Investigations into the dismissal of President Trump vote this week in Congress

The testimony of National Security Council specialist Colonel Lieutenant Alexander Vindman comes a day after House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that votes to file charges against the president will be held Thursday in the House of Representatives rather than at the commission level:
Lawmakers of the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Supervisory Commissions are hearing the testimony of a leading specialist for Ukraine to the National Security Council.

The hearing, which is held on closed doors, is considered one of the important moments in the investigative process if the communication of President Trump with Ukrainian leader Volodimir Zelenskiy constitutes abuse of authority and abuse of office for personal gain.

Colonel Lieutenant Alexander Vindman, who served in the army ranks in Iraq and later as a diplomat, is testifying to lawmakers that he heard President Trump's conversation with Ukrainian counterpart on July 25th and that he had forwarded the concerns to the chief legal consultant at the National Security Council.

I was worried about my phone call”, writes Mr. Vindman in the testimony prepared for today, which the Associated Press news agency provided last night. I didn't think it was regular to ask a foreign government to investigate an American citizen. I was disturbed by the consequences of U.S. aid to Ukraine”.

President Trump had asked Ukrainian counterparts to open investigations into the Democrats and Ukraine's role in the 2016 elections, as well as on the Burisma company, which served as board member of Mr. Joe Biden's son, while the president had frozen military aid for Ukraine.

U.S. Military Alexander Vindman has twice raised concerns that the Trump administration was pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Democrats and former Vice President Joe Biden, as evidence he has prepared to give money to lawmakers today.

Colonel Lieutenant Vindman is the first White House official to have been present and heard the call, which is testifying in investigations that could lead to the opening of the process for the president's dismissal.

The officer will testify that he had initially raised concerns after a meeting between US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sundland had stressed that Ukraine should investigate the 2016 elections and the Burisma company, with which the democratic candidate family was linked to president, Joe Biden.

In his testimony, Mr. Vindman writes that he had told Ambassador Sondland that the request to investigate Mr. Biden and his son had nothing to do with national security and that the National Security Council would not address such matters.

These statements contradict the testimony of Mr. Sondland, who said to lawmakers that no one from the National Security Council raised concerns”.

Colonel Lieutenant says the president's call also spoke with the National Security Council's legal consultant to express concerns about the conversation.

I knew that if Ukraine investigated Mr. Biden and his son, as well as the Burisma company, it could be interpreted as party maneuvers and would no doubt result in the loss of two-party support for Ukraine. This would undermine national security interests for America”.

Before the start of the session, Republican lawmaker Jim Jordan highlighted the arguments that have raised many republics that communication between the two presidents is not a violation of regulation or power abuse: “People say today we will hear the testimony of someone present during the call. That's not true. This is the third person. So far we've heard the comments of President Trump and President Zelenskiy. The fundamental facts have never changed. We've heard different opinions, but the facts remain. There was no pressure, no request for a favor exchange. We've heard President Trump and President Zelenskiy there hasn't been an issue, no conditions 11x1>.

Mr. Vindman is one of the most important witnesses. He writes he is a patriot and in his actions has been driven by a sense of responsibility to protect the country, outside party interests.

His testimony follows yesterday's announcement of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Thursday the entire House of Representatives will vote on a resolution to confirm investigations that could lead to the process for the president's possible dismissal.

The resolution also specifys regulations for public witnessing sessions, as well as explains the process of drafting charges for the process of possible dismissal. / VOA/