Tim Morrison, the National Security Council’s senior director for European affairs, reportedly testified that a fellow National Security official had warned him to stay away from Rudy Giuliani’s Ukraine scheme.
Morrison told House impeachment investigators that during the summer, then-White House official Fiona Hill had advised him to avoid Giuliani’s secret efforts to pressure Ukraine to inflict political damage upon President Donald Trump’s political enemies, according to CNN.
The national security official’s opening remarks mention that he and Hill had discussed Ukraine as she was helping him transition into her former role.
“In that discussion, she informed me of her concerns about two Ukraine processes that were occurring: the normal interagency process led by the NSC with the typical department and agency participation and a separate process that involved chiefly the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union,” Morrison said. “Dr. Hill told me that Ambassador Sondland and President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, were trying to get President Zelensky to reopen Ukrainian investigations into Burisma.”
As one of the officials who was on the infamous call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Morrison provided crucial information on Trump and Giuliani’s dealings with Ukraine.
Though Morrison told Congress he “was not concerned that anything illegal was discussed” during the call, he largely backed up acting Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor’s explosive account detailing a quid pro quo between Trump and Ukraine over military aid to Ukraine and a White House meeting.
