WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was the target of a smear campaign before being recalled by President Trump, told House investigators that Ukrainian officials warned her in advance that Rudy Giuliani and others were planning to “do things, including to me.”
The testimony from Yovanovitch was included in the first transcripts released Monday by the three committees leading the Democrats’ impeachment probe into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
The former envoy also told investigators that she was not disloyal to the president.
“I have heard the allegation in the media that I supposedly told our embassy team to ignore the President’s orders since he was going to be impeached,” she said. “That allegation is false. I have never said such a thing to my embassy colleagues or anyone eIse.”
Yovanovitch she said learned from Ukrainian officials last November or December that Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, was in touch with Ukraine’s former top prosecutor, Yuri Lutsenko, “and that they had plans, and that they were going to, you know, do things, including to me.”
Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv early as Giuliani pressed Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless corruption allegations against Democrat Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was involved with a gas company there.
The impeachment panels released testimony from Yovanovitch and Michael McKinley, a former senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Yovanovitch was pushed out of her job in May on Trump’s orders.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff says the panels are releasing the transcripts so “the American public will begin to see for themselves.”
Republicans have called for the release of the transcripts as Democrats have held the initial interviews in private.
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