Former State Department Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker offered testimony before the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday that completely exonerated President Donald Trump in the Democrats’ partisan impeachment inquiry.
Volker, who resigned from his post at the end of September, told lawmakers there was no bribe, no extortion, and no quid pro quo involved with the administration’s dealings with Ukraine.
“Mr. Zeldin asked you in the deposition that in no way, shape or form in either readouts from the United States or Ukraine did you receive any indication whatsoever, or anything that resembled a quid pro quo, is that correct?” asked Republican counsel Stephen Castor during the hearing.
“That’s correct,” Volker said. “I was never involved in anything that I would consider to be bribery at all…or extortion.”
Former U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker tells Intelligence Committee he was never involved in bribery or extortion. pic.twitter.com/lLC7yqxmxe
— The Federalist (@FDRLST) November 19, 2019
Volker’s comments came after the testimony of former National Security Council Staffer Tim Morrison, the Trump administration’s top Russia advisor in the White House until his resignation before his private deposition last month.
Morrison testified there was no bribery tied to military aid with Ukraine, the basis for which the Democratic impeachment efforts are built upon.
“Did anyone ever ask you to bribe or extort anyone at any time during your time in the White House?” asked ranking Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of California.
“No,” said Morrison.
Nunes posed the same question to Volker, who also said “No.”
"Did anyone ever ask you to bribe or extort anyone at any time during your time in the White House?"
MORRISON: No
VOLKER: NoThe Democrats' new poll-tested narrative continues to sink. Americans aren't buying their partisan impeachment of @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/Wk2KqulXrG
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 19, 2019
In October, Volker had already testified in a private deposition that there was no such “quid pro quo” or “bribery,” destroying the narrative pushed by Democrats and the mainstream media where Trump allegedly pressured the Ukrainian government to investigate the Biden family in exchange for the release of withheld military aid.
Volker and Morrison’s testimony come on the third day of public impeachment hearings, where Democrats have struggled to find incriminating evidence to convict Trump of a “high crime and misdemeanor” required to remove the president from office.
Last week, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified that she had no information that Trump participated in any kind of criminal activity whatsoever.
Since the start of open impeachment hearings, public support for the proceedings have dropped. According to a new poll released from Politico and the Morning Consult, 47 percent of independents opposed the impeachment inquiry, whereas only 37 percent of independents were opposed at the beginning of last week.
