Vice President Mike Pence’s national security adviser issued a rare statement rebuking a fellow Pence aide’s testimony while distancing Pence from President Trump’s request that Ukraine investigate Democrats.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg disputed his subordinate Jennifer Williams’ testimony that Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “unusual” and “inappropriate.” Williams had reported no concerns to him, he said in a statement.
Kellogg underscored, however, that Pence did not request investigations of Democrats when he met with Zelensky on Sept. 1 in Poland, concurring with a different part of Williams’ Tuesday testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.
“In her testimony, she affirmed that the Vice President focused on President Zelensky’s anti-corruption efforts and the lack of European support and never mentioned former Vice President Joe Biden, Crowdstrike, Burisma, or investigations in any communication with Ukrainians,” Kellogg wrote.
Noting that he was on the July 25 call that sparked impeachment proceedings, Kellogg said he felt there was nothing wrong with Trump’s request for investigations of Democrats.
“As an exceedingly proud member of President Trump’s Administration and as a 34-year highly experienced combat veteran who retired with the rank of Lieutenant General in the Army, I heard nothing wrong or improper on the call. I had and have no concerns,” he wrote. “Ms. Williams was also on the call, and as she testified, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to me, her direct supervisor, regarding the call. In fact, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to any other member of the Vice President’s staff, including our Chief of Staff and the Vice President.”
Kellogg became a Pence aide as a face-saving move to clear him from his senior role under national security adviser John Bolton. He’s known for taking a big-picture approach to advising the president, and his elder-adviser persona had him reportedly considered to replace Bolton.
“The president really likes him personally,” a former colleague recently told the Washington Examiner. “He is just not an in-the-weeds kind of guy. He’s been retired for a long time. He likes being at the White House. He likes being on the plane. He likes giving the president his opinion. He doesn’t like nitty-gritty policy minutiae.”
