Impeachment inquiry hearing with former US Ambassador to Ukraine

By Veronica Rocha and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 3:33 p.m. ET, November 27, 2019
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12:34 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Speaker Pelosi: I haven't been paying attention to the President

From CNN's Haley Byrd

J. Scott Applewhite/AP
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters she hadn’t seen President Trump’s tweet and wouldn’t weigh in on whether it could be included in articles of impeachment, although she did say that witness intimidation is a crime.

"I'm trying to keep government open, pass a trade bill, get our prescription drug bill done, and we had so much else going on,” she said. "I'm so proud of the dignity and the grace of the ambassador and her patriotism. I haven't really paid a lot of attention to the President."

Asked if the tweet was appropriate, Pelosi chuckled: “Appropriate and President in the same sentence? Come on. Why would we start making that judgment now?"

 "I just haven't seen it, the tweet, but witness intimidation is a crime,” she said. "Anyway, I am so consumed in so many other things right now.”

A reporter tried to show her the tweet on his phone as she walked to her office, but she declined. “I’m sure I’ll see it,” she said.

12:34 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Republican congressman takes dig at Yovanovitch, congratulating her performance

Pool
Pool

Rep. Devin Nunes, the ranking member in the House Intelligence Committee, took a dig at ex-ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch before launching into a line of questioning.

The California Republican slammed Yovanovitch by congratulating her for her performance.

"Ambassador, I want to congratulate you — you've been down in the secret deposition meeting rooms, you graduated and for your performance today," he said.

He then continued to criticize the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry, noting that they "will be back down in the basement of the Capitol, doing more of these secret depositions."

Watch more:

12:33 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Republicans ignored impeachment inquiry rules

Rep. Stefanik
Rep. Stefanik Pool

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes attempted to yield his questioning time to Rep. Elise Stefanik — the only female GOP member on the committee — but the move was against the impeachment inquiry rules.

Chair Adam Schiff did not allow Stefanik to ask questions.

Here's what this is all about: During the first round of questioning, only Schiff, Nunes or their House lawyers are allowed to ask questions.

After this 90-minute round is finished, each member will get five minutes to ask questions.

The Republican's lawyer, Steve Castor, is now asking questions.

Watch the moment:

12:21 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

The hearing has resumed

The committee just came back from a break. The Republicans' attorney, Steve Castor, will now question Yovanovitch for 45 minutes.

12:20 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Pompeo jokingly tells former Secretary of State he is fulfilling "quid pro quo"

From CNN's Jamie Crawford and Jennifer Hansler

KPRC
KPRC

On the same day the former US Ambassador to Ukraine delivered testimony in Washington in the ongoing impeachment inquiry, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made light of the ongoing proceedings during a speech at Rice University.

Pompeo jokingly told former Secretary of State James Baker that Pompeo was “upholding my end of the quid pro quo,” in delivering remarks at the institute that bears Baker’s name at Rice University.

Pompeo said Baker was one of the first calls he made to solicit advice on the position after President Trump nominated him to the position in 2018.

Baker, according to Pompeo, said, "Here's the deal: You have got to come to the Baker Institute." 

Pompeo was delivering remarks on U.S. foreign policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, in Houston.

12:09 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Trump's slashing attack at another unflappable woman

From CNN's Maeve Reston

Alex Brandon/AP
Alex Brandon/AP

President Trump, apparently piqued by the power of former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch's testimony as he watched from the White House, tweeted his objections to “the woman” as he referred to her in his July call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Seeming to blame her for a civil war in Somalia that began before she arrived at her hardship post there, Trump tweeted “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go?” and went on to demean her service as his ambassador in Ukraine.

It was a breathtaking moment, a reminder that this President seems incapable of restraining his urges to lash out at women who he perceives as potentially powerful critics. Particularly women as unflappable as Yovanovitch, who delivered her recitation of the facts in a firm, but sometimes soft voice—that made her all the more compelling as a witness.

In this formal impeachment proceeding, Trump’s tweets have new import beyond their slashing person effect.  

12:05 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Close Trump ally: Tweet wasn't witness intimidation

From CNN's Phil Mattingly and Manu Raju

Rep. Zeldin in May 2018.
Rep. Zeldin in May 2018. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican who has been one of the House GOP’s point men on defending President Trump during the impeachment inquiry, said the President's tweets criticizing Marie Yovanovitch during her testimony did not constitute witness intimidation.

“No, I think it's about the President wanting to ensure that the entire story is getting out there for the American public. Ambassador Yovanovitch wouldn't have even known about the tweet if not for Chairman Schiff choosing to use a partial rendition of the tweet," he said.

Zeldin called it "wrong" for Chairman Schiff to read and ask Yovanovitch to respond to part of the President's tweet. "If you're going to ask Ambassador Yovanovitch to respond to a tweet that she has not read, then allow her to read the entire tweet and then ask her a question," he said.

Asked specifically about the President's comments about Somalia, Zeldin said he simply didn’t know enough about Yovanovitch’s time in Somalia to weigh in: 

“As far as the the first sentence I just personally, I'm not familiar with the time and position, related to her service in Somalia to substantively be able to address that I just, I don't know offhand. What year she was there, what position she filled and how that went.”

11:57 a.m. ET, November 15, 2019

GOP congressman: It's not "right to be harassing or beating up on our professional diplomatic service"

From CNN's Manu Raju

Rep. Rooney in October.
Rep. Rooney in October. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images

Rep. Francis Rooney, a former ambassador and a Republican who hasn’t ruled out impeachment, disagreed with President Trump’s tweet.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s right to be harassing or bearing up on or professional diplomatic service,” he told CNN.

He said he didn’t know if it was witness intimidation but noted that Trump “has a right to” dismiss his ambassadors.

Asked about the White House blocking witnesses from coming forward, he said, “I think if you don’t have anything to hide, you ought to come testify.”

12:09 p.m. ET, November 15, 2019

Meanwhile, Trump associate Roger Stone was just found guilty on all charges

Jose Luis Magana/AP
Jose Luis Magana/AP

A jury has found Roger Stone guilty of lying to Congress and other charges in a case that has shed new light on President Trump’s anticipation of the release of stolen Democratic emails in 2016.

Stone, a political provocateur and a longtime associate of Trump, was found guilty of all seven counts brought by the Justice Department, a victory for special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

The verdict is happening as the House holds a second public hearing in the impeachment inquiry into President.

Watch more: