The Latest: Yovanovitch arrives on Hill for deposition
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on former U.S. Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and the House impeachment probe (all times local):
10:15 a.m.
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch has arrived on Capitol Hill for a deposition in the Democrats' impeachment inquiry despite President Donald Trump's position that his administration won't cooperate with the probe.
Yovanovitch was recalled from her post in May and is now a State Department fellow at Georgetown University. Trump said earlier this week that he would block officials from testifying.
Democrats are investigating Trump's direct pleas to Ukrainian officials to launch investigations of political rival Joe Biden and his family. The Associated Press reported Thursday that a former diplomat, recalling a recent conversation with Yovanovich, said she was removed after insisting that the requests for investigations be relayed according to long-established protocol.
Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv in May as Rudy Giuliani - who is Trump's personal attorney and has no official role in the U.S. government - pushed Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless corruption allegations against the Bidens.
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9:30 a.m.
Lawyers for Ambassador Gordon Sondland say he'll appear for an interview before a joint House committee taking depositions in the impeachment probe of President Donald Trump despite having been ordered by the State Department not to appear.
Sondland attorneys Robert Luskin and Kwame Manley say Sondland will honor a congressional subpoena and "looks forward to testifying" Oct. 17. The lawyers said Friday that Sondland has no agenda apart from answering questions "fully and truthfully."
Sondland is the sitting U.S. ambassador to the European Union and an employee of the State Department.
His lawyers say he also has been ordered to produce "relevant documents" but he won't be bringing documents with him. They say the State Department has sole authority to produce such documents and that Sondland hopes they'll be shared with the committees before his testimony.
The State Department directed Sondland not to appear for his previously scheduled voluntary deposition on Tuesday. The joint House committee issued the subpoena for Sondland's testimony on Wednesday.
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1:40 a.m.
The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine was removed from her post after insisting that Rudy Giuliani's requests to Ukrainian officials for investigations be relayed through official channels. That's according to a former diplomat who has spoken with her.
The ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, is scheduled to testify before congressional lawmakers Friday as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Democrats say they expect her to appear despite the White House's position that no administration officials cooperate with the probe.
Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv in May as Giuliani - who is Trump's personal attorney and has no official role in the U.S. government - pushed Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless corruption allegations against the Bidens.