Sunday
AP reports that Giuliani and Rick Perry were not just pushing Ukraine to investigate Trump political opponents, but were also involved in a group of Trump allies who were trying to install a more friendly management team to a Ukraine gas company called Naftogaz: “This circle of businessmen and Republican donors touted connections to Giuliani and Trump while trying to install new management at the top of Ukraine’s massive state gas company. Their plan was to then steer lucrative contracts to companies controlled by Trump allies…” One of Perry’s past political donors is involved: “The Associated Press has interviewed four people with direct knowledge of the attempts to influence Naftogaz, and their accounts show Perry playing a key role in the effort.”
Also this from the AP: “In a private meeting with Zelensky, Perry pressed the Ukrainian president to fire members of the Naftogaz advisory board. Attendees left the meeting with the impression that Perry wanted to replace the American representative, Amos Hochstein, a former diplomat and energy representative who served in the Obama administration, with someone “reputable in Republican circles,” according to someone who was in the room…. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation, said he was floored by the American requests because the person had always viewed the U.S. government “as having a higher ethical standard.””
A second whistleblower has come forward, and is being represented by the same legal team as the first. He or she claims to have first hand knowledge of the Ukraine deal.
Monday
The House subpoenas the Pentagon and Budget Office for information about Ukraine.
Tuesday
The White House sent a letter to the House saying they will refuse to turn over any documents, witnesses or participate in any way with impeachment: “In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the Executive Branch, and all future occupants of the Office of the presidency, President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry under these circumstances.”
Thursday
The SDNY filed an indictment against two associates of Giuliani who were arrested trying to flee the country Wednesday night. They were charged with illegal campaign contributes from a Russian foreign national and conspiracy. They also were involved in the Ukraine situation by being part of the pressure campaign to remove the ambassador.
There was also news this week of an Oval Office meeting between Trump, Giuliani and Tillerson in which Tillerson was pressed to interfere in a DOJ case against a Turkish national. He refused.
The House subpoenaed Rick Perry.
Friday
The fired Ukrainian ambassador Marie Yavanovitch testified before the House. She said she was removed based on “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives.”
In other news:
Sunday night Trump announced that he was withdrawing support from Syrian Kurds and opening the door for Turkey to invade. After intense pushback from GOP in Congress, he seemed to equivocate: “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!).”
Here is a remarkable sentence about how the Pentagon has been keeping its Syria policy quiet from the president since he ordered a full withdrawal in December: “military officials decided they would keep quiet about Syria. The strategy extended all the way to combat outposts in the country, where Special Forces officers were reminded that their mission could end quickly if the commander in chief was publicly reminded that there were still 1,000 troops there”
A judge ordered that Trump must turn over eight years of his tax returns to the Manhattan DA for the Stormy Daniels case. Trump’s legal team appealed to the 2nd District Court.
DHS secretary MacAleen resigned on Friday: “A person close to McAleenan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he resigned Friday after weeks of growing disenchantment with his standing in the administration. He was never formally nominated for the job and there was no indication he would be.”
—
Trump’s Job Approval: 42.1%