Pompeo: will cooperate with impeachment trial if required by law

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media after the 2019 U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the State Department in Washington, U.S., December 18, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that he would be happy to testify for a Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump if that would be required by law.

“I’m happy to do document productions, I’m happy to testify if that’s appropriate, required by the law,” Pompeo said at a news conference with Indian foreign and defense ministers and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

“State Department has done the same thing all the way through, we will continue to do so,” he said.

His comments came as the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives debated before historic votes on charges accusing Trump of abusing his power and obstructing Congress.

The House inquiry is focusing on Trump’s request in July call that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma.

Early in the probe, Pompeo sternly objected to efforts to obtain depositions from current and former State Department officials and accused Democrats of bullying and intimidation. He has refused to heed subpoenas for documents.

Since then, several of the State Department’s top Ukraine and Russia diplomats have testified before the House Intelligence Committee as part of the inquiry.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/Reuters/PoliticsNews/~3/v2EQzCt3IIA/pompeo-will-cooperate-with-impeachment-trial-if-required-by-law-idUSKBN1YM2A4