2 top Trump deputies drafted a statement for Ukraine's president committing him to pursuing political investigations for Trump

Reuters

• Two top US diplomats in Ukraine drafted a statement in August that would have committed Ukraine to investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and the origins of the Russia investigation, The New York Times reported.
• The statement was drafted with the knowledge of Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, and a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
• The effort came shortly after Trump repeatedly pressured Zelensky during a July phone call to look into the Bidens and help him discredit the Russia probe.
• Revelations about the statement add another layer to questions about whether Trump used his political office for personal gain by soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 election.
• The phone call is at the center of an explosive whistleblower complaint against Trump that in turn sparked a formal impeachment inquiry from the House of Representatives.
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Two top US officials in Ukraine drafted a statement for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in August that would have committed him to conducting investigations for President Donald Trump into his political opponents, The New York Times revealed in a bombshell report Thursday.

The statement was drafted by Kurt Volker, then the US's special envoy to Ukraine, and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, the report said. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer and a central figure in the Ukraine controversy, was aware of the statement, as was a top aide to Zelensky, The Times reported.

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• Mike Pompeo made at least 4 significantly misleading statements about his role in the Trump-Ukraine phone call
• Trump used Mike Pence to tell Ukraine the US would withhold military aid while demanding that it investigate corruption
• Trump ranted at a reporter after repeatedly dodging a question about Ukraine, before telling him to 'ask the president of Finland a question'

SEE ALSO: Trump's top diplomat in Ukraine said in a text message that it was 'crazy' to withhold aid in exchange 'for help with a political campaign'

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