U.S. ex-envoy to Ukraine Volker testifies of turmoil

The former special U.S. envoy to Ukraine testified Thursday of turmoil within the State Department over U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to investigate Joe Biden and his family, placing Rudy Giuliani at the center of the effort.

Kurt Volker, a central figure in the House’s impeachment inquiry, appeared for nearly 10 hours behind closed doors. He told lawmakers he was never pressured by Trump or others around the administration to have Ukraine conduct the investigation of the Democratic rival, and in fact said he had warned Ukrainians to steer clear of American politics.

Yet Volker also recalled being told that plans for a meeting between Trump and the new Ukrainian president elected in the spring were being put on ice, according to one person familiar with the private meeting who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it.

The appearance by Volker is the first in what is expected to be a series of interviews with officials inside and outside the State Department. House investigators want to understand more about the Trump team’s search for damaging information about the former vice president, who is now a Democratic presidential contender and top Trump rival.

Republicans leaving the interview with Volker claimed it helped show there was no quid pro quo when the officials asked for a probe. But Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, a member of the House intelligence panel, disputed that. He described a text from one senior department official that read, “It’s crazy if we are trying to leverage U.S. dollars in security assistance for help in a political campaign.”

Swalwell said after the meeting that Volker told them that “multiple people” in the State Department were worried there was a connection between U.S. military aid that was being withheld from Ukraine amid the administration’s push for an investigation.