WASHINGTON _ A newly released account of President Donald Trump's July conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows Trump asking the foreign leader for a "favor" and noting that the U.S. has been "very, very good" to Ukraine.
Hoping to fend off an impeachment inquiry in the Democratic-led House, the White House released on Wednesday what it called a non-verbatim transcript of a phone call showing that he not only asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, he also urged the foreign leader to look into CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that did work for the Democrats in the 2016 election.
"I would like you to do us a favor," Trump said. "I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine _ they say Crowdstrike."
The call combines congratulatory words to Zelensky for his election with appeals to the new leader to speak with U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney who was leading Trump's efforts in urging Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter.
Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Wednesday that Barr has not spoken with Trump, Giuliani or Ukrainian officials about the request for an investigation into Biden.
Trump has insisted he has done nothing wrong. But the transcript shows Trump urged a foreign government to intervene in the 2020 election against his rival, making the call only a day after special counsel Robert S. Mueller III testified in Congress about Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election.
Trump had already acknowledged that he asked Zelensky to investigate Biden, whose son Hunter had a contract with a Ukrainian gas company. Trump also acknowledged this week that he held up military aid intended for the Ukrainian government in the same period. He has denied that the delay in releasing the aid money was a form of pressure to prompt the investigation.
Democrats have said the release of the transcript does not answer all of their questions or end their inquiry, which was launched on Tuesday. They have also demanded to see a complaint filed by a government whistleblower that initiated the investigation against Trump and have begun efforts to interview the whistleblower, an unidentified member of the intelligence community, in person as soon as Thursday.
