Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends an event hosted by the U.S. Department of State's Energy Resources Governance Initiative in New York City
- Ten days after dodging questions on the topic, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed he was on a July 25 phone call that's at the center of a whistleblower complaint threatening Donald Trump's presidency.
- The phone call was between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Trump on the call urged Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
- Pompeo on September 22 told ABC
News he hadn't seen the whistleblower report when asked if he knew anything about it or the conversation between Trump and Zelensky. The State Department is increasingly getting caught up in the escalating Ukraine scandal, and Pompeo has been subpoenaed for documents by House Democrats as part of the impeachment inquiry.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday confirmed he was a participant on the July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that's at the center of a whistleblower complaint that's sparked an impeachment inquiry into Trump.
"I was on the phone call," Pompeo said during a news conference in Rome. The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that Pompeo was on the call, but he had not yet admitted this.
Pompeo's public acknowledgement of his involvement in the call comes 10 days after he dodged questions on the matter in an interview with Martha Raddatz of ABC News.
Raddatz questioned Pompeo about the whistleblower complaint and whether he knew anything about the conversation between Trump and Zelensky, in which the president urged his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
"So, you just gave me a report about a IC whistle-blower complaint, none of which I've seen," Pompeo said at the time.
Pompeo has been subpoenaed by House Democrats to turn over documents as part of the impeachment inquiry, and five current or former State Department officials were also deposed.
The secretary of state on Tuesday accused House Democrats of attempting to "intimidate" and "bully" the officials.
"I am concerned with aspects of your request … that can be understood only as an attempt to intimidate, bully, and treat improperly the distinguished professionals of the Department of State, including several career Foreign Service Officers, whom the committee is now targeting," Pompeo said in a letter to House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel.
Read more: Trump is fundraising off of impeachment and has already raised millions
Pompeo added, "Let me be clear: I will not tolerate such tactics, and I will use all means at my disposal to prevent and expose any attempts to intimidate the dedicated professionals whom I am proud to lead and serve alongside at the Department of State."
The State Department is increasingly getting caught up in the escalating Ukraine scandal.
Kurt Volker, the former US envoy to Ukraine, resigned last week after the State Department confirmed he was involved in connecting Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, with an aide to Zelensky.
Watch how Pompeo laughs nervously here.
We now know he was on the call. @MarthaRaddatz asked him what he knew about those conversations. Was he dissembling? Nervous? Struggling to figure out what he could say?
Seems that call was radioactive to him. pic.twitter.com/miWS0JoGVL
- Terry Moran (@TerryMoran) October 2, 2019