A decorated U.S. Army officer working inside the White House is preparing to tell impeachment investigators that he raised concerns about President Donald Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rivals.
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's top Ukraine expert, listened to Trump's July 25 telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to his prepared testimony, released Monday evening, Vindman was troubled by Trump's request for investigations involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Concerns Reported to White House Lawyers
Vindman says he reported his concerns to the National Security Council's chief lawyer immediately after the presidential call.
He also describes an earlier July 10 meeting in which U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland discussed Ukrainian investigations involving the Bidens and the 2016 election.
Vindman says he objected to those requests and reported the matter through official channels.
A Purple Heart recipient who served in Iraq, Vindman has spent more than two decades in the military and diplomatic service.
National Security Concerns
Vindman's prepared testimony warns that involving Ukraine in investigations of American political figures could jeopardize bipartisan support for the country, which depends on U.S. assistance while confronting Russian aggression.
His account is particularly significant because he personally listened to the July 25 call, unlike several previous witnesses whose knowledge came from other officials.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, describing his conversation with Zelensky as appropriate and dismissing the impeachment inquiry as politically motivated.
Impeachment Investigation Deepens
Vindman is scheduled to testify before House impeachment investigators Tuesday.
His prepared statement provides another firsthand account of concerns raised inside the Trump administration about the president's handling of Ukraine policy.
For congressional investigators examining whether Trump used American foreign policy to advance his political interests, Vindman's testimony could become an important development in the growing impeachment inquiry.