Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoDems plan marathon prep for Senate trial, wary of Trump trying to ‘game’ the process Overnight Defense: Book says Trump called military leaders ‘dopes and babies’ | House reinvites Pompeo for Iran hearing | Dems urge Esper to reject border wall funding request House panel reinvites Pompeo to deliver Iran testimony MORE on Friday said he will investigate allegations that former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie YovanovitchMarie YovanovitchHouse Democrats release second batch of Parnas materials Republicans will pay on Election Day for politicizing Trump’s impeachment Pompeo to investigate charges of surveillance against Yovanovitch MORE was under surveillance by private American citizens intent on her removal from Kyiv and possibly threatening harm.
The secretary’s remarks, made in an interview with the Tony Katz Today radio program, mark his first public comments nearly two days since bombshell revelations emerged that an associate of Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiDems plan marathon prep for Senate trial, wary of Trump trying to ‘game’ the process House Democrats release second batch of Parnas materials Republicans will pay on Election Day for politicizing Trump’s impeachment MORE was discussing tracking the ambassador’s movements as part of a larger campaign to secure her removal.
“We will do everything we need to do to evaluate whether there was something that took place there,” Pompeo said in the interview.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I suspect that much of what’s been reported will ultimately prove wrong, but our obligation, my obligation as secretary of State, is to make sure that we evaluate, investigate. Any time there is someone who posits that there may have been a risk to one of our officers, we’ll obviously do that.”
Pompeo has come under harsh criticism from congressional Democrats and State Department officials for failing to speak out in defense of Yovanovitch, whose removal from her post in Kyiv in May is a central piece of the impeachment allegations against President TrumpDonald John TrumpNational Archives says it altered Trump signs, other messages in Women’s March photo Dems plan marathon prep for Senate trial, wary of Trump trying to ‘game’ the process Democratic lawmaker dismisses GOP lawsuit threat: ‘Take your letter and shove it’ MORE.
House investigators this week released new documents illustrating the larger effort to remove Yovanovitch from her post, including text message conversations between Lev Parnas, an associate of Giuliani, and Robert Hyde, a former Marine, Trump campaign donor and Connecticut congressional candidate.
Parnas told MSNBC’s Rachel MaddowRachel Anne MaddowDems plan marathon prep for Senate trial, wary of Trump trying to ‘game’ the process House Democrats release second batch of Parnas materials Pompeo to investigate charges of surveillance against Yovanovitch MORE that the only motivation to remove Yovanovitch was to make it easier to pressure the Ukrainian president, and that he worked at the direction of Giuliani who in turn kept the president updated on their efforts. The effort was focused on getting Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenSanders to headline Iowa event amid impeachment trial Hillicon Valley: Biden calls for revoking tech legal shield | DHS chief ‘fully expects’ Russia to try to interfere in 2020 | Smaller companies testify against Big Tech ‘monopoly power’ Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball on Sanders-Warren feud: ‘Don’t play to the pundits, play to voters’ MORE and his son Hunter Biden.
The president “knew exactly what was going on,” Parnas said in the interview.
In text messages that Hyde sent to Parnas, the former Marine alludes to having inside connections close to the ambassador and suggests he has her under physical surveillance.
Both Parnas and Hyde have since downplayed the exchanges, with Parnas saying he doesn’t believe Hyde had the capacity to track the ambassador and Hyde rejecting that he had eyes on Yovanovitch.
The president was impeached last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, for blocking witnesses and documents related to House Democrats’ investigation. A Senate trial to decide whether the president should be removed from office will take place next week.
Click Here: Cheap Golf Drivers