Sondland to testify quid pro quo in Ukraine was real and widely known

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland will testify Wednesday that there was a "quid pro quo" between Ukraine conducting politically-motivated investigations and getting U.S. military assistance, and that many in the administration knew it, according to his opening statement.

“I know that members of this Committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’ As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes,” his opening statement says.

Sondland in his testimony says that many throughout the Trump administration realized the link between the issues, which has been at the center of the House impeachment inquiry.

“Everyone was in the loop. It was no secret. Everyone was informed view email on July 19, days before the Presidential call," he will testify. "As I communicated to the team, I told President Zelensky in advance that assurances to 'run a fully transparent investigation' and 'turn over every stone' were necessary in his call with President Trump."

Sondland also makes it clear that he and other officials did not want to work with Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine issues, but did so at the direction of President Trump.

"We did not want to work with Mr. Giuliani," Sondland will say, referring to himself, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Kurt Volker, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine.

"Simply put, we played the hand we were dealt. We all understood that if we refused to work with Mr. Giuliani, we would lose an important opportunity to cement relations between the United States and Ukraine. So we followed the president's orders."