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US House opens public hearings in Trump impeachment probe

WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- US Charge D'affaires in Ukraine William Taylor appeared alongside Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent on Wednesday at the first open hearing by the House of Representative on the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
In his testimony, Taylor said, "Last Friday, a member of my staff told me of events that occurred on July 26th." "While Ambassador Vulcan and I--Volker and I visited the front, this member of my staff accompanied Ambassador Sondland. Ambassador Sondland met with Mr. Yermak," he recalled. "Following that meeting in the presence of my staff at a restaurant, Ambassador Sondland called President Trump and told him of his meetings in Kiev," Taylor added.
Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said he was alarmed by the efforts of Trump Administration to use US military aid to Ukraine to force initiating investigations into the family of former Vice President Joe Biden and the events relating the 2016 election.
He recalled that in mid-August, "it became clear to me that Giuliani's efforts to gin up politically motivated investigations were now infecting US engagement with Ukraine." He was referring to Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of Trump's personal lawyers.
On his part, the Democratic Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff said, "Neither of these investigations was in the US national interest, and neither was part of the official preparatory material for the call." "Both, however, were in Donald Trump's personal interest and in the interest of his 2020 reelection campaign," he added.
Trump reiterated that the impeachment probe is "a witch hunt." "It's a hoax. I'm too busy to watch it. I have not been briefed," he wrote on his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, a poll, conducted by Politico showed that a majority of voters, 62 percent, say there is no chance they could change their minds about impeachment.
Another 19 percent say there's only a small chance they change their minds.
The new poll shows 50 percent of voters support the impeachment inquiry, compared with 41 percent who oppose it. In early October, 50 percent of voters supported the inquiry, while 44 percent opposed it. (end) asj.gb