In her opening statement, Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert on the National Security Council who has served under three Republican and Democratic presidents, said she has "no interest in advancing the outcome of your inquiry in any particular direction, except toward the truth."
Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat, questioned George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, on Wednesday about former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was abruptly ousted from her position. Kent said Rudy Giuliani's "smear campaign" against Yovanovitch "was ubiquitous in the spring of 2019 on Fox News and on the internet and Twittersphere."
Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, confirmed during her testimony Wednesday that $35 million in aid to Ukraine has yet to be obligated. The remaining funds have alarmed Senate Democrats, who wrote to Defense Secretary Mark Esper earlier this week, asking him to deliver the funds as soon as possible.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan made impassioned remarks Wednesday while questioning William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, at the first public impeachment hearing. Jordan said, "You're their star witness. You're their first witness." Taylor responded: "I don't consider myself a star witness for anything ... I'm not here to take one side or the other."
William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, said Wednesday that President Trump felt "wronged" by Ukrainians over the 2016 election, and believed they "owed" him investigations into the Bidens and Burisma. Taylor said he came to believe this following a discussion with the U.S. delegation to President Zelensky's inauguration in May.
Representative Sean Maloney highlighted Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman's service to the country, as well as the fact that Vindman and White House aide Jennifer Williams were firsthand witnesses who were on the July 25 call between President Trump and Ukraine's president. Vindman said he "couldn't believe" what he heard on the call. The exchange was met with a round of applause.
Democratic counsel Daniel Goldman asked top Ukraine diplomat William Taylor if he had ever seen another example of withholding aid conditioned on the "personal or political interests of the president of the United States." "No, Mr. Goldman, I have not," he said.
GOP Representative John Ratcliffe questioned any assertion that Ukraine suspected military aid was being withheld on July 25. The questioning came after Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, noted in her opening statement that her staff showed her emails from the State Department, one of which was received just hours after the July 25 call between President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting concerns about security assistance.
Republican Representative Chris Stewart asked Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman on Tuesday about a moment earlier in the hearing in which he reminded Devin Nunes to call him "lieutenant colonel" rather than "mister," and asked if he always insists civilians call him by his rank.
