New documents released by the US state department show “a clear paper trail” between the White House, the president’s personal lawyer Rudi Giuliani and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ahead of the abrupt recall of then US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch.
The documents, numbering 100 pages, were published late Friday by American Oversight, which calls itself a non-partisan, non-profit ethics watchdog and is the top Freedom of Information Act litigator investigating the Trump administration.
“We can see why Mike Pompeo has refused to release this information to Congress,” Austin Evers, executive director at American Oversight said in a statement. “It reveals a clear paper trail from Rudy Giuliani to the Oval Office to Secretary Pompeo to facilitate Giuliani’s smear campaign against a U.S. ambassador.
Yovanovitch was recalled in May amidst a “smear campaign” Giuliani had carried out against against her as she was obstructing his efforts, at the direction of the president, to force Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rivals, which is now at the heart of an impeachment inquiry against Trump.
Pompeo has been accused of not coming to her defense, despite appeals and concerns conveyed to him by many people, including past US ambassadors to Ukraine and the House Democratic leadership. Yovanovitch, a highly regarded career diplomat, was recalled in May.
{{/usCountry}}Pompeo has been accused of not coming to her defense, despite appeals and concerns conveyed to him by many people, including past US ambassadors to Ukraine and the House Democratic leadership. Yovanovitch, a highly regarded career diplomat, was recalled in May.
{{/usCountry}}Among the documents released was a March 28 email from Giuliani’s assistant to a White House assistant to president, considered the gatekeeper to the Oval Office, asking for a “good number” to contact Pompeo. The White House assistant got in touch with the state department for a contact number.
Also among the documents was a schedule of two phone calls between Pompeo and Giuliani, but do not say what was discussed., a latter from former six former US ambassadors to Pompeo complaining about “uncorroborated allegations’ against Yovanovitch; and another letter from House Democratic leaders Eliot Engel and Steny Hoyer.