X

We Must Hear From Witnesses

For no good reason, Mitch McConnell wants to keep this trial from having any witnesses. He’s thrown up all kinds of hurdles to prevent their testimony.

A fair trial must have witnesses. We need to hear from the multiple first-hand witnesses who have potentially critical information about Trump’s abuse of power, but were blocked by Trump from participating in the House inquiry:

JOHN BOLTON:
Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton said he is willing to testify before the Senate, but Republicans refuse to let him.

MICK MULVANEY:
At Trump’s direction, his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney directly coordinated the plot to withhold Ukraine’s security assistance and White House meeting until Ukraine announced an investigation into Trump’s political opponent.

  • Mulvaney, acting on Trump’s orders, directed OMB to put a hold on military aid to Ukraine.
  • Mulvaney tapped “the three amigos” to oversee Ukraine policy, sidelining experienced NSC and State Department officials.
  • Mulvaney directly coordinated the quid pro quo, according to Gordon Sondland.
  • Mulvaney admitted at a White House press conference that Trump withheld aid until Ukraine agreed to the investigation he wanted.
  • Sondland told Ukraine that he had an agreement with Mulvaney to trade a White House meeting for investigations into Trump’s political opponents.

MICHAEL DUFFEY:
Michael Duffey is a key witness to Trump’s abuse of power, and he must testify before the Senate. Duffey, a political appointee at OMB, has intricate knowledge of the military aid freeze that Trump demanded.

  • Duffey, a political appointee at OMB, was put in charge of the portfolio that included Ukraine’s military aid after career budget officials questioned the legality of withholding the funds.
  • Duffey proposed the unusual mechanism that the OMB eventually used to get around legal requirements so that it could freeze the military aid.
  • Duffey told the Pentagon not to allocate Ukraine’s military aid just 90 minutes after Trump’s call with Ukraine’s president.
  • Duffey has not cooperated with the impeachment process. He defied a subpoena to testify, and the White House withheld 40 pages of his emails.
ROBERT BLAIR:
Robert Blair was a top aide to Trump’s acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who coordinated Trump’s pressure campaign against Ukraine. Blair followed Trump’s directive not to comply with the impeachment investigation and has refused to testify, but we need to hear from him.
  • Mulvaney emailed Blair in June 2019 asking him to check whether the White House could put a hold on military aid to Ukraine.
  • Blair listened in on Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine’s president.
  • Twenty of Blair’s emails about the military aid freeze have been withheld by the White House, even though they were responsive to a FOIA request.
  • Blair directed OMB to freeze Ukraine’s military aid.
Data and Research Manager: