Both Volker and Sondland transcripts have been released – finally – by the Schiff Show and are available for you to read.
First, here’s how Mark Meadows responds to the release:
The Volker/Sondland transcripts lay it out: @realDonaldTrump wanted to clean up corruption in Ukraine, and ensure taxpayer funded aid wasn’t going to corrupt causes.
Only D.C. Democrats could spin protecting taxpayer money into an impeachable offense. Blatant partisanship.
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 5, 2019
The Volker Transcript…
DC EXAMINER – The Democratic-led House Intelligence Committee released excerpts from the transcript of former U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker’s closed-door Oct. 3 testimony amid complaints from President Trump and Republicans about the secretive nature of the impeachment investigation. The full testimony is expected to be released later Tuesday.
In his testimony, Volker distanced himself from the controversial July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In that call, Trump asked for a “favor” from Ukraine related to a conspiracy theory about CrowdStrike, urged Zelensky to look into any Ukrainian involvement in the 2016 election, and suggested the Ukrainians investigate allegations of corruption related to the Bidens.
Volker testified he didn’t listen in on the July 25 phone call, and he was unaware of Biden being mentioned until the transcript was released. Volker was one of the so-called “three amigos” — along with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and Energy Secretary Rick Perry — who helped manage Trump’s Ukraine policy. Volker resigned from his position in late September.
In the wake of Volker’s testimony last month, Republicans pointed to his claim there was no quid pro quo related to withholding military aid to Ukraine, while Democrats pointed to Volker’s assertion that Biden’s actions in Ukraine weren’t improperly influenced by his son’s business dealings.
Here’s a link to Volker’s 360 page transcript.
The Sonland Transcript…
DC EXAMINER – Sondland, a Portland, Oregon-based hotel magnate and major contributor to Republicans and the Trump 2017 inaugural, testified that he was unaware of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to pressure to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden, although Giuliani’s public advocacy of a Ukrainian investigation into the Bidens had been widely reported before May 23, the date of a White House meeting with Sondland, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and former U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker. In that meeting, Trump directed the officials to work with Giuliani on Ukraine. Some witnesses have described Sondland, Volker, and Perry as the “three amigos” who helped manage Trump’s Ukraine policy, outside of normal State Department diplomatic channels.
Sonland had said there was no quid pro quo…that is until today. He’s filed an amendment to his testimony to say he remembers a quid pro quo now:
Below is the 3-page addendum Sondland filed yesterday after the testimonies of Amb. Taylor and Tim Morrison, Sondland said, “refreshed my recollection.” pic.twitter.com/uArDMaA5u0
— Olivia Gazis (@Olivia_Gazis) November 5, 2019
Core of it on pg 2: "I now recall speaking individually with Mr. Yermak, where I said that resumption of U.S. aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks… 1/2
— Olivia Gazis (@Olivia_Gazis) November 5, 2019
"… I came to understand that, in fact, the public statement would need to come directly from President Zelensky himself." 2/2
— Olivia Gazis (@Olivia_Gazis) November 5, 2019
Here’s a link to Sonland’s original 379 page testimony.
Enjoy reading!