Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, has admitted for the first time listening in on the phone call between the president of Ukraine and Donald Trump that has sparked an impeachment investigation into the US president.
Speaking on an official visit to Italy on Wednesday, Mr Pompeo confirmed media reports of his presence on the call between the two leaders, which has prompted a whistleblower to accuse Mr Trump of attempting to trade favours with the Ukrainian leader in return for intelligence he could use against Joe Biden, his potential Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential race.
Mr Pompeo has come under increasing scrutiny for his role in the scandal, with the secretary of state attempting to stall an impeachment investigation into Mr Trump’s behaviour, which the US president has described as a “coup”.
“Was I on the phone call? Yes, I was on the call,” Mr Pompeo said in a press conference in Rome. “It was about taking down the threat Russia poses there in Ukraine, helping the Ukrainians get graft out of their government, and to help this new government in Ukraine build a successful thriving economy.”
Read also: Whistleblower says White House tried to cover up Trump call
Mr Pompeo said he had been trying to defend employees of his department from what he said was intimidation from Democratic lawmakers, following congressional demands for documents and testimony from current and former officials.
“What we objected to was the demands that deeply violate principles of separation of powers. They contacted state department employees directly and told them not to contact legal counsel . . . We won’t tolerate folk on Capitol Hill bullying and intimidating state department employees,” Mr Pompeo said.
Despite Mr Pompeo’s defiance, the Democrats leading the investigation signalled their intent to keep pressing forward quickly. Elijah Cummings, who chairs the House oversight committee, on Wednesday threatened to send a subpoena to the White House for documents connected to the probe. Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, has also received a congressional subpoena.
The publication of a whistleblower complaint last week added fresh details to allegations that Mr Trump had abused his office by asking his Ukrainian opposite number Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Mr Biden and the business dealings of his son, Hunter.
