Updates on Trump’s Impeachment Hearing on Wednesday
Reuters

Special Assistant Secretary of Defense for Ukraine and Russia Laura Cooper had released a statement on Wednesday regarding the impeachment hearing, stating that her personnel had acquired an inquiry from the embassy of Ukraine. The Embassy had asked her about the position of the funds on July 25. That was the same day that US President Donald Trump had a phone call conversation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

Secretary Cooper and Undersecretary David Hale had appeared in front of the House of Intelligence Committee on the evening of Wednesday as a part of the impeachment hearing initiated by the Democrats.

On Wednesday, Gordon Sondland, the most important witness who stated in his testimony the presence of a "quid pro quo" in the Ukraine issue.

During the questioning to Gordon Sondland--the ambassador of the United States of America to the European Union--was asked about his memory of any allegations that President Donald Trump had pursued to gain an advantage in return for military aid to the country of Ukraine. Also, he was asked about the visit of the president of Ukraine to the White House in exchange for an inquiry of the previous vice president of the United States of America, Joe Biden and son, Hunter Biden.

Secretary Cooper had included in her sworn statement for the hearing that the officials of Ukraine already had knowledge of the issue involving the assistance of the United States of America to the country of Ukraine on or before July 25th of this year. This statement had weakened the counter-statement of the Republicans to the accusations of a "quid pro quo" which creates a connection on the assistance provided to Ukraine to an inquiry to President Donald Trump's rivals in politics. The Republicans, however, stressed that there was no bribery involved if the Ukrainians did not have any knowledge of the assistance provided by the US.

According to Donald Trump, his Ukraine call was "perfect" but the witnesses present in the hearing did not agree.

From the opening to the ending statement of Gordon Sondland, he had testified that he had been coordinating at work with the personal attorney of President Donald Trump, Atty. Rudy Giuliani, regarding the issues with the current US President's controversy with the Ukrainian President.

Gordon Sondland had told from memory his previous conversation with the current US President regarding Ukraine's two investigations into the corrupt Burisma company--a company where the son of Former Vice President Joe Biden was involved as a sitting board member--and the controversy regarding Ukraine's suspected meddling in the 2016 United States election.

According to the Republicans, Giuliani may have been operating a shadow foreign program without prior knowledge of the senior officials at the White House and State Department. Sondland repeatedly refused the truthfulness of the accusations made by the Republicans. According to Sondland, "everyone" knows of it.

Some of the names that were mentioned in the hearing were Mike Pence (the Vice President of the US), Mike Pompeo (the Secretary of State), and Mick Mulvaney (the acting chief of staff in the White House and also involved with directing the Office of Management and Budget).