MR. RATCLIFFE: Ambassador Taylor, my name is John Ratcliffe.So did the goal post just move?
Asking for quid pro quo is fine, but since there wasn't an exchange, its okay?
Let me draw you a timeline:
September 1: Sondland relayed the message that the withholding of military aide was connected to a public statement on the Bidens.
September 8: Sondland told Taylor that the Ukrainians have agreed to do a CNN interview set for September 13th.
September 11: White house finally released military aid to Ukraine, due to whistleblower making public the call, and public attention about this matter.
September 13 is the date of the CNN interview with Ukrainian president. Was canceled due to whistle blower complaint becoming public.
I want to read from direct you to your opening statement this morning, page 9, the bottom paragraph, and it
reads: "Just days later, on August 27, Ambassador Bolton arrived in Kyiv and met with President Zelensky. During
their meeting"
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: Congressman, can I get you to hold on? I'm looking at a different one. Yeah, thank you.
MR. RATCLIFFE: Last paragraph, page 9.
AMBASSAD0R TAYL0R: Yes , got it . Okay , met with . Yes .
MR. RATCLIFFE: "During their meeting, security assistance was not discussed amazingly, news of the hold
did not leak out until August 29. I, on the other hand, was aIl too aware of and still troubled by the hold."
Have I read that correctly?
AMBASSAD0R TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. It sounds like, from your statement today, that you were aware of the hold and troubled
by i but that President Zelensky was not aware of it at that point in time.
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: That is correct.
MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. So, based on your knowledge, nobody in the Ukrainian Government became aware of a hold on
military aid until 2 days later, on August 29th.
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: That's my understanding.
MR. RATCLIFFE: That's your understanding. And that would have been well over a month after the July 25th call
between President Trump and President Zelensky.
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: Correct.
MR. RATCLIFFE: So you're not a lawyer, are you, Ambassador Taylor?
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: I am not .
MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. So the idea of a quid pro quo is it's a concept where there is a demand for action or an
attempt to influence action in exchange for something eIse. And in this case, when people are talking about a quid pro
quo, that something else is military aid. So, if nobody in the Ukrainian Government is aware of a military hold at the time of the Trump-Zelensky call, then, as a matter of law and as a matter of fact, there can be no quid pro quo, based on military aid. I just want to be real clear that, again, as of July 25th, you have no knowledge of a quid pro quo involving military aid .
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: July 25th is a week after the hold was put on the security assistance. And July 25th, they had
a conversation between the two Presidents, where it was not discussed.
MR. RATCLIFFE: And to your knowledge, nobody in the Ukrainian Government was aware of the hold?
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR: That is correct.
MR. RATCLIFFE: Great. Thank you for clarifying.