(6 Nov 2019) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus126294
House Democrats will launch a major new phase of their impeachment inquiry next week with public hearings that will feature three State Department officials who have testified about their concerns about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who is leading the impeachment investigation, announced Wednesday that the committee will hear from top Ukraine diplomat William Taylor, career department official George Kent and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in hearings next Wednesday and Friday.
All three have already testified behind closed doors in the first phase of the investigation.
Yovanovitch, who was ousted in May at Trump's direction, told investigators she had been told to "watch my back" and that people were "looking to hurt" her.
Both Kent and Taylor testified about their concerns about her ouster as the president's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, took a leading role on Ukraine policy.
Despite Trump's daily denials, Schiff said Wednesday that the witnesses will show that "the most important facts are largely not contested" in the inquiry.
The Democrats are investigating Trump's requests for allegedly politically motivated probes by Ukraine as the U.S. withheld military aid from the country.
Republicans, however, insist Trump did nothing wrong and charge that Democrats are avoiding calling witnesses that may help exonorate him.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio questioned why Kurt Volker, the first to testify behind closed doors, was not called to appear before an open hearing next week.
Volker testified that he had persistent concerns about Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, but he also said he did not believe the president withheld aid from Ukraine unless it launched investigations to help him.
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