(CNN)A top State Department aide told acting US ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor — a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry — to hand over his duties just days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected visit Kiev in January, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
The timing means that Pompeo will not have to meet, be seen or photographed with Taylor, who drew the President’s ire after his damning House testimony that Trump demanded his appointees set up a quid pro quo with Ukraine, explicitly offering much-needed US military aid and an Oval Office meeting in exchange for personal political favors.
Pompeo, a stalwart Trump ally who many expect to announce a run for a US Senate seat in Kansas in the near future, has insulated himself from Taylor for weeks, the source familiar said.
Since his public testimony before Congress last month, Taylor has not had any direct contact with Pompeo, either over the phone or in person, the source familiar said. After both his closed-door testimony in October and his public appearance in November, Taylor returned to work the next day.
…….
- Discussion
-
A top State Department aide told acting US ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor — a key witness in President Trump's impeachment inquiry — to hand over his duties just days before Sec. of State Mike Pompeo is expected visit Kiev in January, a source says. https://t.co/FOTrhevNKS
— CNN (@CNN) December 19, 2019
Yovanovich, now Taylor. One for standing in the way of moral action, another now for “optics.” Textbook examples of ethical leadership failure. https://t.co/J12H0eE4KB
— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) December 19, 2019
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.