Embassy official links Ukraine aid to Biden investigation; Republicans blast it as assumption

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A State Department employee working for the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine testified he had a “clear impression” that aid for Ukraine was connected to President Donald Trump pushing for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son during Thursday’s hearing.

David Holmes, a political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, was the first of two witnesses to testify in the fifth day of public hearings.

"Our support for Ukrainian democratic resistance to Russian aggression became overshadowed by a political agenda being promoted by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani,” Holmes said.

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Holmes said the agenda was focused on investigating the Bidens.

Holmes pointed to a phone conversation he said he overheard between Trump and Ambassador to the European Union Sondland about the Ukrainian president.

"I then heard President Trump say, ‘So he's gonna do the investigation?’" Holmes said. "My clear impression was that the security assistance hold was likely intended by the president either as an expression of dissatisfaction that the Ukrainians had not yet agreed to the Burisma/Biden investigation or as an effort to increase the pressure on them to do so.”

Trump blasted Holmes on Twitter, writing, "Never have I been watching a person making a call, which was not on speakerphone, and been able to hear or understand a conversation."

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After Holmes wrapped up, a former top Russia expert testified about the political division.

"This is exactly what the Russian government was hoping for," Fiona Hill said.

Hill lashed out against lawmakers who she said have suggested Ukraine and not Russia, was involved in meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

"This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves,” Hill said.

The White House released a statement that said:

"As has been the case throughout the Democrats' impeachment sham, today's witnesses rely heavily on their own presumptions, assumptions and opinions. These two witnesses, just like the rest, have no personal or direct knowledge regarding why U.S. aid was temporarily withheld. The Democrats' are clearly being motivated by a sick hatred for President Trump and their rabid desire to overturn the 2016 election. The American people deserve better."

Cox Media Group