The first current White House official to meet with House investigators is prepared to say Tuesday that he listened to President Donald Trump's call with Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskiy and twice reported his concerns to the National Security Council’s lead counsel.
Alexander Vindman, an Army lieutenant colonel who served 20 years in the military and later as a diplomat, was concerned about the Trump administration’s push for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden because he felt the actions could undermine national security.
"I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. government's support of Ukraine," Vindman will say in prepared testimony. "I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play, which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This would all undermine U.S. national security."
Vindman attended Zelenskiy's inauguration with a delegation led by Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and he was part of Ukraine briefings that irritated John Bolton, then the national security adviser.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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