New transcript shows how Giuliani worked to undermine State Department for Trump

Testimony released Thursday by the House committees leading the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump corroborates previous claims about his lawyer’s involvement in U.S. foreign policy as well as concerns about his efforts to push Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent testified before the House Intelligence, Oversight, and Foreign Affairs Committees on Oct. 15.

“As a general principle, I do not believe the U.S. should ask other countries to engage in politically associated investigations and prosecutions,” Kent said when asked about the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Thursday’s transcript.

Kent said later that asking a foreign country to investigate a political rival “goes against everything that we are trying to promote in post-Soviet states for the last 28 years, which is the promotion of the rule of law.”

According to Kent’s testimony, Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, led “a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about [U.S.] Ambassador [to Ukraine Marie] Yovanovitch.” Kent added that Giuliani’s statements about Yovanovitch “were without basis, untrue, period.”

Kent testified that he was also advised by supervisors to ” keep my head down and lower my profile in Ukraine” to avoid incurring Giuliani’s wrath and suffering the same fate as Yovanovitch.

Trump removed Yovanovitch from her position in Ukraine back in May, before her post was scheduled to end.

Kent’s is the sixth transcript released by the committees leading the impeachment inquiry.

Kent’s full testimony can be read here, and excerpts can be found below:

George Kent transcript (PDF)

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.