WASHINGTON — The former special U.S. envoy to Ukraine told lawmakers Thursday that he wasn’t personally involved in President Donald Trump’s effort to have that country’s leaders investigate Joe Biden’s family and said he warned Ukrainians to steer clear of American politics.
Kurt Volker, who has become a central figure in the House’s impeachment inquiry, spent hours behind closed doors as lawmakers and staff pored through dozens of pages of text messages, photos and other correspondence during the interview, according to those familiar with the meeting.
Volker appeared straightforward and forthcoming, and there was no question he did not answer, said one person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private session.
The daylong appearance is the first in what is expected to be a series of interviews with officials inside and outside the State Department. House investigators want to understand if they played any role or have more information about Trump’s efforts to press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for damaging information about the former vice president, who is now a Democratic presidential contender and top Trump rival.
The State Department said Volker has confirmed that he put a Zelenskiy adviser in contact with Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, at the Ukrainian adviser’s request, and Giuliani has said he was in frequent contact with Volker.
Volker told investigators Thursday he warned Giuliani not to rely on information coming from Ukraine’s former top prosecutor, Yuri Lutsenko. The former prosecutor general reportedly had been in contact with Giuliani, the person said.
Giuliani has played a central role in Trump’s efforts to launch a Ukrainian corruption probe into the Bidens that’s now part of the impeachment inquiry.
Volker resigned Friday after being asked to testify to Congress about the whistleblower complaint that describes how Trump, in a July 25 phone call, repeatedly prodded Zelenskiy for an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter, while his administration delayed the release of military aid to help Ukraine fight Russia-backed separatists. The complaint says Volker met in Kyiv with Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian political figures a day after the call, and he provided advice about how to “navigate” Trump’s demands.
Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the same time his father was leading the Obama administration’s diplomatic dealings with Kyiv. Although the timing raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice president or his son.
Volker agreed to a voluntary interview with lawmakers and congressional staff, led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California, as Democrats dig deeper into the administration’s handling of Ukraine.
Volker was said to be eager to appear and tell his side of the situation. The former envoy was in office as the administration was holding back $250 million for Ukraine at the time Trump was pressing Zelenskiy about the Bidens. Volker told the House investigators it was unusual for the U.S. to withhold aid to Ukraine, but said he was given no explanation for it, the person said.
Republican lawmakers who took part in the interview with Volker downplayed what they heard.
“Not one thing he has said comports with any of the Democrats’ impeachment narrative, not one thing,” said Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
