WASHINGTON _ Gordon Sondland, U.S. ambassador to the European Union, told House investigators in a revised supplemental statement on Monday that he had told Ukrainian officials that they likely wouldn't receive nearly $400 million in aid unless they publicly committed to conducting investigations that President Donald Trump wanted, according to documents released Tuesday by the House impeachment committees.
The original 10-hour Oct. 17 deposition by Sondland, a donor to Trump, came under intense scrutiny in recent weeks as other impeachment witnesses offered testimony that seemed to conflict with what Sondland said under oath last month. Some lawmakers said it appeared Sondland committed perjury.
But in a Nov. 5, three-page declaration, Sondland revised his deposition, saying the other witnesses had refreshed his memory.
Now Sondland's version appears more in line with other witnesses who have said there was a quid pro quo.
Sondland acknowledged in his supplemental testimony that "it was my understanding" that a White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as well as the release of the military aid was contingent on Ukraine's agreeing to investigate unfounded allegations about that country interfering in the 2016 U.S. election and opening an inquiry into a company that employed the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, one of Trump's potential 2020 rivals. He also recalled saying that demands from Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyer, "kept getting more insidious."
House Democrats on Tuesday also released transcripts of the full-day hearings of Sondland and Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO.
The release comes as two White House officials _ Wells Griffith, senior director for international energy and environment at the National Security Council, and Michael Duffey, Office of Management and Budget associate director for national security programs _ failed to appear for scheduled depositions Tuesday.
The investigating committees' chairmen also requested a deposition with acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Friday, saying in a statement, "we believe that you possess substantial first-hand knowledge and information relevant to the House's impeachment inquiry." Mulvaney has already ignored a subpoena requesting documents.
Democrats' impeachment inquiry focuses on Trump's request that Zelenskiy investigate Biden, which came as the White House was holding up nearly $400 million in U.S. aid.
Previously disclosed text messages show Volker, Sondland and diplomat Bill Taylor navigating the interests of Trump and Giuliani outside the normal State Department processes, including discussing offering the Ukrainian leader a White House visit in exchange for Zelenskiy giving a public statement committing to investigate baseless allegations that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and into Burisma, a gas company that employed Hunter Biden, the former vice president's son.
Since Sondland's Oct. 17 testimony, some Democrats on the investigating committees have said his statements directly conflicted with what they have been told by multiple other witnesses. Intelligence Committee member Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, tweeted that, "Based on all the testimony so far, I believe that Ambassador Gordon Sondland committed perjury."
Volker abruptly resigned a week before his Oct. 3 testimony, and was the first person to testify behind closed doors.
Transcripts were also released Monday as Democrats move toward the public phase of their impeachment inquiry, with public hearings conducted by the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees likely in the coming weeks.
