Gordon D. Sondland said in his prepared statement to House impeachment investigators that he was disappointed the president involved his personal lawyer in diplomacy with Kiev.
A son of sharecroppers, he fought tirelessly for his hometown of Baltimore and became a key figure in the impeachment investigation of President Trump.
A meeting intended to brief congressional leaders at the White House about the president’s Syria policy quickly devolved into name-calling and a dispute over which insults were used.
A former top White House adviser viewed Mr. Sondland, a Trump donor and the ambassador to the European Union, as a risk because he was so unprepared for his job.
Elizabeth Warren was called out by rivals for a change, Joe Biden failed to stand out and Bernie Sanders calmed concerns about his health. Pete Buttigieg had his biggest night yet.
The charges against Halkbank were announced as President Trump, having allowed Turkish-backed forces to invade Syria, is looking to take a tougher stand against Turkey.
Two top diplomatic hands — the former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the former envoy to Ukraine — are on Capitol Hill as the House’s impeachment inquiry gathers steam.