Four key impeachment witnesses testify

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman said Hunter Biden didn't appear to be qualified for a high-paying board seat on a prominent Ukrainian energy company named Burisma — but he added, "I don't know his qualifications."

The Republicans' lawyer, Steve Castor, asked, "Are you aware of any specific experience Hunter Biden has in the Ukrainian corporate government world?"

Then Castor alluded to the closed-door testimony Vindman perviously gave.

"We talked a little bit about, at your deposition, about whether Mr. Biden was qualified to serve on this board. And, you know, I believe you acknowledged that apparently he was not, in fact, qualified," he said.

"As far as I can tell, he didn't seem to be, but like I said, I don't know his qualifications," Vindman said.

What this is all about: From the start of the inquiry, Republicans have pointed out that Hunter Biden did not have any experience in corporate governance or in the energy sector before taking the job at Burisma.

Hunter Biden previously said that it showed “poor judgment” to take the job while his dad led US policy toward Ukraine, but he denied that there were any conflicts of interest.

Watch:

Rep. Devin Nunes questioning of Lt. Col. Vindman — some of the tensest of any public hearing so far — illustrated Republicans’ goal of ferreting out how this impeachment process began in the first place.

His suggestion that Vindman brought concerns about President Trump’s phone call to the whistleblower was the closest anyone has gotten to probing the origins of the inquiry, which Republicans claim was politically motivated.

It prompted fraught moments — including when Vindman corrected Nunes after he addressed him as “mister.”

“It’s Lieutenant Colonel,” he said calmly. 

It’s been a delicate balance for Republicans, many of whom are loathe to be the ones responsible for revealing the whistleblower’s name. Even President Trump, who has encouraged the media and GOP allies to reveal the person’s name, has stopped short of doing it himself.

(It’s not clear any of them knows with 100% certainty who the whistleblower is).

Rep. Adam Schiff was clear that Nunes questioning was coming too close to asking Vindman to name the whistleblower, a person whose identity Vindman says he doesn’t know.

He shut the questioning down, but not before Vindman revealed he discussed the call with someone from the intelligence community.

Vindman’s lawyer also interjected to protect his client from the questioning, saying they would stick to the rules of the committee.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff cut off Rep. Devin Nunes' questioning to "protect the whistleblower."

Nunes was asking Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman about who he spoke to about the July 25 Trump-Ukraine call. When Vindman said he spoke to a member of the intelligence community, Nunes pressed further, asking what agency the individual was with.

"If I could interject here, we don't want to use these proceedings," Schiff began, before Nunes interrupted and said it was "our time."

"I know, but we need to protect the whistleblower," Schiff said.

Watch the exchange:

GOP Rep. Devin Nunes is asking Pence aide Jennifer Williams and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who are under oath, a series of questions about whether they discussed the contents of the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with any members of the press.

Both witnesses repeatedly told Nunes they did not speak to the press or know anyone who spoke about the call.

"We have an [National Security Council] press shop and they field any of these types of questions. I do not engage with the press at all," Vindman replied to one of Nunes' questions on this topic.

Watch the exchange:

The first thing that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky brought up during a Sept. 1 meeting in Warsaw with Vice President Mike Pence was about the status of the hold on US security aide to his country, US official Jennifer Williams told lawmakers today.

She said Pence didn't provide a reason for the hold.

She went on to say that Pence conveyed to Zelensky that he would follow up with Trump.

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House Committee Chairman Adam Schiff just finished his 45 minutes of questions. The Democrats’ lawyer, Daniel Goldman, asked most of the questions.

Now, ranking member Devin Nunes will have 45 minutes. Republican lawyer Steve Castor will also be allowed to ask questions.

Following Nunes' time, each member of the committee will get 5 minutes to ask questions.

Democrats’ lawyer Daniel Goldman asked Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman what happened to the record of President Trump's July 25 call with Ukraine's president.

"I understood that it was being segregated into a separate system — a separate secure system," Vindman said.

"Why would it be put on a separate secure system? Goldman asked.

Here's how Vindman answered:

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Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was asked about text messages between US envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker and Andray Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukraine's president.

On July 25, less than a half hour before President Trump's call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, Volker texted Yermak:

House Democrats lawyer Daniel Goldman asked Vindman if what's in this text showed that President Zelensky was "prepared for this call" by handlers. Vindman said, "This would be consistent, yes."

Watch the moment:

Democratic staff lawyer Dan Goldman asked National Security Council aide Alexander Vindman why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was so keen on securing an invitation to the White House after he took office earlier this year.

Here's what he said:

Why this matters: Multiple witnesses have told impeachment investigators that the Trump administration withheld the White House meeting to coerce Zelensky into announcing investigations into the Bidens. This is part of the allegation that there was an attempted “quid pro quo” between the Trump administration and Ukraine. 

Zelensky still has not been to the White House, though he met Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. In that meeting, he denied feeling any pressure from Trump.  

Watch the moment: