Washington, D.C. — Today, former U.S. Ambassador William Taylor provided lawmakers with a devastating account of the way President Donald Trump blatantly held up U.S. aid to Ukraine to force the newly elected government to investigate his political opponents. In response, Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Everything we’ve learned throughout this entire impeachment process has confirmed what Trump said in his own words: that he tried to extort an allied government to investigate his political opponents and help him in the 2020 election. When the reformist new president of Ukraine resisted Trump’s efforts to pull Ukraine into his corrupt web, Trump withheld critical military assistance from the country while it is at war with Russia. Trump’s action undermined our democracy and our national security.
Ambassador Taylor’s bombshell deposition today provides striking further details. It confirmed that Trump expected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “pay up”—in other words, a quid pro quo—and it outlined how the operation was directed by the president himself.
There is no innocuous explanation for these events. And there is no excuse for further inaction among Republicans in Congress. The Constitution has a remedy for this situation, and it is the responsibility for all members of Congress to put country ahead of party.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.