me a convensation he had with the Ukrainian official that I had neason to believe Ambassadon Taylon was not aware of. 0n occasion, when talking to Ambassadon Taylon, he would nelate to me that he was involved in text messages with Kunt, with Ambassadon Sondland. I believe Bill would teII me that sometimes Mr. Giuliani UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 88 UNCLASSI FIED was on these text messages. This cornespondence was a matter of concern to both of us. MR. CASTOR: I want to make sune I pivot to Mr. Ratcliffe befone our time is up. lale have about 12 minutes, I think, left in oun nound. MR. RATCLIFFE: Thank you, Steve. Mr. Mornison, my name is lohn Ratcliffe. I just have a couple questions fon you. I want to stant with what you addnessed a little bit earlien neganding chain of command and what I heand you say eanlier. You undenstand that Colonel Vindman went to the National Secunity Council lead legal counsel to nepont his concenns about the luly 25th ca1I, connect? MR. MORRISON: I did not at the time. I do now. MR. RATCLIFFE: I want to -- and is it youn understanding that he did so shontly aften the July 25th call? MR. MORRISON: Based on what has been neponted pub1ic1y, of which I don't have firsthand knowledge and can't vouch for its venacity, yes. MR. RATCLIFFE: And when did you leann that he had done so? MR. MORRISON: Within the past week on 2 when pnepaning fon today's pnoceeding. MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. So is youn issue with that, as you talked about chain of command, you said something to the effect of, quote, unfontunate but not unusual. I want to make sune the record's clean. Youn issue is not that he didn't on shouldn't have the ability to repont the concenn, it's that as his dinect nepont, he didn't keep you infonmed UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 r.5 16 17 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 89 UNCLASS ] F]ED of his concenn? MR. MORRISON: Unfontunate but not unusual was within the context of Fiona HlIl's management style, was diffenent than mine, that she had allowed hen team to take on unfontunate pnactices. And so it was not unusual that hen team would undentake steps of which she was not fully witting. MR. RATCLIFFE: But I guess what I'm saying is, you'ne not hene assenting that he didn't have the night to nepont a concenn on a pnoblem that he had to the National Security Council's lead 1egal counsel, connect ? MR. M0RRISON: f'm saying that I'm not saying that. MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. Veny c1eanly, you do have a diffenence of opinion with Colonel Vindman with nespect to what was heand on the July 25th call. Youn statement, I think, speaks veny cleanly to this issue on page foun, whene you say, negarding that July 25th ca1l, "I want to be clean: I was not concenned that anything illegal was discussed. " I nead that cornectly? MR. MORRISON: You did. MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. And then in followup to that, in questions fnom Mn. Caston, he asked you whethen on not you thought anything impnopen on illegal had happened, and youn nesponse was no. MR. MORRISON: Conrect. MR. RATCLIFFE: CoIoneI Vindman, on the othen hand, testified that he was concenned and that he did not think it was propen to demand that a foneign govennment investigate a U.S. citizen. UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 77 t2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 90 UNCLASS I FIED As you listened to the caII, did you hean Pnesident Trump make a demand of President Zelensky to investigate a foreign citizen? MR. MORRISON: I did NOt. MR. RATCLIFFE: A U.S. CitiZCN. MS. VAN GELDER: Thank you, counsel. MR. RATCLIFFE: I want to make sune if I said that. So that the necond is clean, you did not hean Pnesident Tnump make a demand on a foneign government to investigate a U.S. citizen? MR. MORRISON: To be clean, I did not fully undenstand this subject matten at the time, the CnowdStrike issue, these issues. I only had a confinmatony necognition that this was what Dn. Hill had bniefed me on in oun handover. MR. RATCLIFFE: UNdCNStOOd. But in talking about concenns that Colonel Vindman had that something impnoper on illegal was done, as I heand youn testimony eanlien, you said that you did have a discussion with him whene he expressed his concenns. You identified two, the subject matten of the call negarding Uknainian nefonm genenally and the President's appnoach to that, and two, the fidelity of the tnanslation. MR. MORRISON: YCS. MR. RATCLIFFE: You did not say that he expressed to you concenn that something iIlega1 on impnopen had occunned that should be neponted to the National Security Council's lead legal counsel. MR. MORRISON: I have no necollection of him doing so. MR. RATCLIFFE: Is that something, as his dinect nepont, you UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 91 UNCLASS I EIED would have expected him to do if he had that concenn? MR. MORRISON: YCS. MR. RATCLIFFE: And you would have a recollection if he did so? MR. MORRISON: Yes. MR. RATCLIFFE: 0n page five of youn statement today, you say, "I have no neason to believe the Ukrainians had any knowledge of the neview until August 28th, 2019." Did I nead that cornectly? MR. MORRISON: You did. MR. RATCLIFFE: And by neview, what do you mean? MR. MORRISON: I mean the pnocess I was dinected by Dn. Kupperman to initiate. MR. RATCLIFFE: That nelated to what? MR. MORRISON: Related to the secunity-secton assistance to Ukraine. MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. The secunity assistance on militany aid? MR. MORRISON: I'd pnefen the term "secunity-secton assistance. " I apologize. I'm a bit ana}. MR. RATCLIFFE: No apologies necessary. I just want to make sune we're talking about the same thing. So in shont, youn testimony today is consistent with what Ambassadon Taylon testified to me unden oath, which was that the Uknainians had no knowledge that any secunity assistance might be withheld until anound August 28th, 2019. That's inconsistent with what Colonel Vindman told us yestenday UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 in his testimony. THE CHAIRMAN: MR. RATCLIFFE: THE CHAIRMAN: witnesses MR. MORRISON: the question? MS. VAN GELDER: MR. RATCLIFFE: MR. RATCLIFFE: I'11 get to my question. THE CHAIRMAN: -- and making nepnesentations about whethen they'ne conflicting on not conflicting. MR. RATCLIFFE: I'11 get to my question, Chainman. THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you, counsel. MR. RATCLIFFE: YOU bct. If Colonel Vindman neceived light quenies fnom Uknainians concenned about the withholding of secunity assistance on militany aid in mid-August, is that something that he should have reponted to you? MR. MORRISON: YES. MR. RATCLIFFE: Is that something that he neponted to you? MR. MORRISON: I have no necollection of that. MR. RATCLIFFE: And if he did not, would you considen that to be an issue where he was not acting within the chain of command? MS. VAN GELDER: Do you want to complete the sentence? MR. RATCLIFFE: ThAt WAS it. 92 UNCLASS IF]ED He testified that in mid-August Counsel, is thene a question fon the witness? Thene is. Because you'ne neading testimony of other I'm sonny, Congnessman. Could you please nepeat I wish he was, but he's not. You are. I'm what? UNCLASS I FIED 93 1 UNCLASS I F]ED MS. VAN GELDER: You ane. Go ahead. I thought you wene the attonney. MR. MORRISON: No, he's a Congnessman. MR. CASTOR: No, he's Congnessman John Ratcliffe. MS. VAN GELDER: I'm so sonny. Blame the attonney, not the witness. MR. GOLDMAN: Take it as a compliment. MR. RATCLIFFE: They'ne so rare, it's just I can't necognize them anymore, to be honest with you. THE CHAIRMAN: I made the same mistake in nefenning to him as counsel. He is my colleague. MR. RATCLIFFE: My question was, should -- if thene wene light quenies fnom the Uknainian Govennment on Ukrainian officials to Colonel Vindman about the withholding of secunity assistance on militany aid in mid-August, is that something he should have reported to you? MR. MORRISON: Yes. MR. RATCLIFFE: He did NOt? MR. MORRISON: f have no necollection of him doing so. MR. RATCLIFFE: And if he did not, would you considen that to be a violation of the chain of command? MR. MORRISON: I would considen it to be an unfortunate habit he picked up fnom his pnion boss. MR. RATCLIFFE: How much time do we have? MR. CASTOR: Thnee minutes. Two minutes, sonny. MS. VAN GELDER: Could we have a bneak aften? 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IL L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 94 UNCLASST FIED THE CHAIRMAN: YCS. MR. NUNES: Mn. Monnison, I think Mn. Ratcliffe has a followup on this also, but in nespect to the senvers, you said that Fiona HiI1, between JuIy 1st and July 15th, bnought up senvers to you. I think you -- what wene you refenning to? MR. MORRISON: Congressman, to be honest, I did not know at the time. I necall googling Bunisma. I did not recalI googling on othenwise looking into any of the nest of this. MR. NUNES: But you said that she had mentioned senvens to you. MR. MORRISON: I had a necollection, Y€s, Congnessman. MR. NUNES: But you don't -- she didn't expand on what those senvens wene, what that might be? MR. MORRISON: No, sin. tlle had a limited amount of time on the handoven, and they wene sort of, be awane of this bucket. MR. NUNES: I'm just tnying to figune out why she would mention to you something about senvens and how she would know about senvens. I mean, I know you don't know, but she didn't -- can you necollect anything else from that time peniod fnom those convensations? MR. MORRISON: Congnessman, it was very much a thene is this pnocess, the pnocess, this is the subject matter, stay away. MR. NUNES: Did she mention CrowdStnike? MR. MORRIS0N: I don't necall that, sin. MR. NUNES: Steve. BY MR. CASTOR: a And just to be clean befone we Lose oun -- oun time is up, UNCLASSI FIED 1 95 UNCLASS ] FIED the cincumstances of you leaving the National Secunity Council, you'ne not nesigning in pnotest? A No. a Nobody's asking you to leave? A No. a You'ne leaving on youn own tenms? A Yes. a It's just a simple coincidence that your depantune hene is nelated to youn congnessional testimony temporally? A Yes. MR. CASTOR: Okay. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. We'II take a bneak. We have some votes coming up, so I would like to keep the bneak shont, if I can, and we'11 hopefully get you out eanlien. Wou1d 5 on 10 minutes be sufficient? MR. MORRISON: I can be fasten, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Let's make it a 5-minute bneak then. We'11 nesume at 10:35, and we'11 resume pnomptly. IRecess. ] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 T4 15 76 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 96 UNCLASS I EIED ItO:40 a.m.l THE CHAIRMAN: Going back on the record. Mr. Monnison, I just want to go oven a few of the aneas that we've covened, and then I'1] hand it back to Mn. Goldman to go funthen through the chnonology. I think you testified eanlien that one of the concenns that Dn. Hill raised with you befone you took youn position was this innegulan channel, and that inregulan channel involved issues nelating to Bunisma or 2Ot6. Is that right? MR. MORRISON: It was, Chainman, genenallyr Y€Sr it was chiefly a concenn about Ambassadon Sondland, who, it was oun view, did not neally belong in Uknaine policy. And, yes, she naised these issues that she said were being wonked on in this alternate channel that wene a concenn to hen. THE CHAIRMAN: And why were they a concenn to hen? MR. M0RRISON: As I recall hen relating to me, hen concenns wene just about the about the issues themselves. I don't necall a specific this is howthey could be used on anything like that. I just necall these ane these issues that I knew nothing about. So maybe she tried to convey something that I didn't absonb. And that was what I necall of one on two handoff convensations befone I fonmally took oven. THE CHAIRMAN: Was she concenned that Ambassadon Sondland's naising of this bucket of issues anound 2OL6 or Bunisma might be at odds with U.S. policy vis-i-vis Uknaine on cause pnoblems in tenms of the advancement of the official U.S. policy? UNCLASS] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 14 15 16 t7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 97 UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: THE CHAIRMAN: about it? No, sin. I don't necall that. What do you necaI1 about why she was concerned MR. MORRISON: Again, Chainman, it was that this was -- the chief concenns wene sont of who was involved and that this was occunning outside of the regulan pnocess. But, again, I was -- this was pnobably the finst time I can consciously necall heaning about these issues, and I neally just didn't even know what they wene. THE CHAIRMAN: And nemind me, if you wou1d, I think you testified earlien along the lines of wanting to avoid the whole Bunisma bucket of issues? MR. MORRISON: I was admonished -- "admonished" may be the wnong way to descnibe it. I was advised by Dr. Hill to stay away. THE CHAIRMAN: And did that seem Like sensible advice to you? MR. MORRISON: Based on having no knowledge of what they wene until I necall walking out into the hal1 and googling Bunisma, I took it onboand. And the way I necall pnocessing it was when I went out and I googled "What is Bunisma?" and I saw Hunten Biden, I said, okay, yeah, that sounds night, I'11 stay ,Iry. THE CHAIRMAN: And you could undenstand, because it involved Hunten Biden and Joe Biden was nunnlng fon Pnesident, that this could be a pnoblematic anea? MR. MORRISON: Generally, yes. THE CHAIRMAN: And so when this came up in the convensation as you wene listening to Pnesident Tnump and Pnesident Ze1ensky, and the UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t\ 72 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 98 UNCLASS I FIED Pnesident bnought up 2@L6 and the Bidens, You necognized that this was what Dn. Hill had wanned about? MR. MORRISON: YCS. THE CHAIRMAN: And this was a nealization of the concenns that she expnessed and that you would laten fonm when you looked up what Bunisma was and the association with the Bidens? MR. MORRISON: We1l, sin, I had looked up what Bunisma was pnior to the July 25 cal1. THE CHAIRMAN: COTTECt. MR. MORRISON: It was more -- in heaning the caI1, it was langely confinmatony that thene reaIly -- okay, thene's something going -- thene is something here. I was awane that Ambassador Sondland had bniefed the Pnesident that monning by this point, pen his email, which I nefenenced eanlien. So it was mone a neflection that, okay, Fiona was night, thene is this panaIIeI pnocess. THE CHAIRMAN: And I think you said that when you did look into Bunisma and leanned of the Biden connection, you shared at least pant of the concenns Dr. Hill expnessed? MR. MORRISON: I centainly took onboand, yeah, I want to stay away fnom this. THE CHAIRMAN: And so did it concern you when the President naised this and that the Pnesident wasn't staying away fnom this? MR. MORRISON: Sin, it was more that it was not what I thought the focus of the call should be. THE CHAIRMAN: So you wene not concenned that Pnesident Tnump UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 74 r.5 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 99 UNCLASS I EIED asked Pnesident Zelensky to look into a Democnatic candidate fon President, only that it might leak? MR. MORRISON: Sin, f'm not sure I neca1l the convensation the same way. I neca1l that he asked him to look into the Vice President's son, not the Vice Pnesident. I'm not trying to be cute. I'm just tnying to necall the convensation. THE CHAIRMAN: Let me, if I cou1d, nead that language to you. 0n page foun, "The othen thing, thene's a fot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the pnosecution. And a lot of people want to find out about that, so whateven you can do with the attonney genenal would be gneat. Biden went anound bnagging that he stopped the pnosecution, so lf you could look into it. It sounds honnible to me." You undenstood that aften nefenning to Biden's son he then goes on to nefen to loe Biden. That's the Biden he's nefenning to about stopping the pnosecution, that Biden went bnagging about he stopped the prosecution. You undenstood that he was talking about Joe Biden, candidate fon Pnesident Joe Biden, night? MR. MORRISON: Sin, you ane connect. I did not know what the pnosecution he was nefenning to, what that pnosecution was. THE CHAIRMAN: So do I undenstand youn testimony connectly that you wene not concenned that Pnesident Tnump was asking Pnesident Zelensky to look into a Democnatic candidate fon Pnesident, only that it may leak? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I was concenned -- I was concenned that the MEMCON and the subject of the call -- the content of the call could UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 L9 20 27 22 23 24 25 100 UNCLASS I EIED leak. I was concenned that it did not focus as much on what I hoped it would focus on, which was Pnesident Zelensky's nefonm agenda. THE CHAIRMAN: And when the Pnesident naised immediately -- we1l, when Pnesident Tnump naised immediately after Pnesident Zelensky expnessed intenest in buying mone Javelins, and the Pnesident of the United States asked fon a favon and that favon involved looking into the issues that Fiona Hill had warned about, that didn't concenn you? MR. MORRISON: NO. THE CHAIRMAN: 0n1y that that might leak? MR. MORRISON: YCS. THE CHAIRMAN: Did it concern you that Rudy Giuliani was mentioned in the call with Pnesident Zelensky? MR. MORRISON: NO. THE CHAIRMAN: Only that that might leak? MR. MORRISON: I don't know if I was concenned that Mr. Giuliani being mentioned in the call would leak. I don't know that I was concenned about that. THE CHAIRMAN: Now, you mentioned in your wnitten testimony that you didn't think it was -- that what you listened to was a violation of 1aw. Are you an attorney, Mn. Monnison? MR. MORRISON: I am not admitted to a ban. I do not pnactice. THE CHAIRMAN: And when you went to visit with an attonney night aften this cal}, that is the top attonney at the National Secunity Council, did you ask him whethen this might be a violation of the law? UNCLASS I FlED 101 UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 MS. VAN GELDER: Did you ask him? MR. MORRISON: No. THE CHAIRMAN: And I think you've said that you wene not awane of the prepanation that Ambassadon Sondland on othens may have pnovided to the Pnesident in this othen channel in pnepanation for the call. Is that right? MR. MORRISON: I was awane that thene was a call between Ambassadon Sondland and the Pnesident that monning. I confirmed that call did happen. And that was the extent of my knowledge. THE CHAIRMAN: So in tenms of evaluating the legality of what happened on the caII, you didn't have the advantage of knowing what took place befone the caII, how the Pnesident might have been prepaned fon that call? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I did not then and I do not now opine on to -- as to the legality. THE CHAIRMAN: Mn. Go]dman. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a lust one more thing on this. You said that you wanted to stay away fnom the Bunisma bucket of investigations. That was youn testimony, night? A That's what I was advised to do, and that's what I did. a Why did you want to do that? A It did not it was nothing a pant of any -- the pnopen policy pnocess that I was involved in on Uknaine, it had nothing to do with the issues that the intenagency was wonking on. 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS IFIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2l 22 23 24 25 t02 UNCLASS I FIED a So it wasn't a pant of U.S. PoIicY? A ft was not a pant of the formal intenagency policy process. a Okay. Mn. Monnison, befone you came to testify hene today, did you speak to any staff membens fnom the Republican staff hene? A No. a Did you speak to any Members of Congness about your testimony hene today? A No. a Did you shane youn opening statement with anyone? A No. Othen than counsel, no. a Undenstood. MS. VAN GELDER: And for the recond, counsel has not shaned it with anyone. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Thank you. In youn July 28th call with Ambassador Taylon, the minonity -- A I'm sonny, sir, which date? a July 28th. A JuIy 28th, okay. a Yes. The minonity -- this is on page nine of Ambassadon Taylon's statement -- the minonity nefenenced that you said that the call could have been betten. But they didn't nead the nest of the sentence, which says: And that President Tnump had suggested that pnesident Zelensky on his staff meet with Mn. Giuliani and Attonney Genenal William Bann. UNCLASS ] FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 103 UNCLASS ] T'IED Did you have any concenns that the Pnesident of the United States was asking a foneign leaden to meet with his pensonal attonney who is not a govennment employee? A So you lost me a litt1e bit on the question. Could you repeat the question? a You confinmed that you dld -- that Ambassadon Taylon's descniption of youn convensation on July 28th was connect. Is that night ? A It is. a Okay. Ambassadon Taylon says that Pnesident Trump had suggested that Pnesident Zetensky on his staff meet with Mn. Giuliani and Attonney Genenal William Barn. Did you have any concenns that the President of the United States asked anothen foneign leader to meet with his pensonal attonney who was not a U.S. Government official? A No. a You didn't? A No. a And you didn't have any concerns even though you knew that Giuliani was publicly advocating fon this bucket of investigations nelated to Burisma that wene not a pant of the well-settled official U.S. policy? A I'm not sune I knew that he was publicly advocating. I did know that Fiona, Dr. Hill, had advised me of this pana1le1 pnocess in which Mn. Giuliani was a pant. UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 1.7 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 79 20 2L 22 23 24 25 104 UNCLASS I FIED a So is it youn testimony today that as of July 28th you did not know that Rudy Giuliani was publicly advocating fon these investigations ? A I have no necollection of that. a And you wene in change of covening Uknaine as the senion dinecton in the National Security Council? A Fon 13 days. a Right. A Yes. a And you knew that you wene going to be for 2 months pnion to that? A No. I had begun negotiations with Ambassadon Bolton and Dn. Kuppenman on taking over. I had planned at the time to leave the NSC when I finished a yean at my then cunnent position. And it was not clean to me that we wene going to come to an agneement on my assuming Dn. Hill's nesponsibilities. a Okay. We11, at least as of July 1st, you stanted transitioning in meetings with Dn. Hi11, connect? A Connect. a And at that point you stanted getting up to speed on the countnies within youn new pontfolio? A Connect. a Right. And Dr. Hill wanned you about this altennative channel that involved Rudy Giuliani, connect? A Connect. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 105 UNCLASS ] FIED a And so you took no effonts fnom July 1st until July 25th to understand what this altennative channel nelated to Rudy Giuliani was? A I took ]imited efforts, but I also had a vaniety of other things going on in my pontfolio. a Okay. But it is youn testimony today that as of July 25th you did not know that Rudy Giuliani was publicly advocating fon investigations related to Bunisma, Joe and Hunten Biden, and the 2016 election ? A Connect. a Aften this call -- we1I, 1et me go back. So I just want to make sune. You had two convensations, I think you said, on July 25th with lohn Eisenbeng and Michael Ellis nelated to the call A Yes. a -- at that time? Did you have any funthen convensations with them in the few days after that nelated dinectly to the phone caII? A Not that I can necaII. a Okay. Did thene come a time when you became awane of a meeting that Mn. Giuliani had with Andney Yermak in Madrid, Spain? A Yes. a What do you -- when did you -- did you leann about that in nealtime ? A No. a When did you leann about that? A Within the past week or so in neading press covenage of these pnoceedings. UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 106 UNCLASS I FIED a So you only -- so I just -- Iet's just fon the next half an hour tny to sepanate out what you've l-eanned fnom the press reponts and what you knew pnion to pness neponts, okay. So you only leanned about this -- weII, I should say, you leanned it fnom pness neponts at the time, on you leanned it fnom press neponts necently? A Recent1y. a Okay. Wene you awane that it was in the pness at the time? A No. a Okay. What wene your -- did you undenstand youn do-outs to be fnom the July 25th call? A I think the only do-out I can necall is I decided to wonk with Ambassadon Taylon to attempt to detenmine dates that would be mutually agreeable to Pnesident Tnump and President Zelensky fon a White House visit. a And did you have any discussions within the hJhite House about this potential White House visit? A Yes. a Who did you speak to? A Ambassadon Bolton, Dn. Kuppenman, a Who is that? Sonny. A She is the senion dinecton for visits. She handles -- we have a team on the NSC that handles foneign -- foneignens who visit the White House, whether to meet with Ambassador Bolton on to meet with the Pnesident on the Vice Pnesident. And so she was a conduit fon the UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LT L2 13 t4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 LO7 UNCLASS I FIED schedule pnoposals and the intenface with the Pnesident's schedulers. a And what did you understand to be the dinection about whethen on not you should begin to set up a White House visit? A We wene seeking a White House visit. a And that came fnom Ambassadon Bolton? A That came fnom the Pnesident. a Who did he -- who did you undenstand him to have told that to? A Pnesident Zelensky. a And so -- and you had convensations with Ambassadon Bolton and Dn. Kuppenman about that as a do-out fnom the convensation? A I think I -- what I necall telling them is, I'ffi going to put togethen -- we have a schedule pnoposal. Let's move the schedule pnoposal. I think the schedule pnoposal pneceded the Ju1y 25th phone cal1. Let's move the schedule pnoposal. I will work with Ambassadon Taylon to detenmine dates that ane agneeable to the Uknainians. a Okay. IMajority Exhibit No. 2 Was manked for identification.l BY MR. GOLDMAN: a I'm going to show you a document that is a bunch of text messages that we'11 mank as exhibit L -- sonry, exhibit 2. And if you could go to page 38 - - A I don't think these ane numbened. a We1l, Bates No. 38, KV38. UNCLASS I EIED I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 17 L2 13 L4 15 15 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 108 UNCLASS I F]ED A Excuse me, okay. a And if you go to August 3rd at 11:19 a.m. It's about two-thinds of the way down. A Uh-huh. a Now, this is a gnoup text chain with Bill Taylon, Kunt Volken, and Gondon Sondland. You ane not on it. But Sondland wnites to the othen two: I have a sec call with Tim, Monday, "Monr" Monday, sounds like bad news. Kunt, call if you have a sec. Thanks. Do you necall having a convensation with Ambassadon'Sondland anound this time about a White House meeting? A I'm awane that I had a call with him. I'm awane that I had a call with him. My recond indicates it was an open line, but -- nonsecune 1ine, on Monday, August 5. I don't recall the subject matten, but it was an open 1ine. a Did thene come a time aften the July 25th call when you leanned that the prospect of a White House meeting was not good? A No. a No? You thought that it was on tnack fnom luly 25th to the pnesent day? A Thene came a time when it became clean that the eanliest oppontunity fon the two Pnesidents to meet would be in l,rlansaw. I believe that was Pnesident Zelensky's suggestion, and that'S what we scheduled for. But we wene in panallel looking fon oppontunities to land a White House meeting. a Okay. So you have no idea what Ambassadon Sondland means UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 1.4 15 16 T7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 109 UNCLASS IFIED here when he says, "sounds like bad news"? A No, but he also indicates it was a secune call and it was not. a So, thenefone, you question whethen thene was bad news because he -- because it may have changed in 2 days fnom a secune call to an open call? A I simply can't know what was in Ambassadon Sondland's mind. a If we could go down to 8/6 at 7:57 a.m., BiIl Taylor wnites: Uknaine nesponded saying that they want to plan one tnip, so the week befone UNGA on the week aften wonks. The week of Septemben 9th doesn't. But my convensation with Tim on Sunday did not fill me with hope that they will agnee on a date anytime soon unless, comma, Tim said, quote, "Gondon tunns it anoundr" unquote. Do you necalL that conversation with Ambassadon Taylon on August 6th -- on August 5th maybe? Sunday, so I don't know. August 4th, it would have been, acconding to Ambassadon Taylon. A No. In my review of occasions whene I scheduled a call with Ambassadon Taylon, it's possible something -- you know, it didn't wind up getting scheduled, it's just that he called unscheduled. I don't have that cal1. a We11, do you nememben having a convensation with Ambassadon Taylon along the lines of whene the convensation included what he descnibed hene? A No. a Do you necall even giving him any reason that did not fill UNCLASS ] FIED 110 UNCLASS ] FIED r him with hope that the White House would agnee on a date anytime soon? 2 A It's not -- I don't have a clean necollection, but I'm not 3 sunprised. 4 Q Why are you not sunPnised? 5 A Because my directonate had a dozen schedule nequests in with G the pnesident fon meetings with foneign teadens that we were looking 7 to land,.and Uknaine was but one. S Q Do you neca]I telling Ambassador Taylor that it was not going 9 tO happen Soon unIeSS, quOte, "GOndOn tunnS it anoundr " unquOte? 10 A No. 11 a The next line, Bill Taylor says: "Gondon, you talked to Tim 72 yesterday, right? Is that youn sense, question mank. Panentheses, 13 Tim actually said, quote, "unless Gondon tunns it anound like he did 14 with the phone calI, " unquote. 15 Do you recall saYing that? 16 A No. L7 a Do you dispute that you did say that, if Ambassador Taylon 18 wrote that contemponaneously in this text message with quotation manks 19 anound it? ZO A I have no necollection of that, and I wasn't on the text 27 messages. I can't sPeak to it. 22 a I undenstand. But do you have any recollection of 23 saying -- of thinking that Ambassadon Sondland had played any nole in 24 helping to facilitate the phone call between Pnesident Trump and 25 Pnesident ZelenskY? UNCLASSl FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 111 UNCLASS ] F]ED A Yes. a And how did he do that, to youn knowledge? A He told me he did it. a This was before the luly 25th call that he also told you about, night? A YeS. a Okay. And did he tell you how he did it? A No. WeII, so he bragged that he could call the Pnesident wheneven he wanted. a So you understood that he facilitated it by calling the Pnesident i A f undenstood that he believed he did. a Okay. But you didn't confinm with the Pnesident -- with the -- you didn't confinm that they did have a convensation? A I wasn't always able to confinm these things. Sometimes I didn't have time. Sometimes I just couldn't find somebody who could confinm it. a Appnoximately how many times over the counse of the JuIy 15th to Septemben 1Lth time peniod do you necall heaning Ambassador Sondland -- on leanning one way on anothen that Ambassadon Sondland and Pnesident Tnump spoke? A I can't quantify it exactly, but I would say several times. a Would you say more than five? A Appnoximately five. a Appnoximately five? UNCLASS ] FIED 1. 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LT 72 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 772 UNCLASS I FIED A Yeah. It's not -- it wouldn't be double digits, but half a dozen, sevenal, something in that batlpark. Not a couple, not a few. Several. a Okay. So did you even leann in the -- weI1, 1et's go, sorry, to page 42, KV42, at 5:35, which is about two-thinds of the way down. The text neads fnom Gondon Sondland to Kurt Volken, Bill Taylon is not on this chain: Monnison neady to get dates as soon as Yenmak confinms. Do you have any idea what Ambassadon Sondland is refenencing thene ? A No. a Wene you awane that Ambassadon Sondland was having any communications with Andney Yenmak anound this time? A I'm hesitating to answen because I knew Gondon was having convensations with Uknainian officials. I don't know if I knew befone on aften August 9th, and I don't know that I knew specifically he was talking to Mr. Yenmak. a Wene you talking to any Uknainian officials anound this time? A Yes. a Who wene you in contact with? A The then Uknainian Nationa] Security Advison. a Danylyuk? A Yes. a And appnoximately how fnequently did you speak with him, fnom July 15th to Septemben 11th, and not when you met in Wansaw? A Thnee on foun times. UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L] 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 113 UNCLASS I FIED a Did you even discuss the White House meeting with him? A Not that I can necaII. a So what did you know about Ambassadon Sondland's convensations with Uknainians nelated to a White House meeting? A I don't know that I knew he was having conversations with Uknainians about a White House meeting. I knew he was having convensations with Ukrainians. a Did you undenstand what he was speaking to them about? A I undenstood that he was speaking to them about what I've taken to discuss as the Bunisma bucket. a Okay. Did thene come a time when you became aware of a possible statement that was to be neleased by the Ukraine Govennment in this eanly to mid-August timefname? A Not eanly to mid-August, oo. a When? A I necall Gondon mentioning it when he nelated to me his convensation with Yenmak on 1 Septemben in Warsaw. a Okay. We'11 get to that in a minute. But anound this mid-, eanly to mid-August timefname, you had no knowledge that thene was a discussion of Uknaine issuing a statement? A No. a Related obviously to the U.S.? A No. a And what did you undenstand Rudy Giuliani's involvement to be in Uknaine mattens in the finst 2 weeks of August? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 t4 15 L6 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 tL4 UNCLASS IFIED A I'm not sune in the finst 2 weeks of August I knew any specifics about his involvement. I had the supenficial awareness given to me by Dn. Hill, and, of counse, the President suggested that Mn. Giuliani should go to Uknaine. I think those wene chiefly the two data points I had. a When did you leann that the Pnesident suggested Rudy Giuliani should go to Uknaine? A He said it in the cal}. a He said that he should go to Uknaine or that they should A I think -- weI1, So, fongive me, you're right. That they should meet with him, I believe. a Okay. And did you even follow up as a do-out to detenmine whethen the Uknainian - - any Uknainian officials did meet with Rudy Giuliani punsuant to the Pnesident's request on the July 25th call? A And to be c1ean, in reading the call again, the President asked that he call -- that Mn. Giuliani and Pnesident Zelensky caII. president Zelensky had mentioned that they' ne hoping that Mn. Giuliani would tnavel to Uknaine. a Right. Mn. Giuliani is mentioned sevenal times A Yes. a so it's hard to keeP tnack. But just to get back to my question, did you view it as a do-out to tny to help facilitate contact between Mn. Giuliani and Uknaine officials punsuant to the Pnesident's nequest in this call? A No. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 115 UNCLASS ] FIED a Why not? A Because I did not. a WelI, but ondinanily, right, you thought that the White House visit was a do-out from this call because that was mentioned in the caI1, night? A Cornect. a Getting in touch with Rudy Giuliani was also nequested sevenal times by Pnesident Tnump. Why didn't you view that to be a do-out fnom the call? A It is not within the scope of my nesponsibilities. Within the scope of my nesponsibilities is to help annange head of state visits to the White House on othen head of state meetings. I did not considen it to be a dinection to me. a Why was it not within the scope of youn nesponsibilities if it nelates to Uknaine -- A Because I -- a policy mattens? A -- I would help set up meetings with Ambassadon Bolton and foreign delegations and the Pnesident on Vice Pnesident and foneign delegations, not othens. a But you wene also in change of coondinating and onchestnating the U.S. policy toward Uknaine, too. It wasn't just head of state visits, night? A Connect. a And if the Pnesident wanted the Uknainians to meet with Rudy UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 116 UNCLASS I F]ED Giuliani, isn't that -- wouldn't that be pant of youn pontfolio overseeing Uknaine? A I did not considen it to be. a Because why? A It was not within my -- the pnocess I was involved in. a It was not in the official U.S. policy towand Ukraine to have -- to involve Rudy Giuliani? A Not one that I was involved in. a So is it youn view that the Pnesident sets the policy? A Yes. a And so did you not take away fnom this call that the Pnesident's policy decisions on Uknaine included Rudy Giuliani? A I was awane of what the Pnesident naised with nespect to Mn. Giuliani, yes. a That wasn't answering my question. Did you not think that that was pant of U.S. policy if the Pnesident dinect asked Uknaine to meet with Rudy Giuliani? A No. a Why not? r don't A I'm tnying to tel1 you what I thought at the time. I did not think at the time this was my nesponsibility to help implement. a Whose nesponsibility was it? A I did not have an opinion then, and I do not have an opinion now. a And was this something that you wene just trying to stay away UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 Lt7 UNCLASSI FTED fnom? A It just I did not see it within the scope of my nesponsibility. a But is this something along the Bunisma line that you wene tnying to stay away fnom, as you testified earlien? A It was that pnocess I was not I was not getting -- Mn. Giuliani was a pant of that pnocess in which I was not involving myself. a Okay. So you wene not awane in the -- when did you become aware that Mn. Giuliani was meeting with Uknainian officials? A It may have come up in -- I had sevenal calls with Ambassadon Taylor. So I think it would have come up in one of the ca1ls -- it would have had to at this point - - one of the calls I had with him in August. a Did you have any calls with Ambassador Taylon in the finst 2 weeks of August? A I believe so. I had -- I had at least one that I -- that I have a necord of, yes. a What date? A 16 August. a And just fon the necond to be c1ean, what ane you looking at to nefnesh youn necollection? A I pninted out calendan entnies. a And so you don't have anything else between July 28th and August 16th UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 17 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 118 UNCLASS I FIED A Not a -- with Ambassadon Taylon? A Not -- we11, JuIy 28th, y€S. I also spoke with him on -- I spoke with him on Sunday July 28th, and I spoke with him beyond then. a When you mentioned Rudy Giuliani to Ambassador Taylon on July 28th, did he say anything about Mr. Giuliani in nesponse to you naising that? I'm just asking fon youn necollection. A Yeah. Not that I can necall. a Did you know what Ambassador Taylon's views wene about Mn. Giuliani's involvement in Uknaine mattens? A As of July 28th? a As of July 28th, yeah. A No, I don't believe I did. a When did you learn those? A Again, I referenced convensations BilI and I had involving Uknaine whene he mentioned text messages and phone calls he had with Mn. Giuliani whene he shared his views, and I -- he and I discussed them. a hJhat were his views? A WeII, he was concenned that -- pnincipally that he did not always know what Rudy was doing. He and I discussed a lack of, shaIl we say, OPSEC, that much of Rudy's discussions wene happening oven an unclassified ce11 phone on, perhaps as bad, WhatsApp messages, and therefone you can only imagine who else knew about them. a Was he concenned at all about the substance of what UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7t t2 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 119 UNCLASS ] F]ED Mr. Giuliani was pnessing? A I'm tnying to necaII a WelI, let me ask you this. Did he nelay to you that Mr. Giuliani was pnessing fon these investigations? A Not around this time. I think we had discussions about what they were doing Iaten, but not anound August 16th, I don't believe. a WeII, what did he descnibe to you was going on with the text messages with Sondland, Volken, and Giuliani? A I nememben being focused on the fact that thene wene text messages, the fact that Rudy was having all of these phone calls oven unclassified media. And I found that to be highly pnoblematic and indicative of someone who didn't neaIly undenstand how national secunity pnocesses ane nun. a By August 15th, did you know that Rudy Giuliani was pnessing the Uknainians to initiate investigations into Biden, Bunisma, and 2@L6 election ? A I think I did, yes. I think I deduced that fnom the JuIy 25th call. a So aften the July 25th call, did you take any steps to figure out r^ihat Rudy Giuliani believed on was advocating related to Uknaine? A I decided to stay out of that line of pnocess. a So the only knowledge you had was fnom the JuIy 25th ca}l? A As of when? a August 15th. A Yes, that's my necollection. UNCLASS ] FIED t20 UNCLASS I F]ED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a And you didn't discuss it with Ambassadon Taylon befone that, to youn necollection? A Not to the best of my recollection. a Okay. So you were not awane that -- well, wene you aware that thene was a discussion eithen among -- between Ambassadon Sondland -- thene wene discussions among Ambassadon Sond1and, Ambassador Volken, and Rudy Giuliani related to conditioning the White House meeting on the initiation of this investigation by August 15th? A No. a You mentioned at the end of oun last nound that Mr. Eisenbeng told you in a meeting that it was a mistake to place the tnanscnipt - - on the MEMCON in the highly classified system. And you said that that was around the time that you wene pnepaning fon Pnesident Tnump's visit to Warsaw to meet with Pnesident Zelensky. Do you have a mone specific necollection as to when that conversation was? A So I was with Ambassador Bolton on tnavel pnior to Warsaw, so if Wansaw was anound 1 Septemben, it would have been maybe the thind week of August. a So how fan in advance would you ordinanily pnepane for a meeting like this? A In this -- so nonmal -- in this case, because r was planning to be on tnavel fon about a week befone Wansaw, I wanted to put in place centain things befone I left the countny. a Undenstood. When was youn -- you'ne talking about the tnip 10 L7 t2 13 L4 15 16 l7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 L2t UNCLASS I FIED you took to Kyiv as well as a couple othen places? A So I staffed the Pnesident and Ambassadon Bolton at the G7 in Biannitz. Ambassadon Bolton then pnoceeded to Uknaine, Moldova, and Belanus. And we then proceeded to Wansaw. a I see. And did -- so I just want to be very clean about this. Mn. Eisenbeng told you that it was a -- you looked fon the MEMCON in the system and you couldn't find it. Is that night? A Connect. a And then you went and asked -- what did you do -- Iet me ask it this way: What did you do aften you couldn't find it? A I called the NSC Executive Secnetaniat staff to say, essentially, what gives? a And what did they say? A They said John Eisenbeng had dinected it be moved to a diffenent senven. a What did you do nextl A I talked to John. a And what did he say to you? A He said he did not. a What did you say back to him? A I said, well, that you need to talk to Exec Sec because they think you dinected it. a And then what did he say to you? When did he say it was a mistake ? A Aften he talked to -- weI1, I don't necall if it was in that UNCLASS I FIED 722 UNCLASS I FIED T 2 3 4 5 5 exact same convensation on a sepanate convensation, but at some point he checked in with the Exec Sec to find out why they thought he dinected them to do that. And he came back and said, wel1, I agneed with you to nestnict access. They took that as a direction to move it to a different senven, which was not my -- which was not his instnuction nor my necommendation. UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 t4 15 16 l7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 723 UNCLASS I FIED ItL:22 a .m. l BY MR. GOLDMAN: a And so was it youn undenstanding that at the point of that meeting the thind week of August, Mn. Eisenbeng was not awane that the tnanscnipt had been moved to the highly classified system? A That's my necollection, yes. a You said that thene was a -- that you pnetty eanly on -- and cornect me if this descniption is wrong, but you testified eanlien that you pnetty eanly on undenstood that this issue was going to become a pnocess, I think was youn language, and you tnied to pnotect your team, I think is what you said. Is that youn necollection ofwhat you said? A Yes. a What did you mean by "a pnocess"? A That at this point, anound JuIy 25th, I was afnaid of, as I stated in my statement, if it leaked lt would wind up becoming a partisan political issue. And so I was -- that was among my concenns about the call leaking. As time went on, and I'd have to -- I don't necaLl pnecisely what was playing out contemponaneously in the media, but I became funther concenned that it could become mone than just a pantisan issue, and I wanted to essentially put myself between my staff and that issue. I was in change. It was my nesponsibility to pnotect them from anything that would be a distnaction fnom thein mission. a And I'm not I don't want to go anywhene nean who the whistleblowen is, but when did you become awane that there was a UNCLASSIEIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t\ L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 724 UNCLASS I EIED whistleblowen complaint nelated to this issue? A When the -- when the pness -- pness covenage of the fact of a whistleblowen began. a So that was in SePtemben? A Whenever that happened, Y€s, that was when. a So you wene unawane at any point in August that thene was a whistleblowen complaint that had been filed nelated to this issue? A To the best of my necollection, yes. a Do you recall getting a request to pnesenve youn documents at some point nelated to Uknaine mattens? A Yes. a Did you know what that nelated to when you neceived it? A I don't know that I did. We've received a couple dozen of those kinds of lnstructions -- pnesenve youn documents, pnesenve your documents. And my -- you know, punsuant to the Pnesidential Reconds Act, the way oun email is set up, the way oun phone calls happen, you know, my sont of entny-level basic openating assumption is thene's a necond of evenything. And, you know, I don't even think I have the capability to delete an emai1, fon example. a I undenstand that. But did you undenstand what the pnesenvation nequest nelated to? A I think I saw that it was nelated to Ukraine. I don't believe I had any undenstanding of much mone than that. a Did you think it nelated to the July 25th call? A I think, if I'm connect in necalling, I think what it nelated UNCLASS I FIED L25 UNCLASS I E]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 to was the disclosune of the ho1d, the hold on assistance. When that Ieaked in late August, I think that's what I thought it was related to. a 0kay. We1I, I believe that the date you would have received the email was before the date that the public became awane of the secunity assistance hold. A Okay. a So it would be hard fon it to be that. A Okay. I'm telling you what my best necollection is. a And just to be cIean, in any of your convensations with Mn. Eisenbeng in August, did he mention a whistleblowen complaint nelated to Uknaine? A No. MR. GOLDMAN: Oun time is up. So ane you good if we go another 45 minutes on do you want a break? MR. MORRISON: Yeah, I'm good. MR. BITAR: If we go anothen 45, we'IL have lunch aften that. MR. GOLDMAN: Okay. And we'11- yield to the minonity. BY MR. CASTOR: a I belleve you testified eanlien that the July 25th call was nequested thnough the regular NSC pnocess. Do you rememben who officially nequested the call? A I know -- I know we, the NSC staff, wene advocating a call and had pnoposed a call. a Okay. And wene thene any temponal considenations of the 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASSI FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L7 L2 1,3 t4 126 UNCLASS I FIED caI1, befone on aften the panliamentany elections? A We wanted it to happen as close as possible to the panliamentany elections. That's when it's most nipe. And I nememben anound the time of the 25th, we were keen on it happening then, because Pnesident Zelensky had tnavel laten that week. I don't necall what day of the week the 25th was. Monday was the 22nd, so it was Thunsday or so. That Fniday, I believe, Pnesident Zelensky had tnavel pIans. So he would be away fnom the secune phone he has that we would use to have such a calI. a And in youn tnansition with Dn. Hill, did she expness an opinion on the -- whethen she was in favon of having the call? A Not that I recall. a OkaY. MS. VAN GELDER: IN fAVOT? UNCLASS I FIED 127 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED BY MR. CASTOR: a In favon of on against the call? A Not that I necall. a So you don't nememben if she was against having that type of cal]? A Not that I necall. a Okay. Do you nememben if she was against having the meeting, the Oval Office meeting on the meeting in Wansaw, which -- A No, I do not. a Do you necall any concenn about whethen Pnesident Zelensky would be a genuine nefonmen and follow thnough on his campaign commitments ? A Yes. a And whethen he would be influenced by oliganchs and whethen he would genuinely try to noot out connuption? A Yes. a And I believe thene's an oliganch by the name of -- and I apologize if I get the pnonunciation wnong -- Kolomoisky. A Yes. a A AI UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 128 UNCLASS I FIED BY MR. CASTOR: a Okay. But can you tell us about what the NSC view was in the lead-up to the call? Was that a concern on a potential noadblock to having the call? A I think oun view was we wanted to -- the United States to engage the Zelensky administration, to test him. a And do you know by the time the JuIy 25th call had happened whethen he had an oppontunity to implement any nefonms? A He had not. The July 25th call was incident to the Rada election. The Rada, the new Rada, would not be seated until the end of August. a Okay. And aften the Rada was seated, do you know if Pnesident Zelensky made an effont to implement those refonms? A I do. a And what nefonms genenally can you speak to? A We11, he named a new prosecuton genenal. That was something that we wene specifically intenested in. He had his panty introduce a spate of legislative neforms, one of which was panticulanly significant was stnipping Rada membens of thein panliamentany immunity. That passed fainly quickly, as I recalI. Those kinds of things. a And within what time peniod wene some of those initial UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 tt L2 13 L4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 129 UNCLASS I FIED nefonms passed? A Veny, veny quickly. a Okay. So in the month of August? A When we wene -- when Ambassadon Bolton was in Ukraine and he met with Pnesident Ze1ensky, we obsenved that evenybody on the Uknainian side of the table was exhausted, because they had been up fon days wonking on, you know, nefonm legislation, wonking on the new Cabinet, to get thnough as much as possible on the first day. a Remind me again of Ambassadon Bolton's visit. Was that August, at the end of August? A It was the end of August. It was between the G-7 and the Wansaw commemonation. a So by Labon Day, for example? A I seem to recall we were -- we -- we wene there on the opening day of the Rada. Pnesident -- Pnesident Zelensky met with Ambassadon Bolton on the opening day of the Rada, and they wene in an all-night session. Yeah. So, I mean, things wene happening that day. a So by Labon Day, things had neally -- thene had been A Yes. a -- definitive developments A Yes. a -- on the fnont to demonstrate that President Zelensky was committed to the issues he campaigned on? A Yes. a Did you emenge fnom those meetings with Ambassadon Bolton UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 130 UNCLASS I FIED encounaged that Pnesident Zelensky was a genuine nefonmer? A Yes. a And he had the best interests of the Uknainian people in mind? A Yes. a And that he was not a self-dealing bad guy? A Yes. a Do you think Ambassadon Bolton shaned that view? A Yes. a And did you look fonward to coming back to the United States and communicating that thnough the intenagency pnocess? A Yes. a Up the chain to the President and so fonth? A Yes. a Okay. And did you have an opportunity to communicate that up the chain once you did get home? A We communicated it befone we got home. a Okay. So nelatively quickly, that message was communicated back to Pnesident Tnump and his top aides? A Yes. a okay. Do you know if that infonmation was well-neceived? A By whom? a By President Tnump and his top aides. Did you get any feedback on wond of feedback? A Could you nestate the question on repeat the question, please ? UNCLASS ] FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 131 UNCLASS I FIED a Did you -- well, maybe I should stant with who passed that infonmation on, was that you on Ambassadon Bolton on both of you? A Ambassadon Bo1ton. a 0kay. And do you know whethen Ambassadon -- A I passed some of the infonmation along, too. a Okay. And did you get any feedback that these ane good, positive finst steps? A So we -- I called back to my team. I told them to pnovide some updates to the pnep materials that we had pnepared fon the President fon what we then believed would be his meeting with Pnesident Zelensky. When it became clean, because of the hunnicane, that the Pnesident would not tnavel to Wansaw, I made sune to convey that infonmation to the Vice Pnesident's staff. a And the next pant of the tnip was going to Wansaw? A We went fnom Ukraine, Moldova, Belanus, to Wansaw. a You wene in the meeting between the Vice Pnesident and Pnesident Zelensky? A Yes. a Can you necal-l genenally the message Vice Pnesident Pence communicated to Pnesident Zelensky? A Yes. a What was that? A It was to convey U.S. suppont fon Ukraine. It was to convey Pnesident Tnump's focus on Pnesident Zelensky's -- well, not UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 132 UNCLASSIFIED necessanily President Zelensky's -- Pnesident Tnump's focus on cornuption nefonm in Uknaine. It was also to convey Pnesident Tnump's concenn that the United States ought not be the only countny pnoviding secunity assistance to Uknaine. a Did the Ukrainians naise the issue of support, financial support at that point? A Yes. a And what do you nemember of that? A They wene fnustnated. They wene sunpnised by the public disclosune on or about the 28th. And they wene looking for clanity fnom the Vice President about why thene was a hold, what the neview was looking at. a Okay. And did the Vice Pnesident tny to encounage them that the hold would be lifted? A He tnied to encounage them that -- to continue to hold tnue, that the United States supponts Uknaine, and that they should continue to do as much as possible to gain mone support fnom the Eunopeans and to continue the connuption nefonm agenda. a Okay. Did he attempt to a1lay thein concenns about whethen the aid would be delivened? Because we'ne coming up on the end of the fiscal year. To the best of youn recollection? A Thene was only so much he could say. a Okay. Did he make any commitments to the Uknainians duning that meeting? UNCLASS] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 133 UNCLASS I FIED A No. a okay. A WeIl, yes, he made one. He would nelay what he believed was a veny positive meeting, the content of that meeting, to Pnesident Tnump. a Okay. In shont onder? A Yes. a Okay. Do you know if the Vice Pnesident did that? A Yes. a And did you get any neadout of how that convensation went A Yes. a -- on the Pnesident neceived it? A Yes. a In a positive way? A I did neceive a neadout. a Was the Pnesident positive at that point on was he still skeptical ? A Still skeptical. a Was the Pnesident's skepticism, in pant, based on oun allies, thein suppont of Uknaine financially? A Yes. a okay. So he was still concenned that oun allies could do mone ? A Yes. a And he was still concenned by his general issue with using UNCLASS ] EIED L34 UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 U.S. taxpayen dollans ovenseas? A To the best of my understanding. a Duning the Warsaw visit Ambassadon Sondland, f guess, had a sideban with Yenmak? A Yes. Uknainian Pnesidential Adviser Yenmak. a Did you witness that exchange? A I witnessed it, yes. a Okay. And wene you pant of the exchange on did you just see it occun? A I saw it occun. a Okay. And what did you leann about that exchange? I guess Ambassadon Sondland told you what he told Yenmak? A He came -- he essentially walked acnoss a, you know, a -- I don't know how to describe the noom. He walked acnoss the space and he bniefed me on what he said he had said to Mn. Yenmak. a Okay. What did he teII you? A He told me that in his -- that what he communicated was that he believed the -- what could help them move the aid was if the pnosecuton general would go to the mike and announce that he was opening the Bunisma investigation. a And this occunned aften the Vice Pnesident's meeting? A Yes. a So the Vice Pnesident had just met with Pnesident Zelensky? A Yes. a And the wond "Bunisma" wasn't -- didn't come up? 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 135 UNCLASS I EIED A No. MR. CASTOR: Ane you going to intennupt me? MR. BITAR: No. lust fon the necond, when you mentioned -- when the witness mentioned "Bunismar " he put quotation manks in the ain. I just want to make sune that that's in the MR. MORRISON: I meant by that the Bunisma bucket. MR. BITAR: Undenstood. Thank you. MR. CASTOR: Sonny. I didn't mean to -- MR. BITAR: No, no. It was just to make sune the recond's accunate. MR. CASTOR: 0kay, fain enough. Believe it on not, thene have been some back-and-fonths that maybe led to some questions on my pant. So I apologize to my colleague. BY MR. CASTOR: a Getting back to the Vice Pnesident's meeting, the wond "Bunisma" didn't come up in lt? A It did not. a The name Biden was not mentioned? A It was not. a Whethen Hunten Biden on fonmen Vice Pnesident Biden? A No fonm of Biden. a The wond "CnowdStnike" didn't come up? A It did not. a Any specific investigation? A No, not to the best of my necollection. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TL 72 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 136 UNCLASS] FIED a Any investigation nelating to the nun-up to the 2016 election ? A No. a Okay. So the meeting ends and that's the definitive, you know, U.S. position at this point. The Vice President just communicated with the Pnesident of Uknaine, right? A Yes. a So did you have any idea why Ambassadon Sondland felt it was necessany to go and tnack Mn. Yenmak down? A No. But, in fainness, I also didn't know why Ambassador Sondland was in the meeting. a Okay. Ambassador Sondland didn't consuLt you pnion to doing that, did he? A No. MS. VAN GELDER: Doing what? MR. CASTOR: Going to speak with Yenmak. Fain enough. MR. M0RRISON: Yes, he did consult with me about going to the meeting. BY MR. CASTOR: a Okay. And what did you tell him? A He said he wanted to have a seat in the meeting. And I said, okay, Gordon, I'11 see what I can do. a Okay. And did you help him get a seat in the meeting? A No. a Okay. How did he get a seat in the meeting? UNCLASS T FIED 1 L37 UNCLASS I FIED A I do not know. a Okay. Did you even have any communicatlons with him in that timefname about not doing something of this sort, of going up and having these communications with Yenmak? A No. a Okay. When he came back to you and related what he just exchanged with Mn. Yermak, did you give him any feedback, such as, Why did you do that? 0n did you just -- on you wene just neceiving? A I took it on boand and immediately stanted thinking about who I wanted to call about it. a Okay. And who did you call about it? A Ambassador Bolton, Ambassadon Taylon. And I made sune to -- thene wene no NSC lawyens on this tnip. I made sune to communicate the same to the lawyens when I got back. a Okay. And you just related the communication? A Yes. a And youn concenn about it? A Yes. a Okay. And did any of those panties give you any advice on necommendations on how to handle it, or was it just noting it fon the file ? A Ambassador Bolton's dinection, consistent with my instinct, was make sune the lawyens are tnacking. a Okay. At any point did you feel comfontable telling Ambassadon Sondland that maybe what he was doing hene wasn't helpful? UNCLASS I FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 138 UNCLASS I EIED A I didn't I didn't deem it would result in anything. a Okay. Had you ever, befone this point, had you even tnied to modenate some of his tendencies? A 0n -- yes. a And how did you try to do that? A So staying within the scope of the inquiny, I would just -- on issues that I thought were in my punview, I would offen him counsel on what othens in the intenagency were doing that he should facton into his instinct or his impulse, on I would te11 him that I thought thene was perhaps a mone effective way to get it done than he was contemplating. a And he wasn't a caneen diplomat, night? A No. a He's somebody coming fnom outside of government. He's a hotelier. Is that night? A As I understand it fnom pness neporting. a okay. And do you think some of these issues with Ambassadon Sondland related to the fact that he just wasn't a pnofessional diplomat and hadn't neally been steeped in the ant of diplomacy? A tnlhen Fiona stanted talking to me about the pontfolio, and then when I met with Ambassadon Sondland on 10 JuIy, I found he nepresented to me that his mandate fnom the Pnesident was to go make MS. VAN GELDER: WhO? MR. MORRISON: Sonny, Ambassador Sondland. That his mandate from the Pnesident was to go make deals. And UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 74 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 139 UNCLASS I FIED he expnessed -- this is in the 10 July meeting -- he expnessed his fnustnation that he felt that on occasion Fiona thwanted him, and she didn't tell him she was going to do that. And Fiona's oniginal advice was just steen clean of Gondon. And I said I thought what would be mone effective and the appnoach I would punsue was I'd nathen have him inside the tent, you know, nathen than outside the tent. And so I wanted to know what he was doing and do my best to spy, you know, pnoblems as opposed to being ignonant. BY MR. CASTOR: a Okay. And did you have any success whatsoever? Those ane noble things that, you know, you want to achieve, but did you have any success, do you think? A I think so, but the examples I would offen ane outside the scope of the inquiny and a Okay. 5o you had a nelatively amicable nelationship with him? A That's what I saw it, and I believe I had it. a Okay. Did he ever undenstand that -- I mean, the intenagency pnocess and the coordination nole that the National Secunity Council penfonms is -- you know, has its complexities. Do you think he appneciated that? A No. a Okay. And did you even tny to help him undenstand that if he's having communications with the Uknainians about issues whene thene's, you know, a gneat leveL of complexity involved he might foul UNCLASS I FIED \ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 140 UNCLASS I FIED something up? A Yes. WeII, I'm sonny, please nestate the question on ne-ask the question. a That thene's complexities involved here, and if he doesn't fuIly appnise himself of these complexities involving all the diffenent intenagency components he might foul something up? A So specific to Uknaine -- a Right. A -- I will say that I did. I was very tnanspanent with him, fon example, with nespect to trying to schedule meetings with the Pnesident, that I was not going to do that with him. I was going to do that thnough Bill Taylon. He was our chief of mission. He's the appnopriate conduit. He should be having those discussions with the Ukrainians. a On Ambassadon Bolton, the fnont office of the NSC, night? A What about Ambassadon Bolton? a If thene's going to be meetings scheduled with the President. A If thene would be meetings scheduled with the President, yes, I'd expect Ambassadon Bolton -- MS. VAN GELDER: Can we identify which Pnesident we'ne having meetings with? BY MR. CASTOR: a I'm sonny. Pnesident TnumP. A If we'ne talking about a meeting between Pnesident Tnump and a foreign head of state on head of government, I would finst make sune UNCLASS] FIED L4t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS ] FIED Ambassadon Bolton supponted such an engagement. And if he did, then I would endeavon to help schedule it, and I would do that thnough the chief of mission, BilI Taylon. a Okay. TelI us about youn experience with Ambassadon Volker. A I had known Kunt fon some time befone we both found ounselves senving in the Tnump administnation. And in the course of the Tnump administnation, I met with him two on thnee times. I talked to him two on thnee additional times. a And he had a little bit mone expenience than Ambassadon Sondland ? A Yes. He was oun penm nep to NATO. a Right. And did you even have any communications with Ambassadon Volken abolrt Ambassadon Sondland's openations hene? A Yes. a And what do you nememben telling Ambassadon Volker? A I told him what I was awane of happening as had been nelated to me langely by Ambassadon Sondland, but also by Ambassadon Taylon. And I asked Kunt: Kunt, what's youn involvement hene? What's youn role hene? What do you think of what's going on? And he expnessed his concenns about what he saw going on. And we both agneed that it was pnoblematic, and we wene attempting to follow as best we could the nonmal policy process to achieve the night outcomes. a Did you even ask Ambassadon Volken to attempt to modenate Ambassador Sondland's activities? A No. UNCLASS ] FIED L42 UNCLASS I F]ED L a Okay. Did he even suggest to you affirmatively that he was doing his best with the Ambassadon Sondland aspect of this? A I'm hesitating, because I'm struggling to reca11 exactly how we discussed what he was tnying to do. I don't necall how he descnibed any attempt to modulate Gondon. a Okay. Did you see Ambassadon Vo1ken as someone that might be able to modulate Ambassadon Sondland, on was he beyond Ambassadon Vo1ker's ability to influence? A I saw Kunt as a like-minded advocate fon U.S.-Uknainian nelations, and I wanted to chiefly undenstand what his role in this side pnocess was, because of -- I'd heand his name by both Ambassadon Sondland and Ambassadon Taylon as being involved, and I wanted to undenstand fon myself what he was doing. a And what did you come to learn that he was doing? A That he was trying not to get involved in what -- what he was doing. He saw that it was it was pnoblematic. a And you neven heand Ambassadon Volken advocate fon any sont of investigation into Vice Pnesident Biden, did you? A I did not. a 0n Hunten Biden? A I did not. a Did you even hean Ambassadon Volker advocate fon any sont of specific investigation of a U.S. penson? A I did not. a Getting back to the Warsaw visit, You had a meeting at the 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL 72 13 1.4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED L43 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I EIED hotel, not in a hotel noom, but with Mr. Danylyuk? A r did. a And what can you teIl us about that meeting? A Thene wene a couple topics. The one I will discuss is the he wanted to discuss the secunity assistance. He wanted to share his Pnesident's state of mind as to his confidence in the cnedibility of U.S. suppont for what Uknaine was doing in the secunity space chiefly. And so that's why I went oven to meet with him. a Okay. And wene you able to -- did he -- wene you able to allay his concenns that the secunity assistance would be forthcoming? A No. a Did you tny to do that? A I tnied to explain to him, based on what I thought a foneignen needed to know about what was going on and Pnesident Tnump's genenal appnoach to foneign assistance. a Okay. And you wene still hopeful at this point the aid would be neleased? A Yes. a And did you in any way signal to him that you were hopeful the aid would be neleased, given the bipantisan suppont fon it? A I tnied to fname it mone fnom the penspective of he -- I did not think he needed to despain. I did not feel comfortable pledging to him that the aid would be neleased, or I did not feel comfontable foneshadowing a positive outcome, but I also tnied to let him know -- I tnied to assune him that we wene stil1 in the neview process and thene UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 744 UNCLASS 1 FIED was stil1 time. a Okay. And did you nelay to him that you were suppontive of the aid being neleased? A No. a Okay. Moving fonwand to aften the Wansaw visit on Septemben 7th, Ambassadon Taylor relates in his opening statement on page 12 that you descnibed a phone conversation that I guess was nelated to you fnom Ambassadon Sond1and. This is the thind panagnaph on page 12. A Yes. a Ambassadon Taylon wnites, "Mt^. Monnison said that he had a sinking feeling aften leanning about this convensation fnom Ambassadon SondIand. " Let me askyou a question finst. Was this the finst time you had a sinking feeling aften talking to Ambassadon Sondland? A No. a Okay. What do you nememben Ambassadon Sondland telling you on this day? A If I necall connectly -- so we'ne talking 2 days laten, Septemben 7th. So this is after, I believe -- so this was, I think, the convensation whene -- I don't know if this was the finst convensation on the second convensation I had aften 1 Septemben with Gondon, but this was a convensation whene Gondon nelated that both -- the Pnesident said thene was not a quid pno quo, but he funthen stated that Pnesident Zelensky should want to go to the micnophone and announce pensonally -- so it wouldn't be enough fon the prosecuton UNCLASS I F]ED 145 UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 T2 13 t4 L5 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 genenal, he wanted to announce pensonally, Zelensky pensonally, that he would open the investigations. a Okay. Was this Ambassadon Sondland talking? A I was relating to Ambassadon Taylon my convensation with Ambassadon Sondland. a And do you think -- was Ambassadon Sondland -- had he nelated to you that the Pnesident had said this? A Yes. a Okay. And you had a sinking feeling about this. Could you explain why? A We1I, it's September 7th. Septemben 30th is coming. I was gnowing pessimistic that we would be able to see the tumblers align to get the right people in the noom with the Pnesidents to get the aid neleased. I also did not think it was a good idea fon the Uknainian Pnesident to - - at this point I had a betten undenstanding - - involve himself in oun politics. a And did you communicate that to Ambassadon Sondland when he - - did you tny to unge Ambassadon Sondland that these types of discussions were not helpful? A We1I, he was tnansmitting to me a convensation he had with the Pnesident. I mean, he'd alneady had the convensation with the Pnesident. a Right. But did you pnovide him any feedback, like if this comes up again, we shouldn't be doing this? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 1.4 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 1.46 UNCLASS I FIED A No. a You spoke again with -- I'm sorny, Ambassador Taylon on the following day spoke on the phone with Ambassadon Sondland. Was that even nelated to you? A I'm sonny, nepeat that. a 0n the following day, Septemben 8th -- A Yeah. a -- Ambassadon Taylon wnites: Ambassadon Sondland and I -- meaning Ambassadon Taylon -- spoke on the phone and he related that Pnesident Tnump had suggested that he needed to clear things up with Pnesident Zelensky. A I was not awane at the time that this happened. a okay. Did you even have any communications with Ambassador Taylor about this? A About the phone call on September 8th? a Yes. A Not that I necaIl, because this would soon be supenseded by the decision to nelease the aid. a Okay. Did you know at this point in time that Ambassadon Taylon had begun to wonk his own channel, expnessing his concenn about the separate pnocess, as you describe? A I guess I'm not necessanily familian with what you'ne descnibing. a Ane you awane that Ambassador Taylon expnessed concenns up his own chain of command about Ambassadon Sondland? UNCLASS I FlED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 747 UNCLAS S I FIED A No. a okay. Did he even nelate to you that he had a communication with Ambassadon Bolton during the Wansaw tnip? A Yes. a Okay. And what do you rememben fnom that communication? A He descnibed fon me that MS. VAN GELDER: Who's "he"? MR. MORRISON: I'm sonny, fain Point. Ambassadon Taylon descnibed fon me that his convensation with Ambassadon Bolton, whene essentially Ambassadon Bolton suggested to Ambassadon Taylon: If I wene you, I would send a finst-penson cable back to Secretany Pompeo, descnibing to him your concenns about the impact of failing to pnovide the aid to Ukraine. BY MR. CASTOR: a Okay. Did you ever come to learn whethen Ambassadon Taylon sent that cable? A r did. a Okay. And did Ambassador Taylon even tell you about it on did you just leann from public neponts? A He told me about it. a Okay. And at this point, was Ambassadon Taylon getting -- did he ever talk to you about possibly nesigning? A Yes. a Okay. And what was -- what wene those communications? A He -- so this -- I mean, I fonget exactly when, but he had UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 15 17 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 148 UNCLASS IFIED a convensation about, has thene been a change in policy? And I said it nemained to be seen. And he said that he had explained to Secnetany Pompeo when agneeing to take the post that if oun policy was not going to be clean support fon Uknaine, Ukrainian secunity, that he could not senve in the post and he would nesign. a And did you do anything with that infonmation? Did you tny to alent Ambassador Bolton on anybody that we need to keep Ambassadon Taylon on the team hene? A I kept -- so I would tell Ambassadon Bolton -- I don't know that I even specifically nefenenced a convensation I had with Ambassadon Taylon with Ambassadon Bolton except fon possibly the convensation on Septemben 7th, because I think it was September 7th -- because it discussed when Ambassadon Sondland -- in that convensation, Ambassadon Taylon discussed that Ambassadon Sondland had told him: No, I don't actually think it will be enough fon the pnosecuton genenal to say it. I think the President is going to want to hean fnom the Pnesident. I made a mistake. So I nememben having that discussion with Ambassador Taylon. And I'm sonny, was that nesponsive? a I think so. But did you even put your head togethen with Ambassador Bolton on othen officials about now Ambassadon Taylor has some neal concenns about this -- you descnibe it as a sepanate pnocess. A Uh-huh. a Ambassador Taylon ca11s it an inregular pnocess. A Uh-huh. UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 149 UNCLASS I FIED a Diffenent people hene have chanactenized it diffenently. So did you have any -- did you try to communicate to anybody at the State Department on up the NSC chain of command, like, Ambassadon Taylon has some senious concerns hene, we should do something to alleviate them? A WeII, I -- in tnaveling to Ukraine, I spent some time talking to Ambassadon Bolton about who Ambassadon Taylon is and about our convensations and about Ambassadon Taylon's sense of what was happening on the gnound in Uknaine. I don't necall if Ambassadon Bolton was familian with Ambassador Taylon fnom pnion govennment senvice. I don't neca1l that I even conveyed to Ambassadon Bolton Ambassadon Taylon's view that if there had been a change in policy he would have to nesign. a Okay. Duning youn convensations with Ambassador Bolton at this time did you signal to him that what Ambassador Sondland was doing was not helpful? A I kept Ambassadon Bolton -- on a few occasions, when there had been some new development fnom Gondon, something new he bniefed me on that he was doing, I would bnief Ambassadon Bolton and make sune Ambassadon Taylon was tnacking. And so I had a numben of convensations with Ambassadon Bolton whene we stnategized on how we would get the Pnesident to yes on the secunity assistance, and we wene both mindful in those discussions about Gondon is this free nadical out thene. a And as it was getting cLosen to the end of the fiscal yean, UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 150 UNCLASSI FIED that fnee nadical element could have tunned neal problematic, night? A We wene mostly focused on how do we see us getting this done. BeCauSe it wasn't -- you know, in SOme nespects, we wenen't actually focused on Septemben 30th. trle wene focused on Septemben 15th, because of the notice-and-wait requirement on State Depantment assistance. a Okay. And did you even make a determination, 1ike, ]et's get him out of this pnocess so we can get this done? A So I neven made that detenmination, because I think at my level I didn't think I could do that, because Ambassadon Sondland nepnesented he had access to the Pnesident. I think -- I do necall -- I knowAmbassadon Bolton was fnustnated with Ambassadon Sondland's involvement in these issues -- fnankly, involvement in a lot of issues -- and we wene both fnustnated that Ambassadon Sondland's essentially dinect boss didn't seem to be engaged in reining him in. a And his dinect boss was Secnetany Pompeo? A Yes. a Did you know if Ambassadon Bolton tnied to talk to -- communicate with Secretany Pompeo? A About Ambassadon Sondland? a Yes. A I do not. a Okay. Do you know if Secnetany Pompeo was awane of these concenns ? A Which concenns? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 151 UNCLASS ] F]ED a About Ambassadon Sondland involving himself in what you descnibed as a sepanate pnocess. A I am not awane. a Okay. Did you have any convensations with Counselor Bnechbuhl ? A About Uknaine? a About Ambassadon Sondland. A No. a Okay. Did you have any -- did you expness your concenn about Ambassadon Sondland's nole to anybody at the State Depantment othen than Ambassadon Taylon? A No. a Okay. So you didn't have any discussions with Geonge Kent on -- A Not about Ambassadon Sondland. a Assistant Secnetany Reeken on Ambassadon Reeken? A Not about Ambassadon Sondland in this pnocess. a Okay. How about othen elements of this sepanate pnocess, such as Rudy Giuliani? A No. a Okay. And wene thene any other elements of this sepanate pnocess that you did discuss with Ambassadon Reeken? A No. What I discussed with Ambassadon Reeken was, gosh, Gondon is a problem. a Okay. Did he agree? UNCLASS I EIED 752 UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A Yes. a Did evenyone agnee on that topic? Did anybody think he was adding value hene? A Gordon did. a Did you -- when did you come to leann that thene was this statement that was being discussed with Mn. Yenmak about investigations ? MS. VAN GELDER: You asked the question: Did you? I mean, what we're doing is not -- we've alneady agreed what we'ne doing is not encompassing anything that is then in pnepanation of this. 10 UNCLASS I E]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 153 UNCLASS] EIED BY MR. CASTOR: a Sune. Did you become awane that thene was dnaft language of an anticonnuption statement that the Uknainians wene wonking on? A I did become awane. a And when did you become awane of that? A My cleanest necollection of when I became aware is in neviewing the public disclosune of Ambassador Volken's text messages. a Okay. So this is aften he started? A I was surprised to see my name in text messages that I was not awane of. a Okay. Did you have any advance notice that these text messages wene being neleased? A No. a So you wene sunpnised when they wene? A My surpnise was my name was in them. a Okay. And you wene surprised -- h,ene they youn text messages? A No. a Okay. They wene just nefenning to you in the text messages? A Yes. a Is that the finst time that you leanned that thene was a discussion of an anticornuption statement being dnafted by the Uknainians fon possible issue? A As nean as I can neca1I, yes. UNCLASS ] F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1t L2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 154 UNCLASS ] FIED a Okay. So you wenen't awane of this in neal time? A No. a Wene you awane in real time that thene was some discussion of having President Zelensky give an intenview where he would communicate his anticonnuption bona fides? A Beginning Septemben 1, when I heand fnom Ambassadon Sondland, yes, I was awane that thene was that idea that, hey, he should do this A Okay. A -- fnom Ambassadon Sondland. a And did you have any concern about that? A YeS. a And did you communicate youn concenn to Ambassadon Sondland? A f communicated my concern to Ambassadon Taylon, because I wanted him to be in a position to take action to advise the Uknainians not to do it. a Okay. A And I communicated my concenns to Ambassadon Bolton, who dinected me to communicate them to NSC Legal. a Okay. And ultimately, thene was no intenview, connect? A Connect. a So that was a good result? A Yes, fon the time. a Wene you comfontable with any aspect of this public statement on public affinmation that Zelensky, you know, make at the behest of UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 L0 11 72 13 L4 15 1,6 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 155 UNCLASSIFIED U.S. -- you know, the U.S. Govennment? A So keeping in mind when I leanned about a statement, I was not comfontable with any idea that Pnesident Zelensky should a1low himself to be involved in oun polltics. a Okay. But going back to the sideban that Sondland had with Yenmak in Warsaw? A Going back to it, was I comfontable with -- a WeIl, I want to just nefen you back to the sideban -- A Yes. a -- Sondland had with Yenmak. At that time, Sondland is tnying to get the Uknainians to do something public, connect? A Yes. a With negand to investigations? A Yes. a And I guess my question is, did you have a concenn with anything nelated to, you know, investigations, on was it just specific investigations ? A My concenn was what Gondon was pnoposing about getting the Uknainians puIled into oun politics. a Okay. So if the Uknainians had issued a genenalized statement about anticornuption effonts and nefonm, that would have been okay with you? A They had, in fact. a Okay. So it's only when they get into Bunisma and 2016 and the Bidens and so fonth that it became pnoblematic in youn mind? UNCLASS I EIED 1 156 UNCLASS ] FIED A Yes. a Going back to the spring of 2@19, thene wene a numben of nanratives cinculating in the media with Rudy Gluliani and lohn Solomon and The Hill nelating to some of these issues that we discussed about the black ledgen, about specifically Ambassadon Yovanovitch. Did you -- when did you finst come to know about these issues and thein impact ? A The finst I've even heand of a black ledgen is you just now. a Okay. So you'ne unfamilian with the issue nelating to Paul Manafont ? A I'm awane of Paul Manafort. I'm awane of, you know, the prosecution about Paul Manafont. I'm aware he was doing business up until a point in Uknaine. a Okay. I'11 just say one mone thing and I'11 turn it oven. Were you awane of an investigative jounnalist in the Uknaine, Serhiy Leschenko, that published infonmation about the black ledgen? A No. MR. CASTOR: Okay. My time is up. MR. G0LDMAN: Why don't we take a half-houn break fon lunch? Is that good? And we'11 neturn at L2:45. IRecess. ] UNCLASS I FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 17 18 19 20 27 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 L4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 157 UNCLASS I FIED [12:53 p.m.] THE CHAIRMAN: Let's go back on the necond. Fonty-five minutes to Mn. Nob1e. BY MR. NOBLE: a So, Mn. Monnisofl, I'd like to go back to -- I believe in the last nound you nefenenced a July 10th meeting with Ambassadon Sondland. Was that at the White House? A Yes. a And can you just tell us what happened duning that meeting, what you discussed with Ambassadon Sondland? A Yes. It wasn't -- thene was no panticulan policy discussion. ft was mostly -- by that point, it was fairly well-known I was succeeding Fiona. And Ambassadon Sondland came in and just made clear he did not believe he had a constructive nelationship with Fiona, her office, the NSC ovena1I, and he was -- he hoped that that was -- that this would be an oppontunity to tunn the page and have what he would believe to be a mone constnuctive nelationship. a Did he say anything about how he came to be involved in Uknaine, given that he's the Ambassadon to the EU? Did he explain whene he was getting his authonity fnom? A I don't recall. if he explained in that meeting, but I do necaIl Ambassadon Sondland making clean that he was involved in Uknaine because the Pnesident wanted him involved in Uknaine. a Do you know whethen Ambassador Bolton ever spoke to the UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 158 UNCLASS I FIED President, Pnesident Tnump, about Ambassadon Sondland and his involvement and your concenns about his involvement? Just the fact of the convensation, whethen there was a convensation on not. MS. VAN GELDER: WhCthCN hC KNOWS? MR. NOBLE: Exactly. MR. MORRISON: Between Ambassadon Bolton and the Pnesident about Ambassadon Sondland? BY MR. NOBLE: a Exactly. A I am not awane. a Okay. What about any conversation between Ambassador Bolton and the Pnesident about Rudy Giuliani and his nole in Uknaine? A I am not awane. a I want to just ask you a quick question about something else that's in Ambassadon Taylon's testimony. On page 6 of his opening statement, if you go down to the thind panagnaph, it states that on July 10th, Ambassadon Taylor had convensations with Oleksandn Danylyuk and Andney Yenmak. Oh, I'm sorny, next panagnaph. The same day, July 10th, he met with Pnesident Zelensky's chief of staff, Andniy Bohdan and then Foneign Policy Advisen to the Pnesident and now Foneign Ministen Vadym Pnystaiko, who told Ambassadon Taylon that they had heand fnom Mn. Giuliani that the phone call between the two Pnesidents was unlikely to happen and that they were alanmed and disappointed. Ambassadon Taylon said he nelayed thein concenns to Counselon Bnechbuhl. UNCLASS IFIED 159 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS ] FIED Did Ambassadon Taylon ever teII you that Mn. Giuliani was having such communications dinectly with Uknainian officials? Because here he says he alented at least Counselon Bnechbuhl as of July 10th. hJould he have ever alented you, on did he even alent you to these convensations ? A I have no clean necollection of him infonm -- of Ambassador Taylon telling me about Mn. Giuliani's engagements with Uknainian officials. We wene chiefly focused on Ambassadon Sondland's engagements with Uknainian officials. A Fast-fonwanding a little bit to August, following up on something that you testified about eanlien, you said that thene was something that pnompted you to want to shield youn people who are involved in Uknaine policy, on something to that effect? A Uh-huh. a Can you explain to us what pnompted you to, you know, have those concenns on want to shield youn people? A It -- not pnecisely. It may have just been the accumulation of data points, but at some points I just became concerned that this paraIlel pnocess was going to turn into something -- and hene we ane -- and I wanted to keep my people focused on thein mission and not have them dragged into anything if I felt like I could handle it. a So thene was nothing that you can necall in panticulan that prompted this concenn at a panticulan date? A It was -- it was -- so thene were the two things I nefenenced. It was, you know, I had been advised when I took over the shop by Dr. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LT t2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 160 UNCLASS I FIED Hill and hen deputy and othens in the office about Alex's judgment. Alex was the dinecton nesponsible fon Ukraine. So I wanted to manage very canefully his involvement. But I a1so, you know -- I made sune that f was the one to handle the engagements with Ambassadon Taylon, I didn't defen them down to my deputy on to A1ex, because I just -- I had concerns that this issue, the injection of this panalleI pnocess, it just -- I was concenned about it. a Who was youn deputy? A lohn Enath. a Was he youn deputy -- oh, to this day? A Yes. a Did you inhenit him fnom Dn. Hill? A Yes. trlell, yes. a So to speak? A Yes. a Okay. So I'd like to ask you about a senies of the intenagency meetings to discuss the secunity assistance. ' So I believe thene initially was a sub-PCC meeting on July L8th. You wouldn't have attended that meeting, connect? A No. a Okay. Did you get a neadout aften that meeting happened? A Yes. a Who did you get the neadout fnom? A AIex. UNCLASS IF]ED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 161 UNCLASS ] FIED a Okay. What did he teII you? A That at his Ieve1, the depantments and agencies were aligned, that they -- that evenyone supponted the ongoing disbursement of the secunity-secton assistance. a Did he telI you that thene had been an announcement made at the sub-PCC about the hold? A I think he indicated that OMB was pnesent at the sub-PCC, and they had elabonated on what we had alneady heand about the hold and the extent of the hold, that it covened all dollans, DOD and Depantment of State, and it was -- it was beyond funds not yet obligated to include funds that had, in fact, been obligated but not yet expended. a When was the finst time you leanned about the hold? A So I don't have a clean necollection. This was not a scheduled meeting between Dn. Kuppenman and myself. But it was some it was on on about 1-5 JuIy. a Okay. And what did Dn. Kupperman tell you about the hold? A 0n1y that OMB had -- the chief of staff had infonmed OMB -- I should be clean -- the chief of staff's office had infonmed OMB that it was the Pnesident's dinection to hold the assistance. Dn. Kuppenman stated that we owe the Pnesident the views of the intenagency, make sune alI the depantments and agencies ane aligned as to the impontance of the aid, in onden to pnovide the President on up thnough the intenagency process the endonsement of the intenagency behind the continuation of the aid. a And ane you awane that by that point, July 15th, when you UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 762 UNCLASS I F]ED Ieanned that, the Depantment of Defense, in consultation with the Department of State, had alneady centified that Uknaine had met the pneconditions to neceive the aid unden the National Defense Authonization Act? A I don't know when I became awane of that. It might have been at the PCC I chained. But I did become awane of that. a Okay. Let's talk about the PCC you chained. When did that take place? A I believe it was 23 JulY, a Okay. And did anyone from OMB participate at that meeting? A Yes. a Who wene the nepnesentatives of OMB? A Thene wene two pensonnel fnom OMB. I don't I did not bning with me their names. a Okay. What, if anything, did the -- eithen of the neps fnom OMB say about the hold at that meeting? A That the hold had been imposed by the chief of staff's office, and they had been informed it was at the dinection of the Pnesident. a What were the views of the other interagency panticipants at the meeting? A That the aid is essential to Uknaine's secunity, the U.S. nelationship with Uknaine, and it should be neleased at the eanliest oppontunity. a Was thene any reason pnovided by the OMB neps on anyone else at the meeting for the hold? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 163 UNCLASS I EIED A No. a Where did you -- what wene the do-outs on next steps decided at the PCC? A t^Je would have a Deputies Committee meeting. a Was thene any discussion of the legality on illegality of the hold at the PCC meeting? A Yes. a What was -- can you explain what was discussed? A Because of the natune of the appnopniations, is it actually legally penmissible fon the President to not allow fon the disbursement of the funding. a And what law would be possibly violated if the disbunsement A I'm going to hesitate from pnoviding a legal opinion. f know there wene vanious views. And up until the nelease of the assistance there wene vanious views as to whethen on not there was, in fact, a legaI pnoblem. a Okay. Who was naising concenns that thene may be a Iegal pnoblem ? A OSD. a That's Office A Office of the Secnetany of Defense. a DOD, okay. And did they naise concenns about possible violations of the Impoundment Act? A Yes. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7t 12 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 764 UNCLASS I FIED a So you said the next step was going to be a deputies meeting. Was thene a deputies meeting? A There was. a When did that take place? A I don't recall exactly. a Was it on or about July 26th, a few days within the PCC? A About a week laten. a Okay. And did you panticipate in that meeting? A Yes. a Can you tell us what happened at that meeting? A Deputies endorsed that the pnincipals meet and necommend to the Pnesident the pnompt disbunsement of the funding, among othen things, but the only one that's within the scope of this meeting. a Do you know whethen the NSC even issued a statement of conclusions aften the deputies meeting? A l,,Je did. a And the agneed next steps wene to necommend a pnincipals meeting ? A Yes. a Okay. Do you know whethen the pnincipals meeting even took place ? A It did not. a Why not? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 165 UNCLASS IFIED [1:05 p.m.] MR. MORRISON: Ambassadon Bolton and I discussed launching a Pnincipals Committee meeting, and as a nesult of that discussion, we opted not to do it. BY MR. NOBLE: a Going back to the deputies meeting fon a minute, was thene any neason provided at that time that meeting fon the hold? A I believe at that meeting OMB nepnesented that and the Chief of Staff's Office was pnesent - - that the Pnesident was concenned about connuption in Uknaine, and he wanted to make sune that Uknaine was doing enough to manage that connuption. a okay. Who wene the nepresentatives from OMB and the Chief of Staff's Office at the deputies meeting? A To the best of my recollection, OMB was nepresented by Mike Duffey and the Chief of Staff was nepnesented by Rob Blain. a Was thene a separate PCC meeting on July 31st? A Yes. a Thene was. Did you attend that PCC meeting? A I chained it. A Okay. What was the topic of the meeting? A It's beyond the scope of this inquiny. a Okay. Did the issue of the fneeze on Uknaine assistance come up at that PCC meeting? A Yes. a Okay. Can you tell us what was discussed about the UNCLASS IEIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 166 UNCLASS I EIED assistance? A What was the status in getting it neleased. a Okay. And did anybody provide a nepont at that meeting? A r did. a What did you neport? A It had not yet been neleased. a Okay. Did you know why? A At that point, we were still waiting fon an oppontunity fon pnincipals to engage the President. a Okay. Why did you and Ambassadon Bolton decide not to convene the principals meeting? MS. VAN GELDER: That's a deliberative pnocess that we ane not going to -- someone else is going to have it to decide if he can answen that. But it is tnue that, as a nesult of that, thene was no meeting. THE CHAIRMAN: You know, at this point, let me just state fon the necord, we don't necognize that deliberative process pnivilege. But we will add this to the list that we can discusses at a bneak. MS. VAN GELDER: I appneciate that. BY MR. NOBLE: a At some point, did the idea of dnafting a Pnesidential decision memonandum on the fnozen Uknainian assistance anise? A Yes. a Whose idea was it to dnaft the memo? A Ambassadon Bolton. A Okay. Did he instnuct you to dnaft the memo on have youn UNCLASS I FIED L L67 UNCLASSI F]ED staff draft the memo? A Yes. a Okay. Was the memo dnafted? A Yes. a Who dnafted it? A Alexanden Vindman was the pnincipal authon. I was the final authonity. It went through the nonmal NSC coondination pnocess to prepane such a document for the Pnesident. a And what was the recommendation in that memo? A That he neLease the aid. a Okay. Did Mn. Vindman, on Colone1 Vindman make that necommendation ? A It was, at that point, the deputies-endonsed position. a Okay. And you agneed with that position? A Yes. a Okay. Do you know whethen the memo was even pnovided to the Pnesident ? A I do. a When was it -- was it pnovided? A No. a The memo was neven pnovided to the Pnesident? A No. a Okay. Why not? A Because Ambassadon Bolton decided not to. a Why didn't Ambassadon Bolton want to pnovide the memo to the 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 74 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS ] F]ED I 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 168 UNCLASS I F]ED Pnesident ? A I think I'11 let Ambassadon Bolton speak to that point when he appeans befone you. MS. VAN GELDER: We can pUt this on the list. MR. NOBLE: Okay. We'll add that to the list too, I guess. THE CHAIRMAN: Can I just ask fon clarification, but you do know the neason why Ambassadon Bolton made the decision not to pnovide that memo to the Pnesident? MR. MORRISON: I do, Chairman. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Thank you. BY MR. NOBLE: a Do you necall the date that the memo was finalized? A I mean -- so I would say it was final and neady fon the Pnesident on 15 August when Ambassadon Bolton initialed it. a Okay. Yeah, that was my question, so thank you. And ane you awane that Ambassadon Bolton had a meeting with the Pnesident the next day at Bedminsten? A Yes. a Okay. What was that meeting about? A Outside the scope of this discussion. a It was about Afghanistan? A lt's been neponted in the pness. a Okay. Do you know who else attended that meeting, what othen pnincipals attended that meeting? A I do. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 L6 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 169 UNCLASS I FIED a Can you tell us? A So I know some of them. I'm not going to -- I did not bnush up on this detail in pnepaning to appean today. But I believe Genenal Dunfond panticipated by secune video teleconference. I believe Acting Secnetany Shanahan participated. I believe that - - I know the National Secunity Advison did. I believe the taJhite House Chief of Staff did. I believe the Secretany of State did. a And do you know whethen or not they discussed the ongoing hold on the Uknainian assistance? A I do. a Do you know what they discussed? Was it a discussion amongst themselves, on was it a discussion with the President? Was it a discussion amongst the pnincipals themselves, or was it discussion between the pnincipals and the President? IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: So, I'm sonny. I MR. NOBLE: Okay. Hold on. IDiscussion off the recond.] BY MR. NOBLE: A 0kay. I apologize. Yeah, so my question was, was thene a discussion amongst the pnincipals about the Uknainian assistance, not involving the Pnesident? We'11 just take it one step at a time. To your knowledge. A Yes. a Okay. And -- UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 770 UNCLASS I ElED A So let me step back, and I may, if I have the pnenogative, ask the count neponten -- because I want to make sune I heand youn pneceding question cornectly. Did you ask me am I awane of whethen on not they discussed Uknaine assistance with the Pnesident at that time ? a I may have phrased it that way, so let's just A That's the way I a Yeah, Let's just make the necond cleanen. So do you know -- we1I, one step at a time. Do you know whethen the pnincipals at Bedminsten had a discussion about the Uknaine assistance? MS. VAN GELDER: Among themselves. MR. NOBLE: What's that? MS. VAN GELDER: Among themselves. BY MR. NOBLE: a Among themselves, yes. A I do know that they had a discussion among themselves. a Okay. And do you know whethen they naised that issue with the Pnesident at Bedminsten? A I do know that they did not. a Okay. Do you know why not? A Because the other subject matten of that meeting consumed all the time. a Okay. Do you know whether it was Ambassadon Bolton's intention to naise the issue, given that he had just signed off on the memo -- UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 177 UNCLASS I FIED A He was a -- at the meeting? A He wanted to be pnepaned to naise it if the oppontunity to pnesented itself. a Okay. And so, at that meeting, it ultimately -- that issue did not come up on the 16th? A Not with the Pnesident. a Not with the Pnesident. And then, at some point theneafter, is that when Ambassadon Bolton decided not to naise the issue on to give the memo to the Pnesident? A He decided not to naise it on the 16th because of the other subject matter. a OkaY. A And we then pnoceeded to look fon anothen oppontunity to naise it. a Okay. And that's when you -- you said you and Ambassador Bolton had a convensation, and the decision was made not to give the memo to the Pnesident. A No. I said Ambassadon Bolton and I discussed whether on not to punsue a Pnincipals Committee meeting. And I said I was awane of why Ambassadon Bolton opted not to pnovide the PDM to the Pnesident. a Okay. Did you take any steps, following Ambassadon Bolton's signing off on the memo, to tny to get this issue -- to tee it up for the President again ? UNCLASS ] FIED L 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 tt 72 13 74 15 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 t72 UNCLASS I FIED A Yes. a What steps did you take? A I pnoceeded to coondinate among my interagency peens to see if we could establish when the night group of pnincipals would be in the same place at the same time that we could get them in with the Pnesident. a Okay. And wene you even able to coondinate the pnincipals in that way to tee up a meeting? A No. a 0kay. Was it just a scheduling issue, or was thene some other issue? A lust a scheduling issue. a OkaY. Do you know whether Ambassadon Bolton even had a one-on-one convensation with the Pnesident about the fnozen assistance aften August 15th? A Yes. a Did he? A Yes. a What about Secnetany of State Pompeo? Do you know whether he even had a one-on-one meeting or another meeting with the Pnesident about the Uknainian assistance after August 15th? A Based on open-sounce reponting and, I believe, Ambassadon Taylon's statement, I undenstand that Secnetany Pompeo had a meeting with the Pnesident whenein he took Ambassadon Taylon's finst-penson UNCLASS I FIED 173 UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 cable to discuss the Uknalne topic with the Pnesident. a Okay. Do you know whethen on not that in fact occunned? A No. ' a Yeah. So Ambassadon Taylon's memo, I believe, was tnansmitted A The finst-penson cable. a The finst-penson cable -- did I say "memo"? A Yes, sin. a I apologize. The cable, the finst-penson cab1e, was tnansmitted on August 29th. Is that night? A That sounds conrect. a Okay. And did you get a copy of it at that time? A r did. a Okay. Wene you on the distnibution? A No. a Okay. What did you do when you neceived a copy of the cable? A I neviewed it, and I shaned it with Ambassadon Bolton. a Okay. And then you said that it's been publicly neponted that Secnetany of State Pompeo -- on Ambassadon Taylor said that Secnetany of State Pompeo took the memo to the White House, to a meeting at the White House. A Yes. a Do you know when that meeting occunned? A No. a Okay. Do you know anything about that meeting, Iike what 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L1. 72 13 L4 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 L74 UNCLASSI FIED happened at that meeting? A No. I'm not awane that the meeting occunned. I only have what Ambassadon Taylor said. a Okay. So you don't have any independent, pensonal knowledge that Pompeo bnought the cable to the White House, met with the Pnesident, and A I'm not tnying to be cute. I know -- a Yeah. A -- Secretany Pompeo has, wheneven he and the Pnesident ane in town at the same time, has a one-on-one lunch with the Pnesident. a OkaY. A Could it have come up in that occasion? Penhaps. I am not awane that it did on which lunch he bnought it up in, if even. a Okay. So youn only knowledge is just fnom what you nead in Ambassadon Taylon's statement A Conrect. a -- that that meeting occunned? A Cornect. a Okay. So, sticking with that cable, the idea, the genesis of that cable was Ambassadon Taylor's convensation with Ambassadon Bolton in Kyiv, connect ? A That was the impetus for sending the cable. a The impetus. Did you panticipate in that convensation between Ambassador Taylon and Ambassadon Bolton -- UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1L t2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 175 UNCLASS I EIED A No. A in Kyiv? Now, did you -- you helped pnepane fon Ambassadon Bolton's visit to Kyiv? A Yes. a Okay. And, in doing so, did you speak with Ambassadon Taylon as pant of that pnepanation? A Yes. a Okay. I want to go back to the text messages, if we could, and tunn to page 28. And if you go to August 27th at 7:34 a.n. -- these ane text messages between Bill Taylon and Kunt Volken. At 7:34' Bill Taylon wnites, "Bol-ton said he talked to you and Gondon bniefly, nothing specific. What should they talk about? Tim says Bolton wants to stay out of politics." I'm assuming "Tim" is a nefenence to you? A I would assume. a Do you necall a convensation with Ambassadon Taylon where you conveyed that Ambassadon Bolton wanted to stay out of politics? A I don't necall a specific convensation, but that strikes me as something I would have said, because I also explained to him I wanted to stay out of politics. a And what did you mean by staying out of politics? A We wanted to stay away fnom the Gondon channel. a Did you also want to stay away fnom the Bunisma bucket of issues, as you've nefenned to them? UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 71. L2 13 L4 15 16 17 18 79 20 2t 22 23 24 25 t76 UNCLASS IE]ED A Yes. a Okay. And I believe you testified eanlien that you perceived -- on you believe that if Pnesident Zelensky wene to make a public announcement about investigating the Bunisma bucket of issues, that that would have entangled him in U.S. domestic politics. Is that night ? A I became concenned about that. a So was that kind of the same concenn that you wene conveying to Ambassador Taylon that he is panaphnasing hene? A I don't necaLl pnecisely when I told Ambassadon Taylor that Ambassadon Bolton wants to stay out of politics, but that stnikes me as a neasonable conclusion. a Okay. And the Bunisma bucket of issues, that was what Dn. HiIl had warned you about duning youn transition peniod. Is that night? A Connect. a Okay. And it's fair to say also that the Bunisma bucket of issues were neferenced in the Pnesident's July 25th call with President Zelensky? A It's mone -- I mean, it nefenences content fnom that cal1. It's mone -- the way I think about the Bunisma bucket of issues is it's Bunisma, the Uknainian finm, it's Hunten Biden, it's the election serven and CnowdStnike and those issues. a Yeah. And at least sevenal of those things wene naised by President Trump in his call with Pnesident Zelensky on July 25th, night? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 1.4 15 15 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 r77 UNCLASS I EIED A Yes. a Okay. So, on August 28th, Politico published an anticle about the U.S. fneeze. Wene you familian with that anticle? A I saw it when it came out and any numben of people sent it to me. a Okay. And I believe you testified eanlier that, in Wansaw, the Uknainians seemed sunpnised about the announcement of the fneeze? A I don't know that I said they wene sunpnised. I know they wene concerned about it. a They wene concenned about it. A Yes. a Okay. Now, in pnepanation fon the Wansaw bi-lat between Vice Pnesident Pence and Pnesident Ze1ensky, I believe you said that, aften it became known that Pnesident Tnump was not going to attend, You helped pnep the Vice Pnesident on helped his staff pnep the Vice Pnesident fon that meeting? A I made sune -- Ambassadon Bolton conducted the bniefing of the Vice Pnesident. I helped to make sune that he had all of the latest. And I made sune that one of Vice Pnesident Biden's policy staffens MS. VAN GELDER: Whoa. I think you'ne a little -- MR. MORRISON: WhAt did I SAY? MS. VAN GELDER: BidCN. MR. MORRISON: 0h, excuse me. I stayed up late watching the UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 t78 UNCLASS I F]ED game. I made sune that Vice Pnesident Pence's staff wene pnepaned based on what we had seen in our discussions, including with Pnesident Zelensky in Ukraine. BY MR. NOBLE: a Okay. And which staff memben was that? A lennifen Wi1liams. a Was Keith Kellogg involved in pneparing the Vice Pnesident fon the bi-]at? A I can only speculate that he was. a Okay. In advance of the Wansaw meeting, do you know whethen the Vice Pnesident knew about the convensation that President Tnump had had with Pnesident Zelensky on July 25th? A I believe he did. a Do you know whethen he had been provided a copy of the MEMCON? A I don't have finsthand knowledge. a Do you have secondhand knowledge of that? A I have a -- I have a faint necollection that he had been pnovided and had on his plane a copy of the MEMCON. a 0n the plane to tnlansaw? A 0n his aincnaft, yes. a Okay. Do you know who pnovided the Vice Pnesident with the MEMCON on would have pnovided the Vice Pnesident with the MEMCON? A I mean, no. His staff would have contacted the NSC Executive UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL t2 13 t4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 I79 UNCLASS I EIED Secnetany and asked fon a copy fon the Vice Pnesident. a I mean, is it typical that if the Vice Pnesident is meeting with a foneign head of state that MEMCONs of necent convensations between the President and that head of state would be included in a bniefing book fon the Vice Pnesident? A Yes. a Okay. Did you ever get a copy of the bniefing package that the Vice Pnesident neceived fon the Wansaw bi-lat? A No, but I helped lennifen pnepane pants of it. a Okay. Do you know whether she included the MEMCON from the July 25th call? A No. As I said, I believe -- I have a faint necollection that she told me the Vice Pnesident neviewed it on the plane. And it's usually the case that when thene's a head-of-state phone ca11, the Vice Pnesident would neceive a copy of the MEMCON as soon as it's available the next day in his PDB. a Okay. What's "PDB," fon the necond? A The Pnesident's daily bniefing fnom the Intelligence Community. a OkaY. So I want to ask you some mone questions about the convensation that Ambassadon Sondland neponted to you that he had with Andney Yenmak on the sidelines of the Wansaw bi-Iat. And I just want to find that in Ambassadon Taylon's statement. Page 10. So -- and you testified about this eanlien in questloning by my UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 180 UNCLASS I FIED colleague. So can you just teIl us, when did this convensation between Ambassadon Sondland and Mn. Yermak occun? How long after the bi-1at between the Vice Pnesident -- oun Vice President and Pnesident Zelens ky ? A About 5 minutes. a 0h, it was 1ike, it happened night afterward? A So the Vice President and his delegation left the facility -- this is on the second floon, mezzanine level of the Wansaw Manniott. And it was in one of the meetings nooms. And so the Vice Pnesident and his delegation depanted, Pnesident Zelensky and his delegation departed, and some of the Lessen people stayed behind. a There ane no lessen people. Thene ane other people left behind, right? A Mene montals. a Mene montals. So who else was pnesent? Who else nemained? A Secnetany Penny and a numben of his aides. And I only can cleanly necall Mn. Yenmak and Ambassadon Sondland and myself. a Did you see Ambassadon Sondland speaking to Andney Yenmak? A r did. a Was anybody else speaking with them at the same time? A Not that I can neca1l. a Okay. Do you know whethen Ambassadon Sondland even told anyone else about the convensation that he'd just had with Andney Yenmak? A I do not know. UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 181 UNCLASS I FIED a So, when he neponted it to you, it was just you and Ambassadon Sondland speaking? A I mean, they bnoke thein convensation, and Gondon litenaIly walked oven to me, said, this is what we talked about. a Okay. And duning that convensation, as Ambassadon Sondland recounted it, he told Mn. Yermak that the secunity -- MS. VAN GELDER: Ambassadon Taylon? BY MR. NOBLE: a No, Ambassadon Sondland told Mn. Yenmak that the secunity assistance money would not come until Pnesident Zelensky committed to punsue the Bunisma investigation. That's what Ambassadon Taylon wnote, and you say that's connect. A No. I said I disagnee. I recall Ambassadon Sondland telling me that what he conveyed to the Uknainian Pnesidential advisor, Mn. Yenmak, was that the pnosecuton genenal would be sufficient to make the statement to obtain neLease of the aid. a 0kay. And I believe you testified that that caused you concenn. A Yes. a Is that night? Why did it cause you concenn? A Because, at that point, I saw an obstacle to my goal, as dinected to me, to get the process to suppont the President making the decision to nelease the secunity assistance -- secunity-secton assistance. a Okay. Why did you think that Ambassadon Sondland's pnoposal UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL 12 13 74 15 15 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 L82 UNCLASS I FIED would be an impediment to you achieving youn policy goal? A I mean, it was the finst time something like this had been injected as a condition on the nelease of the assistance. So it was not something I had been tracking as pant of oun pnocess fon calculating how do we get the Pnesident the infonmation he needs to make the decision that it was within Amenican intenest to nelease the assistance. a Okay. So Ambassadon Taylon, on the top of page 11, says that this was also the first time that he had heand that the secunity assistance and not just the White House meeting was conditioned on the investigation. So ane you saying that this was the finst time that you'd ever heand anyone say that the nelease the secunity assistance was going to be conditioned on the Bunisma bucket investigations? A Yes. a Okay. And did you neport what Ambassadon Sondland told you to anyone? A Yes. a Who did you nepont it to? A WeII, beyond Ambassadon Taylon, I neported it to Ambassadon Bo1ton. And when I got back to the States, I neponted it to NSC Legal lohn Eisenberg, Michael ElIis. a Okay. And when did you nepont it to Ambassadon Bolton? A About an houn on two after the debniefing by Ambassadon Sondland occunned. a Okay. And what was his neaction? UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 183 UNCLASS I F]ED A His neaction was: Stay out of it, bnief the lawyens. a Okay. Did you undenstand what he meant by "stay out of it"? A Fainly plain -- plain meaning. a What was A Stay out of it. a He's youn supenion, night? And he's saying, stay out of it. So what do you take that to be, in terms of the instnuction to you as to how to handle this issue? A Continue not to be engaged in this panallel tnack. a Okay. And did you think that was appropriate advice? A Yes. a t^Jhv? A trleIl, it componted with my instincts. a And what wene youn instincts? A To stay out of this paralle1 tnack. a Okay. Fain enough. And I believe you testified eanlien that Ambassadon Bolton told you to nepont it to the lawyens to make sune the lawyens wene tracking it, connect? A Connect. a But that just confirmed youn own instinct that you should repont this to the lawyens. Is that night? A Connect. a Okay. Why did you think the lawyens needed to be awane that Ambassadon Sondland was telling the Uknainians that the nelease of the UNCLASS I EIED 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 784 UNCLASS ] FIED assistance was going to be conditioned on their announcement of the Bunisma-bucket-nelated investigations? A Because we -- my nole -- Ambassador Sondland doesn't wonk fon me. My nole is to repont it up to my chain of command, make sure the Pnesident -- make sune NSC Legal -- the issue with Eisenbeng and Ellis is they'ne dual-hatted; they'ne aLso in the White House Counsel's Office. So they ane not just the NSC lega1 advisors; they ane the Pnesident's attonneys as White House counsel. And we wanted to make sune that thene was a necond of what -- so I will say I wanted to make sune, because I don't know precisely what Ambassadon Bolton wanted to make sune -- I wanted to make sure, in going to the lawyens, that thene was a necord of what Ambassador Sondland was doing, to pnotect the Pnesident. a And did you know whethen Ambassador Sondland was wonking at the dinection of anyone else when he was conveying this message to the Uknainians ? A He did not ho, I did not. a At that time. But, laten on, I believe you -- Ambassadon Taylon necounts some convensations that Ambassadon Sondland had with the Pnesident concenning these investigations. A I'm sonny. Please nepeat that. a I'll -- maybe if we just go in orden, it'11 make mone sense. A Okay. a So let's fast-forwand to the Septemben 7th call. I believe that's on page L2 of Ambassadon Taylon's opening statement. So thene, UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 185 UNCLASS ] F]ED it's the third panagnaph down. It says, 2 days laten, on Septemben 7th, Ambassadon Taylon had a convensation with you in which you descnibed a phone convensation eanlien that day between Ambassadon Sondland and Pnesident Trump. And let me just stop you there. How did you know about this convensation between Ambassadon Sondland and Pnesident Trump? A I believe because he called me not long aften -- MS. VAN GELDER: He? MR. MORRISON: He, Ambassadon Sondland, called me not long aften to let me know of it. BY MR. NOBLE: a Okay. And was this one of the ca11s that you wene able to confinm that Ambassador Sondland did have with Pnesident Tnump? A No. a You wene not able to confinm it one way on the anothen? A I don 't know that I tnied to. I think I had j ust othen things going on that morning. a Okay. Ambassador Taylon says that you said that he -- you -- had a sinking feeling aften leanning about this convensation fnom Ambassadon Sondland. Acconding to you, Pnesident Tnump told Ambassadon Sondland that he was not asking for a quid pno quo, but Pnesident Tnump did insist that Pnesident Zelensky go to a micnophone and say he is opening investigations of Biden and 20!6 interfenence and that Pnesident Zelensky should want to do this himself. UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TT t2 13 t4 15 15 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 186 UNCLASS I EIED Is that an accunate necitation of what you told Ambassador Taylon on Septemben 7th? A YeS. a Okay. Do you neca1l anything else about the convensation with Ambassadon Taylor? Did you tell him anything else about what Ambassador Sondland and Pnesident Tnump had discussed? A I mean, not to my knowledge. I believe what's nelated hene by Ambassadon Taylon is connect. a Okay. Do you necall anything else about the convensation that you had with Ambassadon Sondland when he was telling you about his convensation with the Pnesident? A I 'm sonny, I don't. If thene ' s mone, please ask; maybe it ' 11 jog my memory. But no. a No, I mean, I'm asking you what you necall. Was this A I think this is an accunate netelling of what my convensation was like with Gondon as I nelated it to Ambassadon Taylon. a How long was youn convensation with Ambassadon Sondland? A Not very long. a So you just don't necall anything else that Ambassadon Sondland told you duning that phone call? A I do not. THE CHAIRMAN: Can I if I could. And I apologize, I was absent, I think, when you covened this the finst time around. MR. MORRISON: SiN. THE CHAIRMAN: If I understand youn testimony, in the UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 r.0 LT t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 L87 UNCLASSIEIED convensation with Ambassadon Sondland, you know, 5 minutes aften he talked with Mn. Yenmak, Ambassadon Sondland told you that he had conveyed to Mn. Yermak that the militany aid wouldn't be neleased until the -- was it the Attonney General? MR. MORRISON: The pnosecuton general. THE CHAIRIvIAN: pnosecuton genenal announced these Burisma bucket investigations. Is that night? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: In a subsequent convensation with Mn. Sondland that my colleague was asking about that you would laten discuss with Ambassadon Taylon, did Ambassadon Sondland nepnesent that it wasn't just the pnosecuton genenal but it had to be Pnesident Zelensky who committed to these investigations? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. That had happened a couple days eanlier. THE CHAIRMAN: So, at some point following the Wansaw convensation you had with Ambassadon Sondland, Ambassadon Sondland told you that the President had conveyed to him that it wasn't enough fon the pnosecuton genenal to make this nepnesentation, that it had to come fnom Pnesident Zelensky? MR. MORRISON: No, sin. As I recall, I had, I think on Septemben 1st and on Septemben 2nd, convensations with Ambassadon Taylon. 0n Septemben 1st, I nelated to Ambassadon Taylon what Ambassadon Sondland nelated to me of his convensation with Mn. Yenmak. I believe that same day on eanty the next morning -- pant of the UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 188 UNCLASS I FIED difficulty in nemembening this is my phone and email wene set to eastenn time, and I was in Wansaw, and Ambassadon Taylon was in Kyiv. So, in tenms of tnying to necneate by email when I was setting up these ca11s, it's a little challenging. Ambassadon Sondland had called aften I'd spoken to Ambassadon Taylor to inform Ambassadon Taylon that he scnewed up -- he, Ambassadon Sondland, scnewed up -- in telling that to Mn. Yenmak, that it would need to be coming fnom the Pnesident of Uknaine. And THE CHAIRMAN: ANd MR. MORRISON: -- Ambassadon Taylor related that to me the next day. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. So let me just bneak this down a bit. The convensation about screwing up, that the statement had to come fnom Pnesident Zelensky, not just the pnosecuton genenal, how did you leann about that? Did Ambassadon Sondland te11 you that? MR. MORRISON: Ambassadon Taylon told me that on Monday, September 2nd. THE CHAIRMAN: And he was nelating to you what Ambassadon Sondland had told him? MR. MORRISON: Yes. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Let me yield back to Mn. Nob1e. 0h. And did Ambassadon Taylon te11 you whene Ambassadon Sondland had leanned that the statement had to come fnom Pnesident Zelensky, not just the pnosecuton genenal? MR. MORRISON: He did not. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 1,3 t4 15 16 t7 18 79 20 21. 22 23 24 25 189 UNCLASS]FIED THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. And did Ambassadon Sondland even convey to you why he felt that he had spoken mistakenly in thinking that the pnosecuton genenal's statement would be enough? MR. MORRISON: He did not. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. BY MR. NOBLE: a Fon clanity -- hopefully we can find some clanity -- I believe you testified you had two separate convensations with Ambassador Sondland after Septemben 1st. Is that night? A That sounds connect. Yes. a So one we know fnom Ambassadon Taylon's statement that it occurned on Septemben 7th. Do you know the date of the othen one, the othen convensation that you had with Ambassadon Sondland? Was it befone on aften Septemben 7th? A So I talked to Ambassadon Sondland on September Lst. a Uh-huh. A And then I talked again to Ambassadon Sondland on Septemben 7th. a Okay. So it was just the in-penson meeting in Warsaw and then the telephone convensation on September 7th. Those ane the two convensations that you've been refenning to? A Yes. a Okay. lust want to make sune we'ne not A Fon Ambassadon Sondland. a Yeah. Wene thene any othens? UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 74 15 16 \7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 190 UNCLASS I FIED A With Ambassadon Sondland? a With Ambassadon Sondland in this timefname. A Septemben? a Yeah, like, after September 1st, aften Warsaw. A None fon which I have records. That's not to say that he didn't -- I had made the mistake of givingAmbassadon Sondland my wonk ceIl phone numben. So, again, sometimes these conversations would occun and they wenen't fonmally scheduled so they weren't on my calendar so I can't repnoduce for you that they occunned. MR. NOBLE: I think the chainman has a foIlowup. THE CHAIRMAN: Yeah. Sonny. So you had one in-penson discussion with Ambassadon Sond1and, and then you had a phone call with him sevenal days laten. MR. MORRISON: YES. THE CHAIRMAN: And what did Ambassadon Sondland tell you in the phone call? MR. MORRISON: In the phone cal1, he told me that he had just gotten off the phone -- the September 7th phone call -- he told me he had just gotten off the phone with the Pnesident. I rememben this because he actually made the comment that it was easier fon him to get a hold of the Pnesident than to get a hold of fi€, which 1ed me to nespond, "We11, the Pnesident doesn't wonk fon Ambassadon Bo1ton; I do, " to which Ambassadon Sondland nesponded, "Does Ambassadon Bolton know that?" But that's why I have a vivid necollection of this. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 191 UNCLASS I FTED And he wanted to tell me what he had discussed with the President. THE CHAIRMAN: And what did he te}I you? MR. MORRISON: He told me, as is nelated hene in Ambassadon Taylon's statement, that there was no quid pno quo, but Pnesident Zelensky must announce the opening of the investigations and he should want to do it. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. I think that clanifies things then. So, in Wansaw, Ambassadon Sondland telIs you that he's conveyed to Yenmak the pnosecuton genenal has to make these statements. He Iaten conveys to you aften tatking with the Pnesident several days later that the nequinement is actually that Zelensky has to commit to these investigations. MR. MORRISON: Yes . And I had alneady heand that from Ambassadon Taylon. THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you. And that's the end of oun time. Unless you need a bneak, we'11 - - MR. MORRISON: I'm fine, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. The time is with the minonity fon 45 minutes. BY MR. CASTOR: a You said when you finst heand the name "Bunisma" you went and googled it? A r did. a Wene thene any othen -- did you google "CnowdStnike"? A I did not. UNCLAS S ] FIED L 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 77 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 t92 UNCLASS I FIED a Did you know anything about CrowdStnike at that point? A What I necaII Dn. Hill discussing with me was not CrowdStnike but the 2016 senven. And I did not know what that meant. a Did you google that topic? A No. I found enough to undenstand the general idea of what she was talking about when I googled "Buni.sma." a Okay. Was thene anything else that you looked into? I asked you at the end of the last nound whethen you wene awane of this black ledgen issue relating to Paul Manafont, and you said you wene not. A I was not. a Okay. Wene thene any othen issues that you looked into? A Not at the time that I googled "Bunisma." a Okay. Subsequent to that? A Subsequent to it, you know, I looked mone into understanding what -- trying to undenstand what the CrowdStnike issue was, tnying to undenstand what the 2016 senven was. Obviously, I became mone intenested in what these things wene when I knew the Pnesident naised them. a Did you even look into any of the issues nelating to the prosecutor genenal, Lutsenko? A No. a Okay. Did you even look lnto any of the news accounts on tweets that nelated to Ambassador Yovanovitch befone hen recalI? A No. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 193 UNCLASS I FIED a Wene you awane of the issues preceding her necall? A No. I was awane she was necalled; I was not aware of why. a Okay. And did you have any discussions about those topic aneas with Colonel Vindmani A I think I had convensations with CoIoneI Vindman and Mn. Enath about, why is BiIl Taylon not the actual U.S. Ambassador? Why is he the CDA, the Change d'Affaines? And that's -- they both nesponded, essentially, "Because Ambassadon Yovanovitch had been necalled ean1y. " a Okay. And so that was the finst you leanned of it? A Yes. a Did they nelate anything else to you about that situation? A Not that I necall. a Did Colonel Vindman even teII you that he had, you know, looked into any of these issues? A No, not that I necall. a 0n that he had authonitative sounces on these issues? A No. a OkaY. Duning youn tnansition, Dn. HilI bnought up issues of judgment nelating to Colonel Vindman? A Yes. a Can you elabonate on that at all? A First, I just want to be clean that Alex is a patniot who has litenally bled for this country. UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 \L L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 794 UNCLASS I P]ED But, in my expenience in govennment, not evenybody is cut out fon the policy pnocess. You often find with - - and these people ane on the NSC. You often find with CIA analysts who get detailed that they can't get out of the analytical nole into developing policy. State Department pensonnel who get pnomoted based on their pnoficiency in wniting neponting cables can't get out of that role into making policy. So not evenybody is cut out fon the policymaking pnocess, and A1ex, I think, was in that categony. a Did you even have any discussions with him when you took over the job about youn expectations fon him neponting to you? A No. At that point, I had the concenns naised by Dn. Hill and Mn. Enath. I also had been advised by othen pensonnel within the dinectonate of thein concenns about Alex. And I set about to keep an eye on Alex and fonm my own conclusions. a Okay. And what wene youn conclusions when you formed them? A That he did not always exencise the best judgment in tenms of the policymaking pnocess and -- the policy pnocess. a Did he have an undenstanding that you wene in his chain of command ? A Yes. a Wene there any instances whene he went outside of his chain of command and didn't keep you looped in? A We1l, we've talked about one. a Can you -- was this a pensistent pnoblem? IDiscussion off the necond.] UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 195 UNCLASS I EIED MR. MORRISON: Yeah, I mean, I think I'm -- as counsel advised, I think I'm going to limit it to the one instance that was within the scope of the inquiry today. MR. CASTOR: Okay. Was that unusual, though? MS. VAN GELDER: That answens the question. With all due nespect, Mn. Caston, if we'ne only dealing with what happened in Ukraine, saying "was that the only time" answens a question as to whethen thene wene othen times, which goes down that slippery slope. BY MR. CASTOR: a Did you see Colonel Vindman's opening statement befone the committees ? A Yes. a In his opening statement, he talks about his -- how he views the chain of command as being veny impontant. Did you see that? A I saw his statement. a Okay. And the one instance that we know of nelated to Uknaine, he did not follow the chain of command. And so I guess the question is, was that consistent with youn expenience with him on was that unusual? A As I mentioned, Dn. Hill's management and leadenship style is diffenent than mine. In my opinion, some bad habits had been cneated when she was in change that a Did you tny to connect them? A I set about tnying to connect. a Okay. What wene those bad habits? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 196 UNCLASS I FlED A I did not find that thene was the habit of keeping the senior dinector in change of things -- keeping the senion dinecton infonmed about things that the senion dinecton should've been infonmed about. a Okay. And did that pnove pnoblematic at any point? A Yes. a Can you describe? MS. VAN GELDER: It is something that we're going to say that going into it would go down the idea of whethen on not there was any numon or anything about who he talked to that might lead to his speculation of who he thought the whistleblowen was, which we ane not going to answen because it's outside the scope. MR. SWALWELL: Mn. Chainman, just fon the recond, did the count neporter get that? THE REPORTER: Yes. MS. VAN GELDER: I'm fnom Boston. They get everything. MR. SWALWELL: ThAnKS. BY MR. CASTOR: a Did you have any concenns with his tnustwonthiness? A No. a I believe you did mention thene -- was thene any instances whene he tried to access infonmation outside of his lane? A Not that I could confinm firsthand. a Okay. But you heand that secondhand? A Yes. a And can you teI1 us anything about that, or does that fal1 UNCLASS ] FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 L97 UNCLASS I FIED unden the same objection? A Yes. MS. VAN GELDER: We'ne making the same objection. BY MR. CASTOR: a The issues of judgment that Dn. Hill nelated to you, did they become -- wene you able to connect those issues of judgment aften you had a chance to wonk with him as his direct nepont? A It was a wonk in pnogness. a Uh-huh. And did that wonk in pnogness at any point get stalled ? A We1I, I'm resigning fnom the NSC. So that'l1 sta1l it. a At what point did you detenmine that you wanted to -- I think you said it was mid-August when you determined that these events might Iead to congnessional heanings on something of that sont? A I don't know that I said they would lead to congnessional heanings. I think I said it just became clean to me, as f considened these mattens, that this could wind up becoming, you know, a problem that I wanted to, as best I cou1d, shield my people fnom so they could continue to be focused on the mission, and that I felt eanly in, with nespect to AIex, because I was tnying to help menton AIex, that I thought it best fon me to pensonally handle the secunity assistance issue secunity-secton assistance. a Okay. Wene thene othen elements of the Uknaine pontfolio that you also handled sepanately fnom him? A One. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 198 UNCLASS I FIED a What was that? A I can't speak to it hene. a Okay. MR. CASTOR: I want to make sune that oun Membens get a chance to ask questions. MR. ZELDIN: When you say you can't speak to it, is it because of a classification issue? MR. MORRISON: It's a classification issue, and it's beyond the scope of this inquiny. So probably mone the beyond the scope. MR. MEADOIaJS: Mn. Monnison, I want to get pensonal fon just a few seconds and expness two things. Qne is, when we knew that we were going to have this deposition this monning starting at 8 o'clock, I think it was -- the question was, we1l, why so eanly and why 8 o'cIock? And the neason that was given was nea1Iy because you wanted to make sune you wene available fon youn family, and I just want to applaud that. MR. MORRISON: Thank you, Congnessman. MR. MEADOWS: It just -- in this city, so many times, family gets put on the back burnen. And I just want to -- I just want to say thank you. MR. MORRISON: Thank you, Congnessman. MR. MEADOWS: Secondly, I think it's a shame that you'ne going to be leaving the NSC. You've been dinect with youn answens today. You've been pnecise with youn answens. And I candidly wish you all the best in youn future caneer, but it is the Federal Govennment's loss UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 199 UNCLASS I FIED that you'ne leaving. And so, on those two pensonal notes, I want to just cincle back a littIe bit on one anea. It's my undenstanding that you wene actually in the meeting with the Vice President and Pnesident Zelensky in Wansaw. Is that connect? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, it is. MR. MEADOWS: And so, in those convensations - - and I know they've been covened; I just want to make sune I'm clear. Because we've got Ambassadon Sondland and we've got the Vice Pnesident actually having convensations in Wansaw. Is that connect? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sir. MR. MEADOWS: And as you wene in those meetings with the Vice Pnesident and Pnesident Zelensky, did investigating the Bidens come up at all? MR. MORRISON: In the bi-Iat between Vice President Pence and Pnesident Zelensky? MR. MEADOWS: Yeah. MR. MORRISON: No, it did not. MR. MEADOWS: Did Pnesident Zelensky at that point know that the aid was being withheld? MR. MORRISON: He did, sin. MR. MEADOWS: And so there was no indication fnom the Vice Pnesident at all that the aid was being held up, waiting fon an investigation into the Bidens on Bunisma on -- he didn't bning that up at all? UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 200 UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: Not at all, sin. MR. MEADOWS: And you'ne confident of that? MR. MORRISON: One hundned pencent, sir. MR. MEADOWS: Because I would think, as, you know, we'ne heaning a whole lot about what Ambassadon Sondland said and may have said and may have heard and directions that may have happened, and yet in youn briefing with the Vice Pnesident, in your -- go ahead. MR. MORRISON: Sin, I want to 1et you finish youn question, but I just -- I hope I was clean. I did not pne-bnief the Vice Pnesident. MR. MEADOWS: Okay. So you actually helped thein staff pne-bnief -- did you prepane thein staff? MR. MORRISON: I prepaned thein staff, and I assisted them in pnepaning thein briefing matenials fon the Vice Pnesident. MR. MEADOWS: And that gets back to the othen point about you being veny precise in all of this. You were able to connect me on misspeaking, and I appneciation the precision. So, in that, with that same degree of precision, do you think that thene is any way that President Zelensky left the meeting with the Vice Pnesident with an undenstanding fnom the Vice Pnesident that the aid was somehow conditioned upon an investigation into Bunisma on the Bidens at all? MR. MORRISON: No, sin. MR. MEADOI^,IS: And you'ne 100 percent confident of that? MR. MORRISON: One hundned pencent, sir. MR. MEADOWS: With that, again, I just want to say thank you, and UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 201 UNCLASS I FIED I'11 yield to another Memben. MR. MORRISON: Thank you, sin. MR. MEAD0WS: Mn. Monnison, can I ask one followup question that my colleague -- so did the pause of aid on the hold on aid come up duning the discussion between the Vice Pnesident and Pnesident Zelensky? MR. MORRISON: It did, sin. MR. MEADOWS: And so it actually came up; they knew it was on a hold. And yet thene was not a condition placed on that fnom the Vice Pnesident's point of view in that meeting that you witnessed pensonally? MR. MORRISON: Conrect, sin. MR. MEADOWS: Okay. I'11 yield back. BY MR. CASTOR: a Colonel Vindman's tenune at the NSC, he's on a 1-yean tenm, followed by a second 1-yean tenm? Ane you awane? A To be honest, I don't know. I think he might have been on 2-year onders oniginally. a Okay. Was thene any discussion about maybe having him move on to a diffenent pant of govennment or netunn to the Anmy? A Um -- a If it wasn't a fit? A So, oniginally, Alex was not bnought in to handle Uknaine. He was bnought in to handle Russia. This pnecedes me. But there wene othen staffing -- I'11 call them "snafus" that wound up leading to excess covenage on Russia, below the nequined covenage on Uknaine. And UNCLASS I FIED '). 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TL L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 202 UNCLASS I FIED so Alex was asked to handle the Ukraine/Belanus/Moldova pontfolio. a Wene there any tnips to these countnies in the last -- since July 25th that Colonel Vindman was scheduled to tnavel on? A No. a Wene thene any trips to these countnies? A Yes. a And was he excluded fnom tnavel fon any neason? A He was not excluded. He just was not included. a Okay. Did he ask to be included? A He did. a And what was the neason given that he was not included? A I did not think his presence was nequired. We had an aincnaft fon Ambassadon Bolton that we had from the G-7 to Uknaine, BeIarus, Moldova, to Wansaw. And, in my estimation, it was not wonth the seat on the plane and the hotel expenses -- and, fnankly, thene were no hotel rooms available in Biannitz -- at the G-7 to bning him. I did not think it was in the taxpayens' interest to pay fon him to come oven sepanately on commencial ain when, by ' you know, good pneparation, we could make sune that Ambassadon Bolton had the matenial he needed fon successful visits. a Okay. Did ColoneI Vindman give you any feedback about that decision ? A Yes. a And what fonm did the feedback take? A He pensonally appealed to me. UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 203 UNCLASS]F]ED a Okay. Did he send you an email? A I don't necall an email. I necall an in-penson convensation. a Okay. And did the convensation get heated? A No. a And did you anticulate the neasons to him? A Yes. a And did he accept them? A I don't know if he accepted them, but he didn't have a choice. a Okay. And did he even expness to you that he felt cut out of, you know, aneas that were, YoU know, within his policymaking? A Yes. a And what wene those concenns that he nelated to you? A He was concenned that, by not being included in certain discussions, the tnip, he would be seen -- he would be less effective because he would be seen by the intenagency as not being nelevant. a And did you think that was the case? A I thought the neasons I had fon not including him outweighed his concenns. a OkaY. MR. CASTOR: Yes, Mr. Jondan. MR. IORDAN: Thank you, Steve. Mn. Monnison, did he make an appointment? Did he walk into youn office? Did you go see him? MR. MORRISON: I think he walked into my office. He said what UNCLASS ] E]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 204 UNCLASS ] FIED he wanted to talk about. I said I was busy. I asked him to make an appointment. And I made sune John Enath was pnesent when we had that appointment. MR. IORDAN: Did he walk into your office on other occasions and expness some displeasune at decisions you had made neganding him? MR. MORRISON: YCs. MR. IORDAN: So this was common or happened sevenal times? How would you descnibe it? MR. MORRISON: So I had an open doon, unless I was busy, and so it was not uncommon fon my team to walk in. Depending upon the issue, I would te1I them to come back because fon whatever neason I wanted to have them come back -- MR. IORDAN: But you didn't have a policy -- so people could walk in MR. MORRISON: Yes. MR. IORDAN: -- and talk to you about concerns, pant of youn team. If time permitted, you'd deal with the concenns at that time, on would you always then -- or is that not the case? Would you always say, no, make an appointment? MR. MORRISON: WeII, in the matten of Alex and the trip, fon example, on the question about being excluded, I've been around long enough to know, on potential pensonnel actions, you want a witness. MR. IORDAN: Okay. MR. MORRISON: So I made sune he came back when I had a witness. MR. JORDAN: Did you do that with othen membens of youn team? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.1 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 205 UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: I did not have complaints fnom othen membens of my team. So, sin, the answen is no. MR. JORDAN: So, I mean and I, like you, Mr. Monnison, I appneciate the senvice Colonel Vindman has given to oun countny and the sacnifice he has made. But I think in the last -- or since you've been hene today, you've talked about Colonel Vindman. Thene was issues of judgment, that he openated outside his lane. He didn't adhere to the chain of command. Was not included, specifically excluded -- I guess, to youn use youn language, was not included on centain tnips. And thene was an anea of Uknaine that you kept him nestnicted fnom being a pant of, and you said you couldn't get into that. Did Mn. Vindman -- did he talk too much? MR. MORRISON: I had concenns that he did not exercise appnopniate judgment as to whom he would say what. MR. JORDAN: Okay. Steve ? MR. CASTOR: Mn. Roy? MR. PERRY: Can I -- MR. CASTOR: Mn. Penny. I'm sonny MR. PERRY: Sticking with Colonel Vindman, I just have an affinity fon him because I, too, senved in unifonm and I undenstand his circumstances. I think maybe as a penson that's intenested in following the chain of command, et cetena -- and those standands ane very impontant to every single one of us. They'ne inbred into us. Do you think that he -- I don't know how to put -- maybe he was UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 206 UNCLASS IF]ED disappointed in the change of how his autonomy -- on maybe his own perceived autonomy unden Fiona HilI, when you came in, do you think that that was a point of fniction? Did you sense that at some point? On do you think he just undenstood intuitively that there was a new sheniff in town, so to speak? 0r -- MR. MORRISON: Congressman, I don't know that I can speak to his neaction being based on a change in management or if it was merely a nesult of him chafing in tenms of how I wanted to use, you know, the nesounce that he was. MR. PERRY: Okay. Fair enough. A1I night. Thanks. MR. CASTOR: Mr. ROY? MR. ROY: A11 I was going to do is take 30 seconds to undenscone what Congressman Meadows said about appreciating youn senvice and appreciating your being here. And, you know, we ovenlapped in the Senate when I was with lohn Connyn and you wene with Senator KyI. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. ROY: And that's been oven a decade ago since we've engaged, but it's good to see you again here in the public senvice. And I wish I could get to my kids' tnick-on-tneating tonight and see my 1O-yean-oId son playing James Bond, of all things, in a tuxedo and cannying a plastic martini gIass, nunning anound, but I'm going to miss that. So THE CHAIRMAN: As long as your son is not dnessed up as me, I'm happy. MR. ROY: Thene's a joke in there somewhene, but I'11 let that Bo, but I appreciate that, Mn. Chainman. UNCLASS IF]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 15 t7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 207 UNCLASS I FIED The only thing I will say, something I did want to follow up on just to make sune I heand conrectly -- and I'm sonry, because we've been in and out and, you know, putting all this togethen -- was with nespect to the convensation with Mn. Sondland about what the Pnesident said to him on Septemben 7th, that conversation, that you did not confinm that that convensation took place. You eithen didn't tny on wene unable to confirm that the convensation took place between the Pnesident and Mn. Sondland? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. f'm sonny, I don't nememben if it was Septemben 7th on Septemben 8th, but I necall that being an especially busy day, which led to the joculan exchange. And I was not able to confinm that he did actually speak with the Pnesident on that panticulan occasion. MR. ROY: Okay. And then the only othen thing is, with nespect to the chanactenization of the phone call fnom Mn. Sondland to younself and the descniption in Mn. Taylon's statement pnovided, when he descnibes -- in the wonding in his statement that it was his opening investigations of Biden and 2@16 election intenfenence, did you hean that jointly on sepanated? 0n how would you chanactenize the natune of that expnession fnom Mn. Sondland about the natune of that convensation ? MR. MORRISON: On Septemben 7th on Septemben 8th, whicheven it was ? MR. ROY: Uh-huh. UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 17 18 L9 20 27 22 23 24 25 208 UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: As I necall what Ambassadon Sondland related to me, the Pnesident had stated to Ambassador Sondland, "Thene is no quid pno quo, but I want to hean it fnom Pnesident Zelensky. He should want to say it. " MR. ROY: That's the specific language that you nememben heaning? MR. MORRISON: That's the specific language I nememben heaning fnom Ambassadon Sondland. MR. ROY: Okay. Thank you. MR. MEADOWS: Mn. Monnison, so I want to come back. I've thought of a couple of othen -- it's not a "Columbo" moment. I'm not trying to catch you in it, but I've thought of a couple othen questions as it relates to the Vice Pnesident meeting with Pnesident Zelensky in hlarsaw. I don't have a fu1l charactenization of that meeting. Wou1d you chanactenize that convensation between Pnesident Zelensky and Vice Pnesident Pence as a condial convensation between two wonld leaders? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, absolutely. It was -- as I reca11, it was neally the one meeting that the Vice Pnesident was adamant he take. He was veny eagen to speak to Pnesident Zelensky and do his best to convey to President Zelensky his, the Vice Pnesident's, suppont and the suppont of the United States for Pnesident Zelensky and the neform agenda he was undentaking in Ukraine. MR. MEADOWS: So the message was very clean fnom the Vice Pnesident. He was insisting on meeting pensonally, not sending someone else in his place to meet with the President to expness -- would UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 209 UNCLASS I FIED you chanactenize it as a new solidarity between the United States and the Uknaine in tenms of thein new govennment's willingness to fight connuption? 0n what would it -- MR. MORRISON: Congnessman, the way I'd pnefen to frame it, if it's okay, is: Thene wene a numben of bi-lats we had planned fon Pnesident Tnump. Vice Pnesident Pence was adamant that he keep the bi-Iat with Pnesident Zelensky. And, as I undenstand it, it was because he wanted to convey, as best he could, Amenican support and his pensonal suppont for what Pnesident Zelensky was trying to do. MR. MEADOWS: A11 night. So it would not sunpnise you if the Vice Pnesident of the United States came back and advised the Pnesident that this nelationship is one that he could tnust based on the convensation that you witnessed. hlould that sunprise you? UNCLASS ] F]ED 10 13 11 72 I 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 L2 L3 74 15 15 t7 18 L9 20 27 22 23 24 25 270 UNCLASS I FIED l2:A5 p.m. l MR. MORRISON: Sin, I am awane that he did. MR. MEADOWS: You'ne awane that he did? MR. MORRISON: YCS. MR. MEADOWS: So you'ne awane that the Vice President came back and told the Pnesident that it was a good meeting and that we should nonmalize any relationship with Ukraine? MR. MORRISON: To the best of my knowledge, the Vice Pnesident made that phone call to the President that same night. MR. MEADOWS: Okay. I'11 yield back. MR. IORDAN: And, Mn. Monrison, the fact that the meeting went well didn't sunprise you, did it? MR. MORRISON: No, sin. MR. IORDAN: Because I think you'd said eanlien today that you felt that once Pnesident Zelensky got with eithen President Tnump on Vice President Pence, I think you said you thought they would hit it off. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. IORDAN: And that's exactly what happened. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. IORDAN: And this happens on -- eanly in Septemben. MR. MORRISON: The Vice Pnesident's bi-Iat with Pnesident Zelensky was 1 September. MR. IORDAN: And then the Vice Pnesident comes back and te1ls the Pnesident that, hey, this Zelensky guy is a good guy, on something to UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 zLL UNCLASS I FIED that effect, talks about the meeting and the intenaction they had. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, essentia1lY. MR. JORDAN: And then it's just a few days aften that that the aid actually happens and is neleased. MR. MORRISON: Sin, to my knowledge, the President detenmined to release the aid the evening of Septemben 11th. That infonmation was conveyed to the interagency the monning of Septemben 12th, so thene's a few days gap. But yes, sin. MR. JORDAN: Gneat. Thank you. BY MR. CASTOR: a The meeting that you had with Colonel Vindman and John Enath, was that the finst time that you had asked John Enath to sit in a meeting with you and Colonel Vindman? A Based on the natune of the meeting, I felt it was appnopniate to have my deputy present because it was a meeting in the natune of a pensonnel action. a Okay. And had you had any othen meetings like that with lohn Enath and Colonel Vindman? A So I made a habit of including my deputy in meetings because he was my backstop. If I was unable to attend something because I was called into something e1se, I wanted my deputy to be ful1y informed about what I was doing so that he could step in without skipping a beat. a Okay. But wene thene any other pensonnel-nelated meetings like that? A Not to my knowledge. UNCLASS IEIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L1 72 13 \4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 212 UNCLASS I FIED a Okay. Thene's been some questions here with othen witnesses about whethen Kash Patel got involved with the Uknaine portfolio. Do you know anything about that? A 0n1y what I've nead in the pness. a Okay. And you know Kash Patel? A I do. a And he's a -- what's his anea of nesponsibility at NSC? A When he came to the NSC he was a dinecton in the Dinectorate Fon International Onganizations. He is now a senion dinecton in the Countentennonism Dinectonate. a Okay. And to youn knowledge, he doesn't have any Uknaine-nelated involvement? A Connect. a Did Dn. Hill - - A I should say, my firsthand knowledge. I am, of counse, awane of certain pness neponts. a Okay. And what ane the pness neponts that you're awane of -- on what did you leann in the pness about this issue? A I'm not sune I leanned anything in the pness about this issue. I'm awane of pness reponting. I don't have any finsthand knowledge. I'm not tnying to be cute. I don't have any firsthand knowledge. I can't vouch fon the venacity on the cnedibility of the neponting. But the public neponting is that he has somehow been involved in Uknaine and has had a dinect line to the Pnesident. a And you'ne not awane of that, night? UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 1.4 15 16 \7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 273 UNCLASS I FIED A I have no finsthand knowledge. a Okay. Thene was a meeting in the Oval Office before you assumed Dr. HiIl's nesponsibilities on, I believe it was May 23th, whene Ambassadon Sondland, Ambassadon VoIken, Senaton lohnson bniefed the Pnesident on thein visit to Pnesident Zelensky's inaugunal. Ane you familian with that meeting? A I'm not sune I'm familian with that meeting. a Thene's been an allegation naised that Colonel Vindman was excluded fnom that meeting. Do you know anything about that? A It's not uncommon fon dinectons not to be included in meetings with the President. It's the senion dinecton's job. But I have no finsthand knowledge of that meeting. a Okay. To the best of youn knowledge, Kash Patel is somebody with integnity? A Yes. a And you have had no issues with Kash Patel duning youn joint senvice with him at NSC? MS. VAN GELDER: Excuse me, I believe that we've alneady established that Kash Patel is outside the scope of his testimony today. MR. CASTOR: Okay. I wish he was outside the scope of these pnoceedings, but we've had a lot of questions about him. MS. VAN GELDER: He's al-neady said he has no dealings with Kash PateI. BY MR. CASTOR: a Okay. But he's a colleague of yours on the NSC, night? I UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2l 22 23 24 25 2L4 UNCLASS I FIED mean A He is. a Okay. And so you've never had any dealings with him what soeve n ? A I have. a Okay. Have they been positive? MS. VAN GELDER: Let's keep it to the inquiny. It's a slippery slope when we stant going into what could be personnel actions and othen issues. MR. CASTOR: Okay. I think I'm pnetty much done. I think I'11 yield back. THE CHAIRMAN: tJould you like to take a shont break or should we keep going? MR. MORRISON: I'm fine to keep going, Chainman. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. I'm just going to ask a few questions, then tunn it oven to my House colleagues before we go back to Mn. Goldman. Do you know whethen Colonel Vindman had consulted with the legal counsel about concerns oven what you've descnibed as the Bunisma bucket of issues pnion to youn annival at the NSC? MR. MORRISON: I have no finsthand knowledge, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: If he had been advised by the 1ega1 advisen to raise those concenns directly with him and not discuss themwith othens, would you sti11 believe that he should discuss those issues with you? MR. MORRISON: Chainman, I would expect somebody to have advised me that thene was that conduit in which I was not involved. UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.1 72 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 275 UNCLASS I FIED THE CHAIRMAN: But you would agnee that if he was following the advice of the legaI counsel, he would not be violating the chain of command ? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, I would agnee. THE CHAIRMAN: Now, I know Mr. Patel had a pnomotion of some kind? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: Pnion to his pnomotion, what was his position? MR. MORRISON: Sin, he was the directon in the Dinectorate on Intennational Onganizations. THE CHAIRMAN: And how does that compane to youn position? MR. MORRISON: I mean, thene's special assistants who are administnative staff. Thene's dinectons in the policy lane. There's dinectors, thene's the senion dinecton, and then thene's the Deputy National Secunity Advison and the National Secunity Advison. THE CHAIRIvIAN: And would his position be above youns? Below yours? Equivalent to youns? MR. MORRISON: Below, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: Below your position? MR. MORRISON: As a dinecton, y€s, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: If he did involve himself in Uknaine mattens, should that have gone thnough you? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: So if he involved himself in Uknaine mattens, he would have been outside of his chain of command? MR. MORRISON: Sin, in my opinion, as the Senion Directon fon UNCLASS I FIED 2t6 UNCLASS I EIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Eunopean Affains, if he engaged in policy on Uknaine and he did not advise me, that would be a pnocess foul. THE CHAIRMAN: And so that would be outside the chain of command in a way that would be a pnocess foul? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I don't know that I see this as a chain of command issue. He does not repont to me. He's not in my chain of command. It would be a pnocess foul. THE CHAIRMAN: But if he's wonking on Uknaine, he should be in youn chain of command, conrect? MR. MORRISON: No, sir, not necessanily. Thene could be Uknaine countentennonism issues on Uknaine issues nelated to the U.N. Secunity Council on Intennational Onganizations when he was assigned to that dinectonate that he could be engaged in, but as the regional senion dinecton, I should be awane of that. It's my nesponsibility to attempt to be awane of everything the United States is doing in Uknaine. In that, I'm assisted by people like AIex. THE CHAIRMAN: And if you'ne not advised of that, that can be a pnoblem because it means that youn decisionmaking is not as infonmed as it should be? MR. MORRISON: We1I, I blanch that I make decisions. My policy necommendations, my ability to wonk with the interagency, the ability of the United States to not be in a situation whene the night hand is engaging Uknaine without the left hand knowing what's going on and thenefone we look confused to the Uknainians, for example, the pnocess exists to pnevent that. 10 LL t2 L3 t4 15 16 17 18 L9 20 27 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS1TIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 L0 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 217 UNCLASS I FIED THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. I want to follow up on some of the questions about the Vice Pnesident. I think you said that you would expect that the Vice Pnesident would have been given a recond of the call that Pnesident Tnump had with Pnesident Zelensky since he was veny soon thereaften going to a meeting with Pnesident Zelensky. It would be part of his pnesidential -- the vice pnesidential daily bnief? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. At that point the idea of the Vice Pnesident meeting with President Zelensky was not planned. But it's the normal process fon a head of state call fon a copy of the tnanscnipt to be made available to the Vice Pnesident the next available day. THE CHAIRMAN: I know thene have been questions raised, and I'm not going to ask you to comment on the venacity of them, about whethen the Pnesident neads his daily bnief on doesn't nead his daily bnief. Do you have any neason to believe that the Vice Pnesident doesn't nead his daily bnief? MR. MORRISON: Sin, the Vice Pnesident is known to be a vonacious neaden of his dally bnief. THE CHAIRMAN: So you would imagine that the call necond would have been in his daily brief and that he would have nead it? MR. MORRISON: It is the nonmal pnactice fon it to have been in the daily bnief. I cannot speak authoritatively that it was in his daily bnief the next available day aften the luly 25th caII, but I attempted to say that it was my undenstanding he had access to it while he was flying oven to Wansaw. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 73 74 15 16 T7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 2L8 UNCLASS 1 FIED THE CHAIRMAN: Now, that bilatenal meeting that the Vice Pnesident participated in, that was a fainly lange numben of people, was it not? MR. MORRISON: The Zelensky-Pence bi-1at? THE CHAIRMAN: Yes. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, we had a lange delegation. THE CHAIRMAN: So how lange was the delegation? Was it I mean, I don't need an exact numben, but was it two on thnee dozen people? MR. MORRISON: There wene two nows of seat on the U.S. side. I think thene was only one now of seats on the Uknainian side. It was a lange U.S. delegation. THE CHAIRMAN: So maybe 2@ to 30 people? MR. MORRISON: I would say mone like a dozen, maybe -- I would say about a dozen. THE CHAIRMAN: So you said two nows of nepnesentatives fnom the United States? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: And how many people in each now? MR. MORRISON: So about six on seven. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. So that would be about 12 to 14 on the U.S. side ? MR. MORRISON: I don't think the second row was a complete row, sin, but I necall we had two nows, they had one now. And sometimes it was -- it can be embannassing in these cincumstances how much biggen oun side is than the opposite countny side. UNCLASSI FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 14 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 219 UNCLASS] FIED THE CHAIRMAN: So it sounds like you'ne talking about the neighbonhood of 10 to 20 people, then. MR. MORRISON: Sin, I think it was closen to about 12. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. MR. MORRISON: 0h, in the meeting ovenall? THE CHAIRMAN: Yes, in the meeting ovenall. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, pnobably about pnobably about 20. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. So you'ne saying that in the meeting with 20 people pnesent, Vice Pnesident Pence did not bning up the Bunisma bucket of issues. Is that night? MR. MORRISON: That is connect, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: But immediately aften that lange meeting thene's a pnivate meeting between Ambassadon Sondland and Mr. Yenmak whene he does bning up the Bunisma bucket of issues, night? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sir. THE CHAIRMAN: And then immediately aften that he goes and tells you about it? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: Mn. Engel, do you have questions? MR. ENGEL: I have no questions at this time. Thank you. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Mns. Maloney? Mn. Swalwe11. MR. SWALWELL: Thank you, Chainman. And thank you, Mn. Monnison, fon coming in. Fo1lowing up on the chainman's question, one neasonable UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 74 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 220 UNCLASS I EIED conclusion could be that the Vice Pnesident did not wish to bning up that bucket you've descnibed in fnont of such a large audience. Is that night? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I don't want to speculate on why. MR. SWALWELL: Is it also a reasonable conclusion that perhaps the Vice President thought it would be wnong to bning up those issues? MR. MORRISON: Sin, again, I prefen not to speculate why the Vice Pnesident conducted the meeting the way he did. MR. SWALWELL: We1l, the Vice President's job is to carny out the policy pnionities of the Pnesident. You would agnee to that? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. SWALWELL: And if the Vice President nead the call record as a vonacious reader, as you described, it's pnetty clean in that call necond that a pnionity of the Pnesident of the United States is fon the Pnesident of Uknaine to investigate the Bidens. Is that night? MR. MORRISON: These issues wene naised in the MEMCON, yes, sin, and the phone caII. MR. SWALWELL: So if Vice Pnesident Biden in his finst face-to-face meeting with -- MS. VAN GELDER: Vice Pnesident Pence. MR. SWALWELL: Sonry. If Vice Pnesident Pence in his finst face-to-face meeting with Pnesident Zelensky about a month aften the July 25th call does not bning up a centnal pnionity of the Pnesident's, is that the Vice Pnesident failing to canny out the Pnesident's pnionities ? UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 L4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 22t UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: Sin, I listened to the July 25th phone cal1, and I neven naised these issues eithen. MR. SWALT^JELL : Why not ? MR. MORRISON: I did not considen them to be within my anea of responsibility, my 1ane. MR. SWALWELL: Did you think they wene wnong? MR. MORRISON: Sin, they wene not issues f would have naised. MR. SWALWELL: But wene they wnong? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I did not make that judgment at the time. MR. SWALWELL: But I'm asking you to make the judgment now. Ane they wnong? MR. MORRISON: Sir, I did not make that judgment at the time. MR. SWALWELL: But at this time today, do you believe they ane wnong ? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I have not come to that judgment, and I did not make that judgment at the time. MR. SWALWELL: You nefenenced that Ambassadon Bolton spoke with Pnesident Tnump about the security assistance, but I didn't hean you talk about what was discussed. Do you know what they discussed? MS. VAN GELDER: I believe that that is fon laten to be detenmined how we get around that. MR. SWALWELL: Okay. Wene you -- wel1, Iet me ask you, I asked you if it's wnong fon the Pnesident to bning up those investigations. Is it night fon him to bning up those investigations with Pnesident Zelens ky ? UNCLASS I FIED L 222 UNCLASSlFIED MR. MORRISON: Sin, it's the Pnesident's choice what he naises with a foneign leaden. MR. SWALWELL: At any point aften the July 25th phone cal1, wene you awane that a whistleblower complaint was in the wonks? MR. MORRISON: I'm sonny, sir. What timefname ane we talking about ? MR. STTJALWELL: At any point aften the luly 25th phone caIl, wene you awane? MR. MORRISON: When news of the whistleblowen complaint became public, I became aware. MR. SWALWELL: But wene you awane intennally -- MR. MORRISON: No, sin. MR. SWALWELL: -- by any way? MR. MORRIS0N: No, sir. MR. SWALT^,IELL: Ane you awane of anyone else being awane intennally befone it became public? MS. VAN GELDER: With all due nespect, Congressman, I believe that if it's good fon the goose, it's good fon the ganden. And when we stant saying we can't go into who the whistleblowen was on what we wene awane of when the whistleblowen was, that that would be beyond the scope of this testimony. MR. SWALWELL: If the investigations into Bunisma, the Bidens, and 2076 wene not policy pnionities, what would you descnibe them as? MR. MORRISON: Issues on the Pnesident's nadan, issues that had his attention. But these were not issues that the policy pnocess was UNCLASS IFIED 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 L9 20 21 22 23 24 25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 1,4 15 16 17 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 223 UNCLASS I EIED wonking on. MR. SWALWELL: And who is more impontant, the policy pensonnel on the Pnesident? MR. MORRISON: Sin, the Pnesident is the President. MR. SWALIdELL: What does that mean? MR. MORRISON: That means we all senve at his pleasune. MR. SWALWELL: I'11 yield back. THE CHAIRMAN: Repnesentative Speien. MS. SPEIER: Thank you, Mn. Chainman. Thank you, Mn. Monnison. At one point you nefenenced that this was night aften the 9/L meeting, and you neponted to Mr. Bolton and to Mn. Taylon about this condition now before the aid was going to be made available. And Mn. Bo1ton said, stay out of this, and you took it to the lawyens at NSC. And I scnibbled down what you said, and something to that effect that you wanted to make sune thene was a necord of what Sondland had said to pnotect the Pnesident. MR. MORRISON: CONNCCt. MS. SPEIER: So you wanted to pnotect the Pnesident fnom what? MR. MORRISON: And, Congnesswoman, I'm still not completely centain that this was coming fnom the Pnesident. I'm only getting this fnom Ambassadon Sondland. And so if Ambassadon Sondland is doing this, and I am not entinely centain that thene's any involvement hene of the Pnesident, I want to make sune thene's a necond. And to my way of thinking, that necond UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 224 UNCLASS I FIED should go through the lawyens, especially White House counsel, about what I am seeing and hearing and leanning about. MS. SPEIER: But let's, fon discussion purposes, if in fact the Pnesident didn't know about this, as you ane tnying to protect him by neponting it to the lawyens, ane you saying then that you thought it was unjust, i11egal, inappropriate fon the aid to be conditioned on this public statement by Mn. Zelensky? MR. MORRISON: Ma'am, there's a neason I framed it as two processes. The propen pnocess that I was a pant of includes an extnaondinany numben of lawyens. We do not develop options fon the Pnesident that ane not legal. This other pnocess that, as fan as I know, chiefly only involved Ambassadon Sondland, Mn. Giuliani evidently, does not have that kind of protection. Ambassadon Bolton is fond of saying that the pnocess is youn pnotection. So pant of what I'm trying to do hene in talking to the lawyens is making sune they'ne awane of what Mr. Sondland is doing. And he's saying the Pnesident is awane, but I'm still not entinely centain that he is. MS. SPEIER: A11 night. When the issue came up at that bilatenal meeting with Vice President Pence and Pnesident Zelensky, and Pnesident Zelensky asked why was the secunity assistance being withheld, what did Vice Pnesident Pence say? MR. MORRISON: He focused on Pnesident Trump's concenns, that President Trump wanted to make sune that Uknaine was making pnogness on its connuption nefonm agenda. And he made the points -- I'm sonny, UNCLASSI FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 11 L2 13 t4 15 t6 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 225 UNCLASS I F]ED excuse me -- the Vice Pnesident made the point to Pnesident Zelensky that Pnesident Tnump believed the Eunopeans should be doing mone about mattens in Eunope, and given that secunity assistance, security-secton assistance to Uknaine was entinely Amenican, the Pnesident believed that the Eunopeans should be contnibuting mone in secunity-secton assistance. MS. SPEIER: And what did Pnesident Zelensky say to that? MR. MORRISON: He agneed -- Pnesident Zelensky agneed with Vice Pnesident Pence that the Eunopeans should be doing mone. As I neca11, he related to Vice Pnesident Pence convensations he'd been having with Eunopean leadens about getting them to do mone. And he stated his stnong commitment and some of the things he had been doing -- this was 2 on 3 days aften Ambassadon Bolton and I, among othens, had been in Uknaine meeting with Pnesident Zelensky -- even in those 2 on 3 days, what Pnesident Zelensky and his Senvant of the People Panty in the Rada had done on the cornuption nefonm agenda. MS. SPEIER: And he didn't say anything about he was punsuing an investigation? He didn't use that wond? MR. MORRISON: He who, ma'am? MS. SPEIER: Pardon he? MR. MORRISON: He who, ma'am? MS. SPEIER: I'm sonry. Pnesident Zelensky. MR. MORRISON: No, ma'am. I have no necollection that he naised any of the Bunisma investigation. MS. SPEIER: 0n just used the wond "investigation"? UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t7 t2 13 L4 L5 16 L7 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 226 UNCLASS I FIED MR. MORRISON: No, ma'am, I have no recollection that he did. MS. SPEIER: When oun colleagues on the othen side wene making -- asking you questions about Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, you made a point of saying he was a patniot. And then thene wene a senies of questions asked that, fnom my view, wene attempting to undenmine him as someone who is doing his job. So why don't you te1l us a little bit about the work that you obsenved of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman that were indeed exemplary. MR. MORRISON: Ma'am, I'm limited based on the scope of the inquiny to talk about mattens nelated to secunity assistance. I think I know as well as you do Lieutenant ColoneI Vindman's bio, which makes clear that he is a tremendous patniot. He has been deployed to conflict zones. He has been wounded and shed blood fon his countny, been awanded the Punp1e Heant. Thene should be no imputation that Colonel Vindman is anything othen than an absolute patniot. MS. SPEIER: WeII, I know, but MS. VAN GELDER: I ask fon youn indulgence. May I speak to my c lient ? IDiscussion off of the necond.] MS. VAN GELDER: I aPologize. MS. SPEIER: So on this issue anea, I mean, you would -- would you not agnee that he's an exPent? MR. MORRISON: I think he knew his pontfolio, Y€s, ma'am. MS. SPEIER: And you'ne awane that he has been working on this UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 L6 L7 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 227 UNCLASS IETED issue, if I am nemembening my notes hene, since 2@@8 he has been a foneign anea officen in Eunasia. You'ne awane of that? MR. MORRISON: WeII, ma'am, he was necruited to come to the NSC because he was a Russia expent. We had a staffing unden Dn. HiI1, we had a staffing nequinement that he not come oven -- that he not do the Russia pontfolio because she had a need at the time fon a Uknaine officen. And he's Uknainian, so it seemed like a good fit at the time. MS. SPEIER: And he centainly got good job penfonmances, I pnesume ? MR. MORRISON: I neven did an employee neview of him. MS. SPEIER: So the issue that was raised about chain of command, I just want to come back to it. He had the night, did he not, to go dinectly to the attonney in the NSC to naise his concenns about that telephone call? MR. MORRISON: YeS. MS. SPEIER: 0n JuIy 25th? MR. MORRISON: YeS. MS. SPEIER: So it was not that he was not following the chain of command, as it was suggested by colleagues on the othen side of the aisle? MR. MORRISON: We1I, ma'am, it's my view, as his supenvison, he should have bnought his concerns finst to me since I was also going to NSC Legal with those concenns. We didn't necessanily need to both do it. If we had coondinated betten, yoU know, the chain of -- if he had come to me as I would have expected, that's the issue. UNCLASSTFIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.7 \2 13 t4 15 16 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 228 UNCLASS I FIED MS. SPEIER: But, again, there was no -- he didn't violate any nules by going to the attonney? MR. MORRISON: He did not violate any fonmal nules. MS. SPEIER: A1I night. I yield back. THE CHAIRMAN: I just have a couple followup questions befone I pass it on to Mn. Heck. You mentioned one of the reasons why aften the Wansaw discussions you had with Ambassadon Sondland you went to the legaI counsel to document that conversation to pnotect the Pnesident. Is that night? MR. MORRISON: That was among my motivations, yes, Mn. Chainman. THE CHAIRMAN: In case what Ambassadon Sondland said had not been authonized by the Pnesident. MR. MORRISON: Mn. Chainman, that is one of the concenns I had about the way Ambassadon Sondland undentook what he undenstood to be his pontfolio. THE CHAIRMAN: But did you undenstand also at the time you took this action that if, in fact, Ambassador Sondland was acting at the dinection of the Pnesident, you wene also cneating a paper tnail incriminating the Pnesident? MR. MORRISON: WelI, sin, you could make that angument, yes. THE CHAIRIvIAN: Now, I think you testified eanlien that Ambassadon Sondland told you in Po1and that he had told Yenmak that the pnosecuton genenal needed to commit to these investigations to get the militany aid, night? MR. M0RRISON: Yes, sin. UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L7 L2 13 l4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 229 UNCLASSIFIED THE CHAIRMAN: And then it was subsequently on the phone whene he came back to you, Ambassador Sondland that is, and said, ho, the pnosecuton genenal is not going to be sufficient, Pnesident Zelensky has to commit to that, right? MR. MoRRISoN: Yes, sir. He related the Pnesident told him thene was no quid pro quo, but President Zelensky had to do it and he should want to do lt. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Now, was there anyone in a position to give Ambassadon Sondland instnuctions about what Uknaine needed to do apant fnom the Pnesident? MR. MORRISON: YCS. THE CHAIRMAN: And who would that be? MR. MORRISON: Sin, thene were a numben of actors. THE CHAIRMAN: And I'm not talking about in the sont of nonmal scheme of things, because we've already discussed this as a regulan channel. But in youn experience, apant from the President on penhaps Ambassadon Bolton, was thene anyone giving Ambassadon Sondland instnuctions that he was to convey to Uknaine? MR. MORRISON: So, sin, I'm sonny, I may not undenstand youn question. fn a pnopen pnocess the Acting Assistant Secnetany of State Reeken would have THE CHAIRMAN: Yeah. I'm not asking about the propen pnocess. I'm asking about the impropen pnocess. MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: And that is, in youn expenience, apant fnom the UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t7 72 13 t4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 230 UNCLASS I F]ED Pnesident, was anyone in a position to tell Ambassadon Sondland you can do this on you can't do that? MR. MORRISON: Sir, in the context of what I understood to be the panal1el pnocess, Ambassadon Sondland believed and at least nelated to me that the Pnesident was giving him instnuction. THE CHAIRMAN: So if Ambassadon Sondland acknowledged making an ennon in oniginally saying that the pnosecutor general could make this commitment and laten connected and said, hor according to the Pnesident, it has to be Pnesident Zelensky, thene would have been nobody else othen than the Pnesident that could've naised the bar that way? MR. MORRISON: Sin, something I was thinking about eanlien when I was answening youn nelated question was, it could have been as simple as Ambassadon Sondland thought mone about it and decided, no, this won't wonk fon some neason, because there was no discipline in how he was cannying out what he undenstood to be his nesponsibilities. THE CHAIRMAN: And he undenstood his nesponsibilities to be doing what the President asked him to do? MR. MORRISON: He nelated to me he was acting -- he was discussing these mattens with the Pnesident. THE CHAIRMAN: And, in fact, eveny time you went to check to see whethen he had, in fact, talked to the Pnesident you found that he had talked to the Pnesident? MR. MORRISON: Yes, MP. Chainman. THE CHAIRIfiN: And in Poland, aften the vice pnesidential delegation meeting, when Ambassadon Sondland goes to have that pnivate UNCLASSI FIED 231 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LT L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS ] FIED convensation with Mn. Yenmak and te1ls him about the conditioning of the aid, nemind me what Mn. Yenmak's position was in nelationship to ZeIensky. MR. MORRISON: Sir, I mean, fnankly, he was pnobably somewhat akin to me. He was a Pnesidential advisen on American issues, Amenica issues. THE CHAIRMAN: And is it neasonable to expect that aften Ambassadon Sondland told Yenmak that the aid would not happen unless thene was the commitment to these investigations, then Mn. Yermak, as the advisen to Zelensky, would have pnomptly told Zelensky about this? MR. MORRISON: Slr, if I take the panaIle1 that he's something Iike me, he might have had one on two layens between him and the Pnesident that he would have gone to first. But I somewhat hesitate to speculate too much about whene he would have gone next. THE CHAIRMAN: But that message would have gotten to Pnesident Zelensky in shont onden, you would expect? MR. MORRISON: It may, sir, I simply can't say. THE CHAIRMAN: WeIl, that's not the kind of thing you would keep fnom the Pnesident of Uknaine, would it, if you wene his advisen, panticulanly when he naised that in the meeting with the Vice Pnesident? MR. MORRISON: We11, he didn't naise -- sin, he didn't naise it in the meeting with the Vice President. He naised it aften the meeting with the Vice Pnesident. THE CHAIRMAN: WeII, I'm talking about Zelensky. Zelensky raises the aid in the meeting with Vice Pnesident Pence? UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21. 22 23 24 25 232 UNCLASS I EIED MR. MORRISON: Yes, sir. THE CHAIRMAN: Immediately after the meeting his advisen, and as I understand the top advisen to ZeIensky, has this convensation with Ambassador Sondland? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: It's on the subject of what he just -- Zelensky just talked to Pence about. You would expect that Yenmak would communicate that to Zelensky, would you not? MR. MORRISON: Sin, he -- I'm sonny. He may have. I don't know fon a fact. He could've gone to anothen 1evel, and that othen leve1 said, hor this is ctazy, keep it away from the President. THE CHAIRMAN: Do you have any neason to believe that's the case? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I don't have any neason to believe on eithen side of the coin what he did with that infonmation. THE CHAIRMAN: And in your position and undenstanding the role that Mn. Yenmak plays, your testimony is you can't ventune a guess as to whethen that critical piece of infonmation, that cnitical conditionality would have been shared by Mn. Yenmak with his boss? MR. MORRISON: Sir, if it were me and I was -- I'm applying this to me -- I would have gone to Danylyuk finst and talked to him befone anything went to the Pnesident. THE CHAIRMAN: WeI1, I'm not sune that it is equivalent MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: in youn position with one of Pnesident Zelensky's top advisens. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 76 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 233 UNCLASS I EIED But I will now necognize Mn. Heck. MR. HECK: No questions at this time, MF. Chainman. THE CHAIRMAN: I can't see who's behind Mn. Heck. Mn. Cicilline? MR. CICILLINE: Mn. Monnison, in youn testimony just a few moments ago you said, I think, the Pnesident can talk to a foneign leaden about anything he wants. Was that youn testimony? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin, effectively. MR. CICILLINE: But you necognize that thene ane some convensations a Pnesident could have that would be inappropniate, night ? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. CICILLINE: I1Iega1? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. CICILLINE: Undenmine oun national secunity? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. CICILLINE: So when you say a Pnesident can talk about anything he wants, it doesn't mean that you would chanacterize eveny convensation that a President has with a foneign leaden as acceptable? MR. MORRISON: Acceptable as to what standand, sir? MR. CICILLINE: WeI1, you said a -- what did you mean when you said a Pnesident can talk about anything he wants with a foneign leaden? MR. MORRISON: f know of no -- no one could teII him he can't do it. A lawyer could tell him you shouldn't do it, it's iIlegal, but ultimately the Pnesident is the Pnesident. UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 234 UNCLASS I FIED MR. CICILLINE: WeIl, I mean, ultimately the Pnesident can utten the wonds. But as a national secunity expent you necognize, of counse, thene are things that a Pnesident could say in a convensation with a foreign leaden which would undenmine oun national secunity, night? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. CICILLINE: That would undenmine the integrity of oun elections, night? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. CICILLINE: That would be contnany to U.S. policy? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. WeI1, sir, with nespect to the last, if the Pnesident says it, it may no longen be incompatible with U.S. policy. He may have just anticulated a new U.S. policy. MR. CICILLINE: So youn view is a President can -- 1et me stnike that. Thene ane no limits to what a Pnesident of the United States can say to a foneign leaden on a telephone that you would considen inappnopniate, inadvisable, i11egaI, on contnany to oun national secunity intenests? MR. MORRISON: Sin, youn -- the President can choose to naise whatever he wants, even if thene is MR. CICILLINE: Even if it's illegal? MR. MORRISON: Even if thene is a 1egaI opinion that it is iIIegaI, he could still choose to naise it. He could choose MR. CICILLINE: And then he would be -- he on she would be UNCLASS I FIED 235 UNCLASS IFIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 accountable for that conduct, connect? MR. MORRISON: Yes, sin. MR. CICILLINE: Okay. No funthen questions. THE CHAIRMAN: So I take it fnom that you don't subscribe to the view that if a Pnesident says it on does it, it can't be a violation of law? MR. MORRISON: I'm not a legal expent, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: Do you have to be a IegaI expert to expness an opinion on that? MR. MORRISON: Sin, thene ane, dating back to law school, which fon me now is oven 12 yeans ago, thene ane vanied opinions on this matten. THE CHAIRMAN: You don't think the President is above the law, do you? MR. MORRISON: Sin, I think thene are -- thene is foneign law -- foneign policy and law with nespect to foneign affains and thene is domestic policy, and I think I faI1 within the camp of the Pnesident is pnetty much the ultimate authonity on mattens of foneign policy unden Anticle II. THE CHAIRMAN: We11, I 'm not asking you about foneign policy. Do you believe the President of the United States is above the law? MR. MORRISON: I do not believe the Pnesident of the United States is above the 1aw as articulated by the Constitution. THE CHAIRMAN: Mrs. Demings. MRS. DEMINGS: Thank you, Mn. Chainman. 10 11 72 13 1.4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 74 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 236 UNCLASS 1 FIED And, Mn. Monnison, thank you fon being here with us today. That was an interesting exchange. Being someone who enfonced the law for 27 years, the President is not above the law, Constitution on otherwise. I just want to veny quickly ask you, when you talked about going to see the NSC lead counsel about youn concenn about the content of the July 25th ca11, and I believe you said youn main concern was about the call being leaked because of the political environment in D.C., who did you, if you could please clanify fon me, who did you speak with befone you went to see the legal counsel about youn concenn? MR. MORRISON: Ma'am, I anticulated in my statement thnee concenns about what would happen if it leaked. MRS. DEMINGS: No, I'm just asking, who did you speak with, because that was the issue fon Lieutenant Colonel Vindman about him not speaking to you. Who did you speak with befone you went to see the lead counsel about youn concenn about the call? MR. MORRISON: No one, ma'am. MRS. DEMINGS: You spoke to no one. And who do you nepont to? MR. MORRISON: The Deputy National Secunity Advisor and the Nationa] Secunity Advison. MRS. DEMINGS: Okay. A11 night. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chain. THE CHAIRMAN: MN. WClCh. MR. WELCH: No questions, MP. Chairman. THE CHAIRIfiN: Ms. Eleanon Holmes Norton? UNCLASS I FIED 237 UNCLASS IEIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Then I will hand it back to Mn. Noble. BY MR. NOBLE: a I want to go back to youn Septemben 7th convensation with Ambassadon Taylon, on page t2 of Ambassadon Taylon's statement. We alneady went oven this, but I did want to ask you, that aften you had this convensation with Ambassadon Sondland, you neported that call on that convensation as well to both Ambassador Bolton and the NSC lawyens, connect ? A Yes, sin, connect. a And that would be Mn. Eisenbeng and Mr. Ellis? A Connect. a 0kay. So am I right that this was at least the thind time that you had neponted convensations nelating to the Uknaine matter to the NSC lawyens? A At least. a Okay. Do you necall any othen occasions that you went to the NSC lawyers aside fnom -- I believe, just so we can account for it on the necond, I believe you had the luly 25th conversation about the Pnesident's phone ca1l. A And it may have been two convensations. a Two convensations that day, okay. And then you had the convensation, I believe, aften you netunned fnom Wansaw. You told the lawyens about the convensation you'd had with Ambassadon Sondland on the 1st. Is that night? A Yes. 10 11 T2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t7 L2 13 74 15 76 L7 18 19 20 2T 22 23 24 25 238 UNCLASS I FIED a And then you also told them about this convensation you had with Ambassadon Sondland, I believe it was on, is it the 7th, Septemben 7th? A Yes. a Okay. So any othen times you went to the NSC lawyens on Uknaine mattens A Yes. a -- that you can recall? What wene the othen occasions? MS . VAN GE LDER: I think, following Chainman Schiff' s admonition not to Iet people ask questions that might eventually get to the whistleblower' s identity. THE CHAIRMAN: Can you nepeat the question fon me? MR. NOBLE: Sure. The question was, aside fnom the convensations you had with the NSC lawyens that we've discussed alneady today, wene thene othen occasions that he went to the NSC lawyens to discuss Uknaine-related mattens? MR. MORRISON: YCS. MS. VAN GELDER: Can we put a caveat, nonpensonnel? THE CHAIRMAN: Yes. You should not answen that question in any way that you believe would nelate to the whistleblowen. But outside of that univense you -- the identity of the whistleblowen, outside of that univense. MR. MORRISON: Thene was one other occasion whene I spoke with the lawyens about Ukraine-nelated mattens, but I will not get into the substance. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 13 L4 L5 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 239 UNCLASS ] FIED THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. BY MR. NOBLE: a We'II talk and maybe we'lL come back to that. So I want to go back just as a nefenence point to the text messages quickly. 0n page 53, it's the last page, this is a text message group involving Gordon Sondland, BiIl Taylon, and Kunt Volken. And do you see up at the top on Septemben 8th at 11:2@ a.m., Ambassadon Sondland wnites: Guys, multiple convos with Ze -- which I take to mean Zelensky -- and POTUS -- which I take to mean the Pnesident of the United States. Now, we've alneady talked about the convensation that Sondland had with Pnesident Tnump on on about Septemben 7th that he nelated to you on Septemben 7th, right? A Yes. a That was the one that Ambassadon Taylon wnote about in his statement on page 12? A I'm sonny. Sometimes I get confused about these convensations. So we've alneady talked about the convensation that Ambassadon Taylon had with me on September 7th, whene I was talking about a conversation I had had with Ambassadon SondIand, which I believe was eanlien that day. a Okay. And that was the convensation that Ambassador Sondland had had with Pnesident Tnump? A That's what he nelated to me, yes. UNCLASS I EIED 240 UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 a Okay. Did he -- the question is, did he, Ambassadon Sondland, te1I you about any of the conversations that he had with Pnesident Zelensky anound this time? A I don't know that I necall a panticular convensation that Ambassadon Sondland nelated to me he had with the Uknainian Pnesident. I think I would nemember that because that would it's naising my attention now. I know, and I've eanlien today talked about my concenns when Ambassadon Sondland would say he was talking to Uknainian officials, but Ambassadon Taylon, oun chief of mission, was not aware. a Okay. So maybe it might be helpful to look at Ambassadon Taylon's statement on page 12 in the next panagraph. A Uh-huh. a About in the middle it says -- and this is a call that -- on this is a convensation that Ambassadon Taylor is nelating that he had with Ambassadon Sondland. And he says: Ambassadon Sondland said that he had talked to Pnesident Zelensky and Mr. Yenmak and told them that although this was not a quid pno quo, if Pnesident Zelensky did not, quote, "cIean things upr" end quote, in public, we would be at a, quote, "stalemate." And then Ambassador Taylon said he undenstood a stalemate to mean that Ukraine would not neceive the much-needed militany assistance. And then Ambassadon Taylon also -- Ambassadon Sondland also said that this convensation concluded with Pnesident Zelensky agneeing to make a public statement in an intenview with CNN. 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 15 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 24t UNCLASS ]EIED And my question is, did you have a convensation with Ambassadon Sondland anound this time where he nelayed to you this convensation he had with Pnesident Zelensky about doing an intenview on CNN? A No. But, I'm sonny, I guess whene I'm still confused is did -- okay. I see. Right. Ambassadon Sondland said that his convensation concluded with Pnesident Zelensky. a Sure. Yeah, take your time to review that. A Yeah. No, this is the first I would have heand of this. a Okay. So, yeah, my -- A And, again, this is not involvlng me. This is involving -- a Right. A -- Ambassadon Sondland and Ambassadon Taylon. a Yeah. And my question was, did you have similan convensations with Ambassadon Sondland whene he nelayed that he had spoken to Pnesident Zelensky and President Zelensky had agneed that he was going to go on CNN to make the announcement about the Bunisma investigation ? A No. a Did you have any convensations with anyone about Pnesident Zelensky making a statement on CNN on othen netwonk about the Bunisma-nelated investigation? A I had conversations with Ambassador Taylon about what I was hearing fnom Ambassadon Sondland that he believed the Pnesident wanted Pnesident Zelensky to go public. And Ambassadon Taylon and I agreed that Ambassadon Taylon should counsel- Pnesident Zelensky not to do it. UNCLASS ] FIED I 242 UNCLASS I FIED a Okay. And do you know -- A 0n counsel Uknainian officials not to do it. a Right. And do you know if Ambassadon Taylor, in fact, counseled the Uknainians not to do it? A I believe he did, and I believe he said so in his statement at some point. a And why did you and Ambassadon Taylor agnee that Pnesident Zelensky shouldn't do that? A Because we agreed that we did not want to see the Pnesident of Uknaine -- neally any Uknainian official -- take a step which we believed at this point would clearly inject them in oun politics. a Okay. I want to ask you about the September 1lth meeting whene it was decided to lift the fneeze on the assistance. A Okay. a Do you know who panticipated in that meeting? A My undenstanding, because I was not thene, was that it was the Pnesident, it was the Vice Pnesident, it was Senator Pontman, and it was Chief of Staff Mulvaney. a Okay. Do you know when the meeting occunned on Septemben l1th? A I believe it was the afternoon on the evening of Septemben 1Lth. I'm basing that off of Dr. Kuppenman hearing fnom the chief of staff's office anound 8 p.m. that night that the hold was lifted. a Okay. And whene did the meeting take place? UNCLASS I FIED 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L L2 13 t4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 243 UNCLASS I EIED A I don't know. I assume the 0va1, but I don't know. a Okay. Do you know what was discussed at the meeting? A I believe Senaton Portman was nelating, and I believe the Vice President as we11, nelated thein view of the impontance of the assistance. The Vice Pnesident was obviously anmed with his convensation with Pnesident Zelensky, and they wene -- they convinced the Pnesident that the aid should be disbunsed immediately. a Do you know whether the Bunisma bucket of investigations came up during that A I do not. a -- meeting? So I just want to establish who wasn't thene. To your knowledge, Ambassadon Bolton didn't panticipate in that meeting? A He did not, to my knowledge. a And Secretary of State Pompeo didn't, wasn't thene? A To my knowledge, he was not. a And what about Deputy National Secunity Advison Kuppenman, was he thene? Was he acting at that time, I guess, on Septemben 11th? A Septemben L1th, I guess, he was because it was -- Monday, Septemben 9th was Ambassadon Bolton went home nepontedly having delivened a letten of nesignation. And I think, if I'm connect, the Tuesday was Septemben 10th. That was when we saw a tweet indicating that Ambassadon Bolton had been tenminated. a Okay. And, in any event, Dn. Kupperman wasn't at that meeting, to youn knowledge? UNCLASS ] FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 72 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 244 UNCLASS IFIED A Not to my knowledge. a Okay. And Defense Secnetany Esper wasn't thene? A I'm not 100 pencent confident Secnetany Espen was yet Secnetany of Defense. I don't remember fon a fact. We had a few in that ena. But to my knowledge, he was not thene. The Secnetany or Acting Secretany was not thene. a Okay. Do you know why the Pnesident made the decision to lift the fneeze at that time? A I do not. Based on what I had been to1d, and it's not finst penson, obviously, it's second and thind penson, it was -- the case was made to the Pnesident that it was the appnopniate and pnudent thing to do. A Okay. And who told you that? A Dn. Kuppenman. I believe lennifen Williams nelated to me what she'd heand from her channel, hen system, per the Vice President. Yes, those people. a Okay. So Dn. Kuppenman and lennifen Williams? A Yes. a To the best of youn recollection? A Yes. a Okay. lnlene you aware that on Septemben 9th the Intelligence Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, and the Committee on Ovensight had launched an investigation into Tnump and Giuliani's effonts to push the Uknainians to investigate the Bunisma bucket of investigations ? UNCLASS I EIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 245 UNCLASS I FIED A I think maybe we -- the executive bnanch, the White House had received a letten on that day, and I think I necall seeing it. a Okay. Did you have any discussions with folks at the NSC about that? A I think it may have been discussed in a staff meeting. a Who was pnesent at that staff meeting? A If I'm connect about the staff meeting, alI of the NSC senion dinectons, Docton -- maybe, if it was the 9th, Ambassador Bolton was still in the seat. If I'm remembening it connectly, I believe it was discussed in the !@ a,m. Monday senion dinectons meeting. I'm sonny, thene's a 1ot of meetings, so I may not be nemembening the night meeting. a Okay. Do you nememben what A It may have happened the following week. a Do you nememben what was said about the investigation in sum and substance? A That funthen guidance would come fnom NSC Legal as to what NSC PensonneL's nesponsibility was to be pnepaned fon howeven the Pnesident decided to respond to the letten. a Okay. MR. NOBLE: Yeah. I believe my time is up. THE CHAIRMAN: Mr. Monnison, do you need a bneak fon the restnoom on anything, or do you want to keep plugging along? MR. MORRISON: Keep going, sir. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Good man. Mn. Caston, 45 minutes. UNCLASS I FIED 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL L2 L3 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 246 UNCLASS I FTED MR. IORDAN: So, Mn. Monnison, in the last houn in the majonity you said thene wene four times you went to the counsel's office: aften the luly 25th caIl, aften the Wansaw meeting between the Vice Pnesident and President Zelensky, and then after the Septemben 7th Ambassadon Sondland ca1l. And then thene was another time that you went. And the othen time, I just want to be clean, was nelated to the subject matten of today's deposition? MR. MORRISON: YCS. MR. IORDAN: And can you give me the date that that was? I know you can't say - - MR. MORRISON: I can't necall the date, sin. MR. IORDAN: Was it -- so we did them in sequence, the 25th of JuIy, Septemben 1st, Septemben 7th. Was it aften that? MR. MORRISON: It was after -- it was after the -- it was aften the secunity assistance was neleased. MR. JORDAN: So after Septemben 11th. You got an idea of the date ? MR. MORRISON: Sin, unfortunately, I do not. MR. IORDAN: Okay. Thank you. BY MR. CASTOR: a The Septemben 7th convensation, thene was a question, I think, about whethen you wene able to in some cases venify whether Ambassadon Sondland had actually talked to the Pnesident? A Yes. a And thene wene some instances whene you weren't able to UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 L7 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 247 UNCLASS]F]ED venify an actual conversation occurned? A So, okay, sometimes it was because, for example, on Septemben -- I think it was Septemben 7th -- whateven I was -- I was exceptionally busy that monning, and I simply did not have the ability to neach out to the Sit Room, the White House Sit Room, to find out did they have any -- did -- you know. On July 25th, I was able to confinm thnough the White House Sit Room and anothen staffen that that call had occunned between the President and Ambassadon Sondland. I did not have the bandwidth to do that on Septemben 7th, fon example. a Okay. So you wene neven able to venify if that call happened ? A I was neven able to venify whethen Ambassador Sondland did indeed speak to the Pnesident that monning. a Okay. Going back to the MEMCON. If I undenstood you connectly, and this was eanly in today, so if I'm getting anything wnong, please connect me, I don't mean -- I'm not -- thene was nothing unusuaL about the prepanation of the MEMCON? Did you say that? 0n did it follow the regulan pnocess? A So the MEMCON itself was being pnepaned in the usual way except fon the fact that I flagged fon Mn. Eisenbeng and Mr. EIIis that I thought we should neduce access to that package. a Okay. And you pnovided definitive testimony on what happened in Exec Sec and whethen there was a mistake on not. But the actual pnepanation of the document UNCLASS IFIED 248 L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 lL 72 13 l4 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I E]ED A It foIlowed, as nean as I can recall, the nonmal pnocess. a Okay. And had any staffer had edits on connections you had an open doon to discuss possible edits? A Yes. a And ordinarily if any staffen -- and I think I asked you this befone if a staffer that was on the call and heand something and had notes and wanted an edit, yoU would ondinanily install that edit as the final authority? A So I had myself in the postune befone the MEMCON would be closed, so to speak, and sent off to the Exec Sec folks to process and then be sent to Ambassadon Bolton fon him to sign off that the package was neady. I had to have the final set of eyes on it. And so I would review any edits pnoposed by anybody else who was on the MEMCON. So in this case I believe it was chiefly my dinectonate and NSC Legal. It may have been the case that the Enengy Dinectonate was on the MEMCON because we do a lot with Uknaine on enengy. But I don't recall that they had any edits. But I put myself in the place of I would be the final authonity to neview any edits pnoposed befone it would go off to Exec Sec. a Okay. Have you seen any of the public neponting about Colone1 Vindman's issues he naised with the MEMCON? A Yes. a And how do you squane what's been neponted about what he said with what A Diffenent people have diffenent recollections. I put in my UNCLASS IFIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 249 UNCLASS I FIED statement that I belleve the MEMCON is accunate and complete. a Okay. Ane you familian with a fonmen DAS fnom the Defense Depantment, Evelyn Fankas? A Yes. a Wene you awane of any effont that she was undentaking to get infonmation on Tnump allies as it nelates to Russia? MS. VAN GELDER: I'm sonny, befone he even answens that question, I'm going to say that goes back to what we'll call the whistleblower attempt, that infonmation. MR. CASTOR: This nelates to the whistleblowen, the MS. VAN GELDER: I believe that unless -- you can ask whethen he wonked with hen on had an issue with hen, then that's totally within youn scope, sin. But if J.t's, have you wonked with hen and has she tnied to get infonmation, then that's outside the scope of what he is testifying fon. MR. CASTOR: Okay. We'Il just go one at a time then. MS. VAN GELDER: Okay. Sune. BY MR. CASTOR: a You know DAS Fankas? A DASD, yes. a Yeah. And how do you know her? A I knew hen when she was the deputy assistant secnetany of defense fon -- I think that pontfolio was RUE, Russia and Uknaine and Eastenn Eunope, duning the Obama administnation. A Okay. You knew hen just that way? UNCLASS IFIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 74 15 16 250 UNCLASS I FIED A As a HASC staff memben, I had neason to engage with hen. a Okay. And is thene anything about any communications that you had with her in 2OL7 that you nememben? MS. VAN GELDER: Objection. The scope of this, by definition, does not stant in 2@L7. So I'm going to object it's out of scope. But also unless it nelates to the subject matten here, whateven -- if you have a discussion nelating to this then we'11 take it on a case by case. MR. CASTOR: Fain enough. Any othen Members? I yield back. THE CHAIRMAN: I think we have a few mone questions and then we should pnobably -- we1l, what I was going to say is I think we have a few more questions. And then we should huddle with you and see if we can nesolve some of the questions that we've asked that you've nefused to answen on potential pnivilege issues. I necognize Mn. Goldman. UNCLASS I F]ED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L 12 13 14 15 16 L7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 257 UNCLASS I F]ED [3:05 p.m.] BY MR. GOLDMAN: a You nefenenced earlier some convensations that you had with Ambassadon Volken about this altennative policy pnocess on the shadow policy pnocess that Rudy Giuliani and Ambassadon Sondland wene openating. When wene those convensations that you had with Ambassadon Volken ? A I necall a specific one example eanly Septemben, whene Kunt came by the office -- actually, I'm sorny, apologies -- early August, where Kunt came by the office with some of his staff, and I had Colonel Vindman and Mn. Enath accompanying me. And it was genenally an update on what Kunt was doing as Special Envoy fon Uknaine Negotiations. When the meeting -- when that subject had exhausted itself, I asked for Kunt to have his staff leave. I asked my staff to leave. And that's when I asked Kunt about what he knew of this panallel channel, this panallel pnocess. And, based on the ca1I, the Pnesident's phone cal1, based on what Dn. Hill had nelated to me, I wanted -- I like to tny to evaluate things fon myself. I wanted to evaluate one-on-one with somebody I'd known fon quite some time what was he tnacking. a And you said eanly August. Do you have any mone specificity? A 2 August. a August 2nd? A Yes. a Okay. And what did he say to you? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IT 72 13 1.4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 252 UNCLASS I FIED A He said, yes, he was -- to the best of my necollection, he said, yes, he was awane of what Gondon was doing. I think he said he'd had some phone calIs with Mn. Giuliani and that it was his pnactice to tny to stay out of the political side of it and simply keep focused on neform in Uknaine. a And did the topic of these Bunisma bucket of investigations come up? A I think the -- I don't necaLl the idea of an investigation, pen se, coming up. I recall the topic of Bunisma, the topic of -- I don't know that I specifically mentioned the senver on he mentioned the senven issue on I centainly don't have any necollection of CnowdStrike. That it was just generally, you know, what is youn take on what's going on hene? How ane you involved? And we both agneed we nea11y didn't want to be involved. a And what did he say about Mn. Giuliani? A To the best of my necollection, he said that he'd had convensations with Mn. Giuliani from time to time and that, you know, Mn. Giuliani had a belief that Uknaine was somehow involved. a Uknaine was somehow involved? A I'm sonny, that Uknaine was somehow involved in 2OL6, the election. a And what did he -- what else did he say? A I think that's effectively it. It was maybe a lO-minute stay- behind a Okay. Ten minutes is a long time. Did he give his -- did UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TL t2 13 1.4 15 16 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 253 UNCLASS I E]ED he indicate to you that he was also in touch with any Uknainians on this topic? MS. VAN GELDER: The topic being the -- MR. GOLDMAN: The investigations. MR. MORRISON: The Bunisma bucket. No, I don't believe so. I have no necollection of that if he did. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a And what did he say about Ambassadon Sondland's nole? A Yeah, I mean, I think we both agneed that Ambassador Sondland was, you know, sort of a fnee nadical. He was sont of out thene, engaging when he wanted, and it was not always possible to keep track of what it is that he was doing and who he was talking to. a And so, as of August 2nd, aften, you know, 2-L/2 weeks on the job, you understood, younself, that Sondland was, quote, "a fnee nadicalr " unquote? A I mean, I had some neason to believe that, based on Dn. Hill's, you know, wannings when we wene doing the handoff. a And had you witnessed it younself? A Yes. Not on Uknaine, but yes. a Uh-huh. And what did Ambassadon Volken say about Sondland's connection with Giuliani? A I think it was chiefly just that they wene talking, that they wene engaging negulanly on these issues. a And did Ambassador Volken reveaL whether Ambassadon Sondland was also engaging with any Uknainians? UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LL 12 13 t4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 254 UNCLASS I FlED A Not that I can necall. I was neaIIy chiefly focused on getting fnom Ambassadon Volken what did he -- what was he involved in? What was he seeing? Because I neally only had what I'd heand at this time fnom Dn. HiIl. And I think this was the finst time I was in a position to talk to Ambassadon Volken other than on an open phone line, one-on-one. a Right. No, it makes penfect sense. You'ne tnying to figune out what's going on aften this call. I guess I'm just -- what I'm tnying to undenstand is what Ambassadon Vo1ken descnibed to you about his expenience with Ambassador Sondland nelated to Uknaine. A And, again, all I can necaLl is, you know, he pnovided his own -- he provided me with an additional confinmation that thene was this panallel channel and it was focused on this -- you know, thene wene these Bunisma issues. But I have no recollection of, you know, Ambassadon Volken speaking about any convensations that he, Ambassadon VoIken, had with Uknainian officials about this subject matten non Ambassadon Volken telling me that Ambassadon Sondland on Mn. Giuliani wene having convensations with Ukrainian officials about the subject matter. a So he didn't tel1 you that Rudy Giuliani was in Madnid that veny day meeting with Andney Yenmak? A Not that I can necaII. a And that A 0n August 2nd? a Yeah. And that Ambassadon Volken had actually arnanged that UNCLASS ] FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 t6 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 2s5 UNCLASS I FIED meeting? A I don't believe so. a Did he mention anything about the White House visit in that meeting ? A I think that was in the main meeting, was, you know, whene wene we on getting a White House visit set up. a And what did you say? A I said it was in -- we had endonsed it, it was in the scheduling pnocess, and we were wonking to find an oppontunity. I mentioned to him -- I believe I mentioned to him that I was wonking that with Bill Taylor. a Uh-huh. Did you even hean fnom anyone that Rudy Giuliani was weighing in on whethen thene should be a meeting on not? A No, I don't think so. a But you wene awane that Rudy Giuliani had negulan communications with Pnesident Tnump, connect? A I mean, I guess I'm not sunpnised, but I don't think I have any finsthand knowledge of that. a And you said eanlien that every time -- and that you also undenstood that Ambassadon Sondland had regulan communications with Pnesident Tnump. A Centainly, Ambassadon Sondland nelated to me that he did. a Right. And eveny time that you checked to confinm whether his nepnesentations of those convensations was accunate -- A And that's -- UNCLASS I FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 15 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 256 UNCLASS I FIED a -- they wene, in fact, accunate. A Sonry. Yes. Eveny time he told me he had a convensation whene I was able to search to see could I confinm that a call happened, yes, I was able to confinm a call happened. I was not able to confirm that Ambassadon Sondtand's repnesentations about the substance of the call were accurate. a No, I undenstand that. I just meant thene was no time when you did, you know, your backgnound nesearch to confinm whether on not his nepnesentation about the fact of a call was wnong. A Cornect. a And you also said, by the way, on that luly 25th call, when you sought to confirm whethen he did speak with Pnesident Trump, that a staffen also told you that he did? A Yes. a Who was the staffer? A I believe it was . I an assistant to the Pnesident fon scheduling, Pnesidential scheduling. a Okay. So I helps to schedule the phone calls, and so you could neach out to I to -- A WelI, ! helps to schedule the Pnesident's schedule. I doesn't necessanily schedule the Pnesident's - - all of the Pnesident's phone calls. a OkaY. Aften that August 2nd convensation with Kunt Volken, did you have any mone convensations with Kunt Volken on this topic? UNCLASS ] FIED 257 UNCLASS I F]ED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A 0n the topic of the so-caIled Burisma bucket? a 0n the topic of the non-eastern-Ukrainian issues nelated to Uknaine, non-war issues. A No, I don't believe so. a Nothing? A I don't belleve so. I think I -- a The White House visit? A -- only had one mone -- so I had one more meeting with Kurt, which I think was befone the U.N. Genenal Assemb1y. And then, if I'm not mistaken, Ambassadon Volken may have nesigned the day aften the U.N. Genenal Assembly meeting. I nememben Ambassadon Volker sevenaL times poking me to try to get himself a seat in the bi-Iat, in the POTUS-ZeIensky bi-lat, and I did not suppont him getting a seat. a Did you have any discussions with him about the luly 25th call at any point, including in the UNGA? A I don't know if I had a convensation -- I don't believe I had a convensation with him at UNGA about the caIl. I believe I had a convensation with him eithen immediately befone on immediately after the call, back to July 25th, about the caIl. a What do you nememben about that? A Yeah. So I'm just looking again at what I pninted out on my calendan. I had a convensation with him on Monday, July 22nd. And I think it was -- it was an unclassified call. So I think it was only Ambassadon VoIken checking in, "Hey, is thene going to be a call? What can you tell me about ane we going to be able to land a calL?" 10 11 72 13 L4 15 1"6 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 1L L2 13 t4 15 15 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 2s8 UNCLASS ] FIED a Okay. And that was the only other time. Did you -- oh, sonny. Anound the UNGA peniod, did you talk to him about the whistleblowen complaint at all? A So, no. I mean, I just want to fname -- Kunt showed up fon the bi-Iat at UNGA kind of by sunpnise. I was sont of -- I didn't undenstand why he was thene since we didn't get him a seat. He had no seat in the meeting. And so I was chiefly surpnised when he showed up that he was even thene. a And you didn't talk to him? A No. He was pnetty Pissed off at me. a Okay. What about Secnetany Penny? Did you have any convensations with Secnetany Penny about Uknaine? A Yes. a When? How many? A Thnee, three at the most. a And do you necaIl approximately when they were? A So one of them was befone the Wansaw bi-Iat. a Which he attended, night? A He did attend the Wansaw bi-Iat. So I talked to him befone the Wansaw bi-lat about an unrelated matten. I talked to him at the Warsaw bi-lat about the bi-1at and an unrelated matten. And I talked to him -- I mean, I talked to him at a couple PCs, fnankly, I guess, now that I'm thinking about it. But, neally, Uknaine was a nelated issue to othen policy mattens UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 15 t7 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 259 UNCLASS I EIED that we wene wonking on. Fon example, I think I -- so, fon example, Nordstneam 2. The impact of that pipeline affects Uknaine's a Uh-huh. A -- economy and enengy secunity. a We1I, 1et me ask you this way: Did you ever speak with Secnetany Penny about this altennative process that you've been talking about today? A No. a Did you even speak to him about Rudy Giuliani's involvement in Ukraine? A No. a Did you even speak to him about Ambassadon Sondland and his involvement in Uknaine mattens? A Yes. a When did you speak to him about that? A In the nun-up to the bi-Iat, because Secnetany Perny was signing a tnilatenal memorandum of undenstanding on enengy secunity between the United States, Poland, and Uknaine, and Ambassadon Sondland claimed some cnedit fon helping to negotiate that document. a And that was the topic of youn discussion with Secnetany Pe nny ? A About Ambassadon Sondland? a Yeah. A Yes. a Wene you awane that thene's a nickname fon Ambassadon UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L 72 L3 14 15 15 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 260 UNCLASS I FIED Sondland, Volken, and Penry? A I am now. a What is it? A It's been neported, and I have no finsthand knowledge, that it's the thnee amigos. a Did you even hean any of the thnee of them call themselves that ? A I don't believe so. a So you neven discussed with Secnetany Perny any of these Bunisma bucket of investigations? A I did not. a What about U1nich Bnechbuhl? Did you even discuss Uknaine with Mn. Bnechbuhl? A No. a What about Geonge Kent? Did you have any occasion to speak with him? I undenstand he's sont of a leveI below you. A He would've been on vanious secure video teleconfenence appointments. I think he would've come to one on mone of the Uknaine PCCs that we wene nunning. a Uh-huh. Did you even have any convensations with him whene he expnessed concenns about the Sondtand-Giuliani bucket of issues? A I necall a PCC whene he expnessed concern about Ambassadon Sondland's role in Ukraine at all, but not any of the investigation/Bunisma bucket issues. a Was that a private convensation between the two of you? UNCLASS I FIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 261 UNCLASS I FIED A No. It might've been duning the PCC itself. a Duning the PCC, he announced to the whole room that he was concenned about Ambassadon Sondland's nole? A I think the way he fnamed it is just in tenms of, we wene doing a status check. State, what have youn engagements been with Ukraine lately? Again, part of the object of the PCC is to make sune evenybody knows what evenybody is doing. And I believe the way he fnamed it was, "We undenstand Ambassadon Sondland has been to Uknaine Iate1y, but we don't know why." a Okay. And the last thing befone we take a moment to talk to youn lawyer, you've descnibed a little bit about genenal complaints that Pnesident Tnump had about Eunope not pnoviding enough secunity assistance to Uknaine. A Yes. a Ane you aware that Eunope pnovides a lot of economic assistance to Uknaine? A Roughly 15 billion eunos, yes. a Right. That's quite a significant amount of assistance to Uknaine, connect? A Not secunity assistance. a Right. So youn understanding is that Pnesident Tnump undenstood the nuance between secunity assistance money and economic assistance ? A I know Pnesident Tnump was concenned that the United States UNCLASS I FIED 262 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L t2 13 74 15 16 t7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS IFIED was essentially the only supponten of secunity-secton assistance to Uknaine. a In any of youn matenials that you pnoduced as pant of this pnocess to, as you descnibed it, to convince Pnesident Tnump to nelease the aid, did you even authonize or include the fact that Eunope pnovided 15 biltion euros of economic assistance? IDiscussion off the necord.] MR. MORRISON: We made sune the Pnesident's bniefing matenials wene complete and accunate. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a So is that a "yes"? A tnle made sune the Pnesident's bnief ing matenials wene complete and accunate. I don't want to get into what was and was not in the Pnesident's briefing matenials. MR. GOLDMAN: Maybe now is a good time to discuss this. THE CHAIRMAN: I just have one question, and then why don't we huddle and see if we can nesolve some pnivilege issues. And we'11 stop the clock, and then we'I1 go back on the clock and then see if the minority has followup questions as well. The last question I have is: Did Ambassadon Sondland have an aide on an assistant who wonked with him on what we'ne descnibing as the innegulan channel issues? Someone that, to your knowledge, tnaveled with him or that you could neach out to if you needed to contact him? MR. MORRISON: No. It was always Gondon himself. THE CHAIRMAN: Do you know who his staff was? UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 263 UNCLASS IEIED MR. M0RRISON: I engaged with the U.S. EU Mission staff on various topics fnom time to time. THE CHAIRMAN: And those staff, would they have been in Eunope? MR. MORRISON: He may fnom time to time have had an aide travel with him. It's not uncommon for an Ambassadon to have somebody help them, you know, with baggage calls and things }ike that. But I don't neca11 -- I mean, wheneven we wene in this -- most of my engagements with Gondon wene one-on-one, phone calls and such. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Why don't we recess fon discussions, and we'11 tny to make them quick, as we would like to get you out at a reasonable houn. MR. MORRISON: Thank you, Chainman. IRecess. ] THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Let's go back on the recond. And we can continue the clock fnom hene. And I'm handing it oven to Mr. Go1dman. MR. GOLDMAN: Thank you, Mn. Chainman. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Mn. Monrison, I'm going to go back to the cincumstances sunnounding the fneeze on the secunity-secton assistance. And you said that, after the Deputies Committee meeting on JuLy 26, you had a conversation with Ambassadon Bolton about holding a Pnincipals Committee meeting on the topic and that Ambassador Bo1ton decided not to punsue a Pnincipals Committee meeting on that topic. Is that accurate ? UNCLASS IFIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 1.4 15 15 17 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 264 UNCLASS I EIED A Conrect. a What was the neason that Ambassadon Bolton gave you fon not holding the Principals Committee meeting? A He believed that it was unnecessany, that he already had a neasonable idea of whene the pnincipals wene, and he wanted to get dinectly to the Pnesident as eanly as possible in the most effective way. a And whene did he undenstand that the pnincipals wene? A That they wene all suppontive of the continued disbunsement of the aid. a And, in fact, that was pnetty much the unanimous position of the entire intenagency, night? A It was the unanimous position of the entine intenagency. a Uh-huh. And is it fain to say that, by the end of JuIy, the intenagency genenally believed that Zelensky had been, to that point, true to his commitment fon nefonm? A What I would say is, the intenagency believed it was impontant to give Zelensky a chance. He had not yet nealIy been able to demonstnate that he would deliven, just because of when the Rada would be seated, which didn't happen until the end of August. a When did he implement the high count fon connuption pnosecution ? A f don't have that date in mind. a But it was befone the Rada A That sounds night to me. UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 265 UNCLASSIFIED a And that was a fainly significant anticonnuption move that none of the pnevious Pnesidents had done. Is that night? A Connect. a And so why did Ambassador Bolton want -- Sor sonny. Did you say that Ambassadon Bolton wanted to tny to get the Pnesident one-on-one to discuss this issue? A No. a What was it that he wanted to do nathen than -- A He wanted to get the pnincipals themselves in with the Pnesident to convey thein suppont dinectly. a I see. And what effonts did he take to convene that meeting? A We1l, that was the impetus behind dnafting the PDM, having it neady fon him to take with him to Bedminsten on 1.6 August, so that if thene was an oppontunity to naise it with the Pnesident, he would be pnepaned to have that instrument fon the Pnesident to sign and memonialize the nelease of the aid. a Got it. And did they have time in the meeting to pnesent it to the Pnesident? A They did not. a You said that, pnion to that meeting, you leanned that the pnincipals gathened and did discuss Uknaine. Was that in Bedminsten as well? A That's my undenstanding. a What did you leann about that discussion? A I leanned that they all nepresented to Ambassadon Bolton that UNCLASS IF]ED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 LL t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 266 UNCLASS IF]ED they wene prepared to teIl the Pnesident they endorsed the swift nelease and disbunsement of the funding. a Okay. And, by this time, by August 16th -- withdnawn. Did Ambassadon Bolton even tny to pnovide the PDM to the Pnesident aften the August 16th meeting? A Not to my knowledge. a Why not? A WeII, it was August 16th. We wene expecting the Pnesident to meet with Pnesident Zelensky on 1 Septemben. It's the middle of August; it's about 2 weeks. I believe Ambassadon Bo1ton did not think, although I necall trying to figure out if we could, get the key pnincipals togethen with the President to get the decision made. We quickly detenmined they wene a1I oven the place and some of them wene on vacation. So the next oppontunity nealIy would be Wansaw. a And did that oppontunity anise in Wansaw? A No. a Because the Pnesident didn't go? A Cornect. a And you also testified eanlien that Ambassadon Bolton did have a one-on-one meeting with the President nelated to Uknaine secunity assistance. Is that night? MS. VAN GELDER: He never -- he neven -- MR. GOLDMAN: He never answened. A11 night. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Did the Pnesident have a meeting with Ambassadon Bolton, a UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LT t2 13 t4 15 1.6 t7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 267 UNCLASS I EIED one-on-one meeting, nelated to Uknaine secunity assistance? A Yes. a When was that meeting? A I don't necall exactly. a Befone Wansaw? A No, I don't think so. a After Wansaw? A WelL, so excuse me. It was befone Wansaw. I hesitated because I believe it was -- I believe it was also befone Bedminsten. a 0h, it was before Bedminsten. A Yes. a Okay. And can you descnibe fon us whethen there was a change of counse in youn duties that flowed fnom that meeting? Wene thene any instnuctions fon you that flowed fnom that meeting? A I was told to continue to }ook fon oppontunities to get the principals togethen to have the direct, in-penson convensation with the Pnesident about this topic. a Did you understand, at that point, that the Pnesident was open to neleasing the secunity assistance, based on what you undenstood occunned at that meeting? A Ambassadon Bolton's one-on-one meeting with the Pnesident a Yes. A sometime pnion to Bedminsten? a Right. UNCLASS ] FIED t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 T2 13 L4 15 16 17 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 268 UNCLASS I FIED IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: The Pnesident was not yet ready to appnove the nelease of the assistance. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a And did you undenstand what the neason that he had was? Did you have an undenstanding of that? A I only -- a Fnom Ambassadon Bo1ton? A The extent of my necollection is that Ambassadon Bolton simply said he wasn't neady to do it. A Did you have any discussions with Ambassadon Bolton about any concenns that he had about the altennative pnocess that you've been descnibing hene today? A So thene was the genenal concenn Ambassadon Bolton had about Ambassadon Sondland -- genenal, not specific to Ukraine. And thene was the specific concenn we both shaned about what we understood Ambassadon Sondland chiefly to be doing, about which my consistent dinection fnom Ambassadon Bolton was, "Do not get involved, and make sune the lawyens ane tnacking. " a Do you necall the finst time that you spoke to Ambassador Bolton about that specific issue related to Uknaine? A I believe it would've been anound the 7 August -- was it 7 August? -- 7 August phone cal1. a With Ambassadon Taylon? A Ambassadon Sondland. When did I -- I had an early -- what UNCLASS IF]ED 269 UNCLASS ] EIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 was the convensation I had with Ambassadon Sondland? IDiscussion off the necond.] MR. MORRISON: So thene was the genenal admonition fnom Ambassadon Bolton when I finst took oven and I told him about my finst non-Uknaine convensation with Ambassadon Sondland, whene he said, just essentially, ignone him, don't talk to him. And thene was -- on Uknaine, the finst convensation I would've had with Ambassadon Bo1ton about what Ambassadon Sondland was doing would've been on -- it was the Septemben 1 call. And then, again, I went over to his office aften the Septemben 7th call. So that's what I'm tnying to keep stnaight in my head. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a So, even after you had the convensation with Kunt Volker in youn office on August 2nd, you didn't speak to Ambassador Bolton about the topic of Ambassadon Sondland and his effonts fon a month? A Not -- yeah, not yet. a Did you have any convensations with Ambassadon Bolton about his concerns about Rudy Giuliani on any concenns about Rudy Giuliani? A No. a Did the names Igon Fnuman and Lev Pannas even come acnoss youn desk? A Not across mine, no. a Did John Eisenbeng relay any concenns to you about this sont of altennative pnocess that we've been discussing here today? 0n let me put it this way: Did John Eisenbeng even nelay to you any concenns 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 L9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7L t2 13 L4 15 16 77 18 19 20 27 22 23 24 25 270 UNCLASS I FIED about this pnessune for these investigations? A No. a Any concerns about -- did you discuss with him any concenns about Ambassadon Sondland and his efforts? A Yes. Centainly aften the 1 September phone call. Centainly aften the 7 Septemben phone call. a Uh-huh. And what concenns did he naise, did he expness to you ? A I don't knowthat he -- I don't knowthat he nelayed concenns to me. I think it was mone of a one-way bniefing, one-way convensation. a He took it in? A Yes. a Did he take notes? A I don't necall. Sometimes I can necall him taking notes on conversations we had; sometimes not. I think he was kind of Iike me, in the case that he typically took notes when thene was an actlon he needed to take. a you said eanlier that he indicated that the tnansfen of the MEMCON to the highly classified system was a mistake. Do you know if it was taken off of that system aften that discussion that you had with him? A As of the third week of Septemben, it was not -- it had not been taken off. a Do you know whY? A No. UNCLASS I F]ED 27L UNCLASS I EIED 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 a Did you suggest that it be put back on the nonmal system with restnicted access? A I don't know that I affirmatively suggested it. I think I assumed that it would be moved down when we discovened that it was put thene by mistake. a Ane you not able to nestnict access, younself, on the nonmal pontal ? A No. That's a function of the Executive Secnetary. They contnol those penmissions. a But would you be able to dinect the Executive Secnetany to nestrict access? A Yes. a So why didn't you just do that? A I think I was looking fon, sont of, a second opinion that I was not ovenneacting. a In what way would you be overneacting? A I guess I don't want to speculate. I just -- I thought it appnopnlate to make sune they agneed with me that this was the kind of thing that menited a mone restnicted access. a And I think my last question. I don't know if -- Chainman Schiff may have a couple mone. But do you know, duning youn tenune at the NSC, whethen the National Secunity Council even pnovided any infonmation on matenial related to this Bunisma bucket of investigations to the Pnesident? A I am not awane of any NSC matenial being pnovided to the 10 11 t2 13 t4 15 16 77 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 UNCLASS I FIED 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t7 72 13 l4 15 16 77 L8 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 272 UNCLASS I FIED Pnesident on this topic. MS. VAN GELDER: "0n this topic," you mean? MR. MORRISON: The Bunisma bucket. BY MR. GOLDMAN: a Sonny. Did you say non-NSC matenial, on did you say NSC matenial ? A If I did, I misspoke. I am not aware of any NSC matenial being pnovided to the Pnesident on this topic. a And ane you aware of any othen matenial that has even been provided to the Pnesident on this topic? A No. We1I, with the potential exception of -- I'm not necessanily awane, but one could speculate about what Ambassadon Sondland was pnoviding the Pnesident. I mean, he pne-briefed him fon this July 25th call. a Right. On Rudy Giuliani, fon example. A So I don't have any -- I don't have any knowledge of any Giuliani-POTUS engagements. I said eanlien I could speculate that they did, because he's the Pnesident's pensonal attonney, but MR. GOLDMAN: Right. OkaY. THE CHAIRMAN: I just have a couple questions. In the one-on-one meeting between Mn. Bolton and the Pnesident, did the topic of the Bunisma bucket of issues come up? MR. MORRISON: Not that Ambassadon Bolton discussed with me. THE CHAIRMAN: And in the Bedminsten principals meeting, do you know whethen anyone in that meeting brought up what you've descnibed UNCLASS I EIED L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L2 13 L4 15 16 273 UNCLASS I F]ED as the Bunisma bucket of issues? MR. MORRISON: Mn Chainman, not that I was even informed. THE CHAIRMAN: Okay. Any othen questions fnom Membens? Any questions fnom the minority? MR. CASTOR: We'ne good. Thank you, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: WeII, we are nemankably on time, which, I have to soy, I'm shocked. WeII, 10 minutes late, but by congnessional time, we'ne at least an houn eanIy. Mn. Monrison, thank you fon youn testimony today. MR. MORRISON: Thank you, sin. THE CHAIRMAN: And you ane excused. And I know we have some othen business, I think, that Mn. londan wanted to naise, but thank you fon youn testimony, and happy Halloween. MR. MORRISON: Thank you, Chainman. [Wheneupon, at 4:Q9 p.m., the deposition was concluded.] UNCLASS I FIED