BREAKING AP - 2nd US embassy official overheard Trump's call with Sondland re: Ukraine investigation

[kpete]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A second U.S. embassy staffer in Kyiv overheard a key cellphone call between President Donald Trump and his ambassador to the European Union discussing the need for Ukrainian officials to pursue “investigations,” The Associated Press has learned.

The July 26 call between Trump and Gordon Sondland was first described during testimony Wednesday by William Taylor, the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Taylor said one of his staffers overhead the call while Sondland was in a restaurant the day after Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that triggered the House impeachment inquiry.

The second diplomatic staffer also at the table was Suriya Jayanti, a foreign service officer based in Kyiv. A person briefed on what Jayanti overheard spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter under investigation.


https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-11-14/ap-source-2nd-us-official-heard-trump-call-with-sondland
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212685035

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[DURHAM D]

1. .

[C_U_L8R]

2. Haha... perjury trap.

It seems Sondland has done himself in.

[brooklynite]

3. C'mon, how does he know it wasn't a prank call with Alec Baldwin?

[Leghorn21]

4. NO FUCKIN WAY!!!

OMG I AM SO DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY!!!

NO WAY!!!

[Grammy23]

5. The plot thickens --

Don’t burn your popcorn, but do start getting ready to load the popper. Heh, heh, heh.....

[malaise]

6. Imagine being a hotel owner and ending up in a prison cell

for lying to Congress over a cellphone call. Fuck you Sondland. Go to Jail - do not pass Go.

[ScratchCat]

12. Its even funnier

When you realize he paid a $1 million tribute for that ambassadorship. He may be the first person to buy himself into prison!

Just think of all the people who would not have faced legal jeopardy, plea to crimes and/or be in prison if Donald Trump would have simply not run for President or if the GOP would have pulled the nomination after Access Hollywood!?! Its mind boggling how many people's lives have been changed by such stupid decisions.

[malaise]

15. For real

Must have wanted to show off as a European Ambassador real bad.
They say fools die for want of wisdom.

[dawg day]

7. Oh, good grief, think of it. The ambassador must have had the president on SPEAKER PHONE

And this was the president who convinced 47% of the voters that Hillary Clinton having a private server (that never got hacked) was a security breach worthy of imprisonment.

[LastDemocratInSC]

18. Cellphones can be pretty loud even without being on speakerphone.

The transducer in the phone is designed to work as an earpiece or a loudspeaker. Even when used against the ear a person nearby may hear the entire conversation unless the sound is turned down really low.

On older phones, way back when, the earpiece on the handset had a cupped shape that helped to prevent eavesdropping but cellphones are now flat. A similar cupped feature would destroy the esthetics of the phone so hearing the remote party on the call is much easier than in the past.

[triron]

8. Hope this staffer talks to the committee.

[grumpyduck]

9. Moral of the story:

If you're planning something illegal, don't do it in a restaurant.

IDIOT!!!!!!

[Leghorn21]

10. A tweeter rejoices:

”FINALLY some pizzazz!”

YEAH BABY!

[UpInArms]

11. A call on an unsecured cellphone

From a foreign country where you know the Russians are listening

This is freaking insane

[ScratchCat]

13. And didn't a certain GOP Senator

Just demand that he is given all texts and emails sent between Hillary Clinton and President Obama "while in the territory of a sophisticated adversary"?

You can't make this shit up.

[dawg day]

14. I know Trump gets away with everything--

But the echo of the "smoking gun" from Nixon's downfall really resonates here.

That was a recording of Nixon telling aides to use the CIA to cover up the Watergate burglary.

This isn't a recording, unfortunately, and no doubt the GOP will contend that this is "hearsay" (though they HEARD the president) and a lie.

But Sondland's got no reason to want to go to jail for Trump. He gave Trump $1million for this job, which really must frost him now. I heard that his wife-- who is seeing their business decrease because of Trump-- is very much against him going down with the Trump ship.

Anyway, this kind of direct evidence of direct interference is exactly what was the final nail for Nixon.

Richard Nixon, wherever he is, is probably beaming happily now, because those of us who lived through Watergate are now saying things like, "Okay, he was a crook, but at least he didn't sell out to Russia. Okay, he's a crook, but he didn't assault 26 women. Okay, he's a crook, but at least he did a few good things, like opening contact with China and the EPA."

[The_Counsel]

19. Too Bad This Isn't a Perfect World...

...because if it was, Mr. Trump would be in prison RIGHT FUCKIN’ NOW!

Sadly, mobsters and wannabe mobsters get to enjoy the fruits for far too long before they get what’s coming to ‘em—if at all.

[Mike 03]

16. Kick!

[madaboutharry]

17. ETTTD

It is rather amazing that everyone who comes into Trump's orbit ends up ruined one way or the other. It is like a pandemic disease that is metaphorically wiping out the entire population of Trumpworld. Even if they avoid going to jail, where do they go from here? They will always be trapped in MAGA land. How do these sycophants even begin to rehabilitate their reputations?

[The_Counsel]

20. This Is What I Can't Seem to Figure Out...

What are these idiots getting out of their association with the Ferret-Headed Rat Bastid, and is it really worth all this? I mean...if it were me, I’d be like: “HELL, FUCKIN’ NAW...” but I’m not these idiots, thus the disconnect...

[Doremus]

22. In for a penny, in for a pound.

There really is no where they can go until the Trump shitshow implodes and the party can try to pick up some of the pieces. Personally, I would do whatever I could to make that process happen sooner rather than later but there is probably some wisdom in hanging back in the shadows, ducking the flying pieces of goo.

[Kingofalldems]

21. Kick and rec this

[4nic8em]

23. Sondlands' ass

Game, Set, Match.

[crickets]

24. Keyword: Naftogaz. Here we go. nt