DOCSLIB.ORG

Safeguarding American Agriculture in a Globalized World

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Safeguarding American Agriculture in a Globalized World S. HRG. 115–603 SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN AGRICULTURE IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 13, 2017 Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov/ U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 32–792 PDF WASHINGTON : 2019 COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY PAT ROBERTS, Kansas, Chairman THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas SHERROD BROWN, Ohio JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota JONI ERNST, Iowa MICHAEL BENNET, Colorado CHARLES GRASSLEY, Iowa KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York JOHN THUNE, South Dakota JOE DONNELLY, Indiana STEVE DAINES, Montana HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota DAVID PERDUE, Georgia ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania LUTHER STRANGE, Alabama CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland JAMES A. GLUECK, JR., MAJORITY STAFF DIRECTOR DANITA M. MURRAY, MAJORITY CHIEF COUNSEL JESSICA L. WILLIAMS, CHIEF CLERK JOSEPH A. SHULTZ, MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR MARY BETH SCHULTZ, MINORITY CHIEF COUNSEL (II) C O N T E N T S Page HEARING(S): Safeguarding American Agriculture in a Globalized World ................................. 1 Wednesday, December 13, 2017 STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS Roberts, Hon. Pat, U.S. Senator from the State of Kansas, Chairman, Com- mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry ................................................. 1 Stabenow, Hon. Debbie, U.S. Senator from the State of Michigan ..................... 2 Witnesses Lieberman, Hon. Joseph I., Co-Chair, Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, Washington, DC ................................................................................................... 5 Myers, Gen. Richard B., President, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas ................................................................................................................... 9 Hammerschmidt, Raymond, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan ....... 13 Meckes, R.D., D.V.M., State Veterinarian, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Raleigh, North Carolina ........................ 16 APPENDIX PREPARED STATEMENTS: Hammerschmidt, Raymond ............................................................................. 32 Lieberman, Hon. Joseph I. ............................................................................... 41 Meckes, R.D. ..................................................................................................... 47 Myers, Gen. Richard B. .................................................................................... 59 DOCUMENT(S) SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: Roberts, Hon. Pat: ‘‘Defense of Animal Agriculture’’, Blue Ribbon Study Panel ......................... 72 Stabenow, Hon. Debbie: Prepared Statement Submitted for the Record from Hon. Claire McCas- kill .................................................................................................................. 134 QUESTION AND ANSWER: Hammerschmidt, Raymond: Written response to questions from Hon. Pat Roberts .................................. 136 Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow ......................... 138 Lieberman, Hon. Joseph I: Written response to questions from Hon. Pat Roberts .................................. 144 Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow ......................... 146 Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar ........................... 147 Meckes, R.D.: Written response to questions from Hon. Pat Roberts .................................. 149 Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow ......................... 155 Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar ........................... 156 Myers, Gen. Richard B.: Written response to questions from Hon. Pat Roberts .................................. 158 (III) SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN AGRICULTURE IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD Wednesday, December 13, 2017 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY, Washington, DC The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:35 a.m., in 328A, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Pat Roberts, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. Present: Senators Roberts, Boozman, Ernst, Grassley, Daines, Stabenow, Brown, Bennet, Gillibrand, Donnelly, Heitkamp, Casey, and Van Hollen. STATEMENT OF HON. PAT ROBERTS, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF KANSAS, CHAIRMAN, U.S. COMMITTEE ON AGRI- CULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY Chairman ROBERTS. Good morning. I call this meeting of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to order. I welcome my colleagues and the witnesses before us today as we hear about an issue I have long felt is of the utmost importance not only to farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture value chain, but also to consumers, the American economy, and the safety of our country. Agriculture security is a broad-reaching issue. It involves many Government agencies beyond the Department of Agriculture. In 1999, as Chairman of the newly formed Emerging Threats Sub- committee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I became aware of the threat our Nation faced against intentionally intro- duced pathogens to be weaponized and aimed at destroying plant and animal populations. I was invited to Obelinsk, one of Russia’s secret cities, back when we had access to secret cities under the Nunn-Lugar Program, where I saw warehouses of anthrax, foot-and-mouth, Newcastle dis- ease, and African swine fever. Over the next several years, with a great deal of leadership from then K–State president, Dr. Jon Wefald, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF, began to become a reality. This facility in Manhattan, Kansas, will be a critical part of keeping U.S. agriculture, our food supply, the economy, and, most importantly, our people safe. Biological threats, whether naturally occurring like the avian in- fluenza outbreak of 2015 or intentionally introduced, could pose great harm to our food supply and the economy. The 2015 avian influenza outbreak was unprecedented, and while the USDA man- aged through the situation as well as can be expected, it illumi- (1) 2 nated just how vulnerable the agriculture sector is to such an event and it has made everyone involved begin to think about ways in which we can improve. Whether that be communication or coordi- nation or preparedness or response, there is always room to gather feedback, reassess, and consider if our current approach is the best approach. Further, today’s hearing is an opportunity to take stock of where we have come since the early 2000s when the issue of ag- riculture security was first visited and discuss where we need to go from here. The Agriculture Committee last held a hearing on this subject over a decade ago, but since that time, the significance of this issue has only grown. Today we will commit to the record updated infor- mation regarding agriculture security. We will begin to examine any needed changes in this arena and continue to work on these evolving challenges. There are several key questions for us to explore: What does risk management look like in this sector? Where are resources most ap- propriately directed? How should a multi-jurisdictional system best function? Before us today is an esteemed panel of experts and public serv- ants who have dedicated much of their careers to protecting agri- culture and the country from biological threats. In October, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense released a bipartisan re- port, ‘‘Defense of Animal Agriculture,’’ which assesses many of the issues we will hear about today. I ask unanimous consent to enter that report into the record. Without objection. [The report can be found on page 72 in the appendix.] Chairman ROBERTS. I am very much looking forward to our wit- nesses’ testimony and the discussion today, and I now recognize my colleague, Senator Stabenow, for any opening remarks that she may have. STATEMENT OF HON. DEBBIE STABENOW, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN Senator STABENOW. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and we are so pleased to have everyone with us today, including our former Senate colleague, Senator Lieberman. It is always won- derful to see you. Before my comments, Mr. Chairman, at the request of Senator McCaskill, I ask that her statement supporting these issues be put in the record. I know you are working with her on these important issues, and she wanted it to be a part of the record today. Chairman ROBERTS. Without objection. Senator STABENOW. Thank you very much. [The prepared statement of Senator McCaskill can be found on page 134 in the appendix.] Senator STABENOW. I know, Mr. Chairman, you have long been a champion for a strong agrodefense system, and we are all grate- ful for your vigilance and for the hearing today. I have always said that food security is national security. Every- one in this room knows just how important food and agriculture are to the well-being of our Nation. We certainly understand that in Michigan, where agriculture is our second largest industry, sup- porting one of every four jobs. I am so pleased that we have Dr. 3 Hammerschmidt with us today speaking on behalf of these issues from Michigan and Michigan State. Threats to our agriculture industry would not only decimate our economy, but also change, frankly,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • June 2018 June 3Rd, 2018 19 Men and 6 Women NBC's Meet the Press
    June 2018 June 3rd, 2018 19 men and 6 women NBC's Meet the Press with Chuck Todd: 5 men and 1 woman Frm. Mayor Rudy Giuliani (M) PM Justin Trudeau (M) Joshua Johnson (M) Peggy Noonan (W) Rich Lowry (M) Ben Rhodes (M) CBS's Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan: 5 men and 2 women Gov. John Kasich (M) Rep. Will Hurd (M) Frm. Amb. Robert Gallucci (M) Dr. Jung Pak (W) David Nakamura (M) Susan Page (W) Michael Crowley (M) ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos: 5 men and 2 women Frm. Mayor Rudy Giuliani (M) Frm. Amb. Bill Richardson (M) Tom Bossert (M) Sue Mi Terry (W) Frm. Speaker Newt Gingrich (M) Karen Finney (W) Patrick Gaspard (M) CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper: *With Guest Host Dana Bash 1 man and 1 woman Rep. Kevin McCarthy (M) Minister Chrystia Freeland (W) Fox News' Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace: 3 men and 0 women Corey Lewandowski (M) Guy Benson (M) Larry Kudlow (M) June 10th, 2018 13 men and 6 women NBC's Meet the Press with Chuck Todd: No Data Available CBS's Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan: 4 men and 4 women Frm. Amb. Susan Rice (W) Dir. Larry Kudlow (M) Sen. Edward Markey (M) Evan Osnos (M) Seung Min Kim (W) Selena Zito (W) Molly Ball (W) Kenneth Starr (M) ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos: 1 man and 0 women Jonathan Cheng (M) CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper: 1 man and 2 women Dir.
    [Show full text]
  • Larry Clinton President & CEO [email protected] (703) 907-7028
    For information about membership opportunities, please contact: Larry Clinton President & CEO [email protected] (703) 907-7028 For more information about the Internet Security Alliance, please visit www.isalliance.org Digitalization Changes Everything • The way our brains function • The way we define ourselves • Our notions of what privacy is • Our assumptions about how to conduct national defense • Our assumptions about economics • Our assumptions about security 3 How confident are you (should you be)? • 80% of CEOs are “very confident” – but successful compromises up 66% • Losses will jump from $500 billion to $2 trillion by 2018 – up 2x as much as security spending • 71% of attacks are on firms w/less than $2 billion • CEOs still prioritize keeping the bad guys out • CEOs agree they need better ways to measure success 4 Benchmarking DoD --- Things are really bad The military’s computer networks can be compromised by low to middling skilled attacks. Military systems do not have a sufficiently robust security posture to repel sustained attacks. The development of advanced cyber techniques makes it likely that a determined adversary can acquire a foothold in most DOD systems and be in a position to degrade DOD missions when and if they choose.” Pentagon Annual Report Jan 2015. 5 Things are going to get worse … • The attackers are getting much better • All the economic incentives favor the attackers • The system is getting technologically weaker 6 Kremlinology Trumpology Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn National Security Advisor Steven Bannon Donald McGahn General Counsel General Keith Kellogg National Security Council Gen. James Mattis Sec of Dep. of Defense Mike Pence Vice President Tom Bossert Homeland Security Advisor Gen.
    [Show full text]
  • IN the SENATE of the UNITED STATES Sitting As a Court of Impeachment in Re IMPEACHMENT of PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TRIAL MEMORA
    IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES Sitting as a Court of Impeachment In re IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TRIAL MEMORANDUM OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP United States House of Representatives Adam B. Schiff Jerrold Nadler Zoe Lofgren Hakeem S. Jeffries Val Butler Demings Jason Crow Sylvia R. Garcia U.S. House of Representatives Managers TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................. 9 I. CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS FOR PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT .................................................... 9 II. THE HOUSE’S IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP AND PRESENTATION OF THIS MATTER TO THE SENATE .............................................................................................................. 12 ARGUMENT ................................................................................................................................................... 16 I. THE SENATE SHOULD CONVICT PRESIDENT TRUMP OF ABUSE OF POWER .................................. 16 A. President Trump Exercised His Official Power to Pressure Ukraine into Aiding His Reelection ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Trump Administration Key Policy Personnel Updated: February 5, 2017 Positions NOT Subject to Senate Confirmation in Italics ______
    Trump Administration Key Policy Personnel Updated: February 5, 2017 Positions NOT subject to Senate confirmation in italics ______________________________________________________________________________________________ White House Chief of Staff: Reince Priebus Priebus is the former Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). He previously worked as chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. He has a long history in Republican politics as a grassroots volunteer. He worked his way up through the ranks of the Republican Party of Wisconsin as 1st Congressional District Chairman, State Party Treasurer, First Vice Chair, and eventually State Party Chairman. In 2009, he served as General Counsel to the RNC, a role in which he volunteered his time. White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor: Stephen Bannon Bannon worked as the campaign CEO for Trump’s presidential campaign. He is the Executive Chairman of Breitbart News Network, LLC and the Chief Executive Officer of American Vantage Media Corporation and Affinity Media. Mr. Bannon is also a Partner of Societe Gererale, a talent management company in the entertainment business. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Genius Products, Inc. since February 2005. Attorney General: Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) Sen. Sessions began his legal career as a practicing attorney in Russellville, Alabama, and then in Mobile. Following a two- year stint as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Sessions was nominated by President Reagan in 1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabama’s Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. Sessions was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1995, serving as the state’s chief legal officer until 1997, when he entered the United States Senate.
    [Show full text]
  • 2013 Year in Review
    Cyber Statecraft Initiative 2013 Year in Review: Saving Cyberspace During 2013, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative cemented its position as the most forward-leaning think tank on cyber policy issues in Washington, DC and perhaps the world. The goal of the program is “saving cyberspace” as this most transformative technology since Gutenberg is under threat, putting at risk the national security of the United States and the economic security of the world. Our program also became very well known for taking a strong position against overly aggressive spying by the National Security Agency and related cyber covert attacks, like Stuxnet. On this and other important issues, we held more than sixty events, from private dinners with senior international policymakers to large conferences like the Cyber 9/12 project with hundreds of people attending in person or online. The highlight of the Initiative’s publications was the release of A Fierce Domain, Conflict in Cyberspace, 1986 to 2012, which as the first military history of cyberspace received widespread praise, including in the Economist magazine. Led by an ideas-driven approach on these issues, this year experts had twenty broadcast interviews and the Cyber Statecraft Initiative has been mentioned in major national news outlets including National Public Radio, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg News, Newsweek, CNN, the Atlantic, the Financial Times, the Economist, Deutsche Welle, and more. Director Jason Healey is a regular op-ed contributor to US News & World Report’s “World Report” section and Foreign Policy’s online “National Security” blog.
    [Show full text]
  • GOP-Led Committee Probed Possible Ukraine Interference in 2016 Election and Found Nothing Worth Pursuing, Sources Say
    GOP-led committee probed possible Ukraine interference in 2016 election and found nothing worth pursuing, sources say cnn.com/2019/12/02/politics/senate-intelligence-ukraine-2016-election/index.html December 3, 2019 (CNN)The Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee looked into allegations that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election and found no evidence to support the claims, according to sources familiar with the matter. This squares with the overall conclusion of officials who have looked into the matter. Sources tell CNN that no US intelligence agency has ever produced a product accusing the Ukrainian government of interfering in the 2016 US election. Some Republican lawmakers continue to misleadingly say that the government of Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election on the same level as Russia, despite the GOP-led committee looking into the matter and finding little to support the allegation. The committee went so far as to interview former Democratic National Committee operative Alexandra Chalupa -- a central figure in theories that say Ukraine interfered in the election -- before closing that aspect of their probe, according to the sources. Politico on Monday was first to report the committee's exploration of Ukraine's actions in 2016. The committee looked into any possible Ukrainian interference because -- as committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, told reporters on October 4, 2017 -- the investigation was to look into a number of measures, including "any collusion by either campaign during the 2016 elections." Twelve days after he said that, sources tell CNN, Chalupa met with staffers on the committee for a more-than-two-hour meeting covering a range of subjects, including why she was so alarmed in 2016 to learn that candidate Donald Trump had hired Paul Manafort, who worked with corrupt Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
    [Show full text]
  • The Moscow Project Is an Initiative of the Center for American Progress Action Fund @Moscow Project |
    Moscow Mitch and the Party of Putin “I was stunned because [Sen. Ted Cruz is] a Russia hawk. He spent the entire week showcasing his hawkishness on Russia … And I really naively thought, maybe he wants to remind people that with Russia [and blaming Ukraine] this is getting ridiculous. And it turned out not to be the case.” — Chuck Todd To protect President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans have been pushing the debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election in order to help Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton. This isn’t just a lie; it’s Russian disinformation, designed to deflect criticism and cast doubt over Russia’s 2016 interference campaign. Russian President Vladimir Putin, unable to suppress his glee that the Republican Party has adopted his line, even told a crowd in November: “Thank God. No one is accusing us of interfering in the U.S. elections anymore; now they’re accusing Ukraine.” Spreading disinformation and shifting blame are standard operating procedures for the Kremlin. Unfortunately, Ukraine, which Putin has long sought to dominate, has been a frequent target. After Russian soldiers shot down the MH17 plane in Ukraine, killing nearly 200 Dutch citizens, Russia reportedly bombarded the Netherlands with disinformation, including allegations that Ukraine was actually behind the crash. And after Russian operatives attempted to assassinate former Russian military officer Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom, the Kremlin put out at least 15 alternate explanations, many contradictory, again including allegations that Ukraine was the real culprit. Under the leadership of President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- KY), the Republican Party has become an active participant in Russia’s disinformation operation.
    [Show full text]
  • THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary for IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2017 Readout of the Principal-Level Transition E
    THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2017 Readout of the Principal-Level Transition Exercise The White House on Friday afternoon convened a transition exercise with members of the President-Elect's team and Cabinet designees together with current senior White House, Cabinet, and agency leaders. The exercise provided a high-level perspective on a series of challenges that the next administration may face and introduced the key authorities, policies, capabilities, and structures that are currently in place to respond to major domestic incidents. Members of President Obama's team shared experiences and lessons from incident responses they experienced, and both sides discussed a number of response scenarios together. Participants agreed that the exercise was productive and advanced the shared goal of conducting the most professional and seamless transition possible. Obama Administration Participants Included: Chair Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Denis McDonough, Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff Susan Rice, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Neil Eggleston, Assistant to the President and White House Counsel Cecilia Munoz, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council Avril Haines, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor Dab Kern, Assistant to the President and Director, White House Military Office Amy Pope, Deputy Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy Assistant to the President Suzy George, Deputy Assistant to the President and NSC Chief of Staff John Holdren, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Shaun Donovan, Office of Management and Budget Director Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense Gen Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • DNC Server Feud Resurfaces in Impeachment Battle
    W AT C H L I V E Senators clash over the rules to govern President Trump’s impeachment trial POLITICO Morning Cybersecurity Delivered daily by 10 a.m., Morning Cybersecurity examines the latest news in cybersecurity policy and politics. Get the Morning Cybersecurity Newsletter Your email… By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. DNC server feud resurfaces in impeachment battle By TIM STARKS | 01/21/2020 10:00 AM EST With help from Eric Geller, Martin Matishak and John Hendel Editor's Note: This edition of Morning Cybersecurity is published weekdays at 10 a.m. POLITICO Pro Cybersecurity subscribers hold exclusive early access to the newsletter each morning at 6 a.m. Learn more about POLITICO Pro's comprehensive policy intelligence coverage, policy tools and services at www.politicopro.com. Q U I C K F I X — The latest back-and-forth between the White House and House Democrats on impeachment features some jousting over the president’s remarks on the hacked DNC server. — Cyber Command gave itself good grades in one of its most ambitious military cyber operations, Operation Glowing Symphony, internal documents released today found. — Top DHS officials in recent days offered their perspective on cyber threats from Russia, China and Iran. HAPPY TUESDAY and welcome to Morning Cybersecurity! Send your thoughts, feedback and especially tips to [email protected]. Be sure to follow @POLITICOPro and @MorningCybersec. Full team info below.
    [Show full text]
  • Buzzfeed FOIA Release of Mueller Report FBI 302 Reports
    86'HSDUWPHQWRI-XVWLFH )HGHUDO%XUHDXRI,QYHVWLJDWLRQ Washington, D.C. 20535 )HEUXDU\ 05-$621/(232/' %8==)(('1(:6 7+)/225 &211(&7,&87$9(18(1: :$6+,1*721'& )2,3$5HTXHVW1R &LYLO$FWLRQ1RFY 6XEMHFW$OO¶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
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. Fiona Hill Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia, National Security Council
    Excerpts from Joint Deposition Dr. Fiona Hill Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia, National Security Council Conducted on October 14, 2019 House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence House Committee on Oversight and Reform House Committee on Foreign Affairs “I went back to talk to Ambassador Bolton. And Ambassador Bolton asked me to go over and report this to our NSC counsel, to John Eisenberg. And he told me, and this is a direct quote from Ambassador Bolton: You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this, and you go and tell him what you’ve heard and what I’ve said. So I went over to talk to John Eisenberg about this. … I told him exactly, you know, what had transpired and that Ambassador Sondland had basically indicated that there was agreement with the chief of staff that they would have a White House meeting or, you know, a Presidential meeting if the Ukrainians started up these investigations again. And the main thing that I was personally concerned about, as I said to John, was that he did this in front of the Ukrainians.” Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch’s removal was the “result of the campaign that Mr. Giuliani had set in motion.” (Page 41, 43-44) Q: Now why did the removal of Ambassador Yovanovitch mark a turning point for you? A: Because there was no basis for her removal. The accusations against her had no merit whatsoever. This was a mishmash of conspiracy theories that, again, I’ve told you, I believe firmly to be baseless, an idea of an association between her and George Soros.
    [Show full text]
  • Impeachment Inquiry Report
    TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .......................................................................................................................................7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................12 KEY FINDINGS OF FACT ........................................................................................................34 SECTION I. THE PRESIDENT’S MISCONDUCT ...............................................................37 1. The President Forced Out the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine ...........................................38 2. The President Put Giuliani and the Three Amigos in Charge of Ukraine Issues ............51 3. The President Froze Military Assistance to Ukraine .......................................................67 4. The President’s Meeting with the Ukrainian President Was Conditioned on An Announcement of Investigations .....................................................................................83 5. The President Asked the Ukrainian President to Interfere in the 2020 U.S. Election by Investigating the Bidens and 2016 Election Interference ................................................98 6. The President Wanted Ukraine to Announce the Investigations Publicly ....................114 7. The President’s Conditioning of Military Assistance and a White House Meeting on Announcement of Investigations Raised Alarm ............................................................126 8. The President’s Scheme Was Exposed ..........................................................................140
    [Show full text]