Rep. Jim Jordan tore into Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland over his decision to not detail President Trump’s explicit no “quid pro quo” demand in a 23-page opening statement during Wednesday’s impeachment hearing.
The Ohio Republican suggested Mr. Sondland didn’t understand that a “quid pro quo” means “this for that” after the ambassador told lawmakers there was a quid pro quo between a White House meeting with Mr. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in return for public announcements of corruption investigations into the 2016 election interference and a Ukrainian energy company linked to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s son Hunter.
“You said to the president of the United States, ’What do you want from Ukraine?’ The president: ’I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. I want Zelensky to do the right thing,’ ” Mr. Jordan said.
“You can’t find time to put that in a 23-page opening statement?” he quizzed.
Mr. Sondland told the committee that leaving it out of his statement was not done on purpose.
Mr. Jordan used his time to question the witness to underscore the fact that no quid pro quo actually occurred.
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“When did it happen?” Mr. Jordan asked.
“When did what happen?” Mr. Sondland responded.
“The announcement? When did President Zelensky announce the investigation was going to happen?” Mr. Jordan said.
“Never did,” Mr. Sondland said.
“They get the meeting, they get the money, it’s not two plus two — it’s zero for three. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Mr. Jordan said.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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