House Intel Democrat: Sondland’s testimony will show ‘solicitation of a bribe’

Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.) said Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland’s testimony will show President Trump participated in the “solicitation of a bribe.”

Maloney told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” that the “evidence is building” against President Trump in the impeachment inquiry. He said President Trump’s call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky demonstrated the White House was withholding military aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. 

{mosads}The Democrat, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, said that qualifies as a “solicitation of a bribe” and an “impeachable offense under the Constitution.” The New York representative said Sondland would further confirm this narrative in his public testimony this week.

“Sadly, my friend Chris Stewart is going to get his wish this week when we get testimony from Ambassador Sondland who at the president’s instruction told the Ukrainians either go to a microphone and announce an investigation of the Bidens or there will not be military assistance,” he said, referencing fellow “This Week” guest Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah). “That is solicitation of a bribe.”

Democratic Rep. Sean Maloney says Pres. Trump’s conversation with Ukraine Pres. Zelenskiy over allegedly withholding military aid for investigation into the Bidens is “solicitation of a bribe.”

“That is an impeachable offense listed in the Constitution.” https://t.co/wtwOq6TvyA pic.twitter.com/7L3q4PiNhP

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 17, 2019

The first public hearings of the impeachment inquiry took place last week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) launched an impeachment inquiry into the president after a whistleblower report detailed Trump’s ask to Zelensky for an investigation into Biden, days after the U.S. withheld military aid from the country.