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House committees are hearing from three witnesses Wednesday — following a busy Tuesday where 


Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, will testify solo in the 

starting at 8 a.m. CT. Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs as well as David Hale, the under secretary of state for political affairs will testify in the afternoon.

NPR will post the witnesses' opening statements below as they are released.

Ambassador Sondland's testimony today comes after 

 told lawmakers that the ambassador played a significant role in pushing for Ukraine to investigate Burisma Holdings — the Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden previously served as a board member.

 that he had known and informed Ukraine that U.S. military aid was being withheld until Ukraine made a statement announcing investigations into corruption - a disclosure that reversed 

Opening Statement of Ambassador Gordon D Sondland (November 20 2019)

Cooper first testified behind closed doors 

 that she was made aware in August by former U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker that military aid was being withheld from Ukraine in hopes of a prepared announcement by Ukraine about election interference.

Hale first testified in front of impeachment investigators on 

 where he told lawmakers that leading officials decided not to release a statement of support for ousted U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch because of worries it would "make matters worse."

The State Department official holds the third-highest position in the department and told investigators that the decision to not publicly support Yovanovitch came from an official higher up than himself. "The secretary most likely would have been the person," Hale said in his testimony. 

Giuliani was pushing for Ukraine quid pro quo

Sondland was a low-profile hotel owner. Until he worked for Trump

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Elena Moore

Author

Congress will from three witnesses on Wednesday, most notably U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland. 

Read: Ambassador Gordon Sondland's opening statement

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