Rep. Adam B. Schiff’s first question during Wednesday’s public hearing in the House Democrats’ impeachment probe against President Trump established that investigating the Bidens and corruption was more of a priority to Mr. Trump than Ukraine.
The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, holding the public impeachment hearings, quizzed William Taylor, the top diplomat to Ukraine, about a phone call one of his staff members heard involving Mr. Trump and his request to have Ukrainian officials investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter Biden’s involvement with a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, that was under scrutiny for corruption.
“After the call when your staff asked Ambassador Gordon Sondland what the president thought of Ukraine, his response was the president cares more about the investigations of Biden?” Mr. Schiff asked.
“And Burisma, yes sir,” Mr. Taylor responded.
“The import of that is he cares more about that than he does about Ukraine?” Mr. Schiff asked.
“Yes sir,” Mr. Taylor said.
The California Democrat wanted to highlight the new information Mr. Taylor shared with the committee in his opening statement at Wednesday’s hearing when he revealed that one of his staffers overheard a conversation between the ambassador to the European Union, Mr. Sondland, and Mr. Trump about the investigations he wanted.
Mr. Taylor said he learned of this interaction only last Friday, though it took place just a day after the July 25th phone call between Mr. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The crux of the impeachment inquiry centers on allegations that Mr. Trump pressured the Ukrainian president via a quid pro quo to open investigations into alleged 2016 election interference and the former vice president’s connection to Burisma corruption.
“Ambassador Sondland told President Trump that the Ukrainians were ready to move forward,” Mr. Taylor said.
His staffer pressed Mr. Sondland about the president’s position on Ukraine and was told, “that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for,” referencing Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney.
Mr. Taylor testified that Mr. Sondland told him in early September that both military aid and a White House meeting was contingent on the investigations.
Mr. Sondland, slated to testify next week, revised his testimony and said he was the one who informed the Ukrainians that aid would be delayed until the investigations were agreed to.
He admitted that he made that assumption after hearing the president’s personal lawyer, Mr. Giuliani, press for specific commitments to investigate Burisma, where Hunter Biden worked, and 2016 election interference.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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