White House adviser Tim Morrison will likely corroborate United States diplomat William Taylor’s version of events surrounding President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
Morrison, who will be the first active member of the Trump White House to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry, will confirm much of what has already been said by Taylor, according to CNN.
Earlier this week, Taylor testified before the House Intelligence Committee, including a 15-page opening statement in which he claimed Trump’s decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine was tied to his request that Kyiv investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
Prior to his testimony, text messages from Taylor revealed that he thought it was “crazy” to withhold aid in relation to Trump’s attempt to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
Many have called Taylor’s testimony “damning,” but the hearing was conducted behind closed doors and the full transcript has not been released.
A source told CNN that Morrison, who is an adviser on the National Security Council and listened in on the call with Ukraine, will confirm what was said by Taylor, making him the second witness to do so. However, other sources told the outlet he plans to say he saw nothing wrong with Trump’s move, while another said his testimony will be “nuanced.”
Although reports claim Morrison will confirm Taylor’s account, his attorney told CNN that he has not yet planned out his testimony.
“We haven’t decided what he’s going to say yet,” Morrison’s attorney Barbara Van Gelder said. “He’s going to answer questions. That’s where we’re at right now. We haven’t made final decisions on anything other than he’ll appear with the subpoena.”
Many Republicans seemed concerned about Morrison’s testimony, as well. One Republican told the Washington Examiner that the testimony will be a “shit show” and expressed concern that the Trump administration had not yet implemented executive privilege to rein in Morrison’s testimony.
Morrison intends to testify next week if subpoenaed even if the White House attempts to block him.
