During his testimony before lawmakers on Thursday, outgoing National Security Council aide Tim Morrison confirmed that there was in fact a quid pro quo associated with President Trump’s decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine, the New York Times reported.
Morrison told lawmakers behind closed doors Thursday that a top diplomat working with President Trump, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, told him that the military aid meant for Ukraine would not be released until Ukraine promised to open investigations into President Trump’s political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Morrison also confirmed a conversation between Sondland and Trump that Sondland described to congressional investigators. In that call, Trump told Sondland there was no quid pro quo, but then went on to “insist” that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announce an investigation into Biden and other Democrats, according to the Times.
While he made these key confirmations, Morrison asserted that he didn’t think there was anything illegal about Trump’s conversation with Zelensky.
