It’s easy to see why the GOP wanted Morrison as a witness. He said things that support some of the GOP defenses.
He also offered testimony that contradicted those same defenses.
Fiona Hill was replaced by Tim Morrison, who’d never heard of the black ledger, was unaware of Giuliani’s statements about Ukraine, and never looked into Yovanovitch’s removal or anything to do with Lutsenko.
He learned he was getting the job on July 1.
His job wasn’t to offer advice, but to ensure consistent messaging and policy guidance on national security issues involving European and Russian affairs.
Before taking the job, he had “limited exposure to Ukraine.”
Before Fiona Hill departed, she told Morrison that Sondland and Giuliani were trying to get Zelensky to reopen Ukrainian investigations into Burisma. Morrison googled Burisma and “Hunter Biden” came up.
He agreed with Hill that he should “stay out of politics.”
To Morrison, this meant he should “stay away from the Gordon channel” and what he called the “Burisma bucket.”
He knew nothing about the July 10th meeting. (What meeting? Click here and scroll down)
He didn’t have time to catch up on previous meetings.
On or around July 15 he learned about the hold on security assistance. He knew the DOD in consultation with the State Department had already certified that Ukraine met the preconditions to release the aid.
He attended a July 23: meeting about whether Trump had the legal right to withhold the funds.
He listened to the July 25 Zelensky-Trump call. I suspect the GOP thinks he’ll be a good witness for them because he said this:
He also said that he had no clue what CrowdStrike or the server referred to.
However, he reported the call to Eisenberg because he was concerned that the substance would affect bipartisan support for Ukraine and Ukrainian perceptions of the US-Ukraine relationship.
A few other things about the call concerned him.
He was concerned that Zelensky seemed “obsequious.” He knew that Sondland had briefed the president for the call, so when he heard Trump mention Biden, he thought “Fiona was right, there is this parallel process.”
He was afraid the call would be “leaked” and he was afraid the call would be politicized. So he told Eisenberg that access to the call should be restricted. (Later, though, he said, though, this wasn’t a “recommendation.”
Morrison thought the point of the Trump-Zelensky call was to “engage the Zelensky administration, to test him.”
At a July 26 meeting with OMB, Mulvaney explained that Trump wanted to make sure Ukraine was doing enough to manage that corruption.
This made sense to Morrison.
Aug, 28th: the Ukrainians were frustrated to learn about the hold on security clearance. They were looking for clarity about where there was a hold and what the review was looking at. Morrison encouraged them to hold true, continue with corruption reform.
Morrison attended the September Pence-Zelensky meeting in Warsaw. The meeting was cordial. Pence conveyed support for what Zelensky was trying to do, and focussed on “Trump’s concerns” about corruption. No one mentioned the hold on the aid or the Bidens.
Also in Warsaw, Morrison witnessed a discussion between Sondland and Yermak (Zelensky’s top advisor). Sondland said, “what could help them move the aid was if the prosecutor general would go to the mike and announce that he was opening the investigation.”
Morrison understood that “investigation” meant Bidens and Burisma. He testified that Sondland’s proposal was interfering with what he was trying to do.
Morrison contacted Bolton, Taylor, and the NSC lawyers to inform them about this conversation.
Morrison contacted Bolton, Taylor, and the NSC lawyers to inform them about this conversation. Bolton told Morrison to “stay out of it, brief the lawyers.”
Morrison and Bolton were frustrated that Sondland’s direct boss (Pompeo) wasn’t reining him in.
Morrison also testified that Sondland said he was working at the direction of Trump, and that he had direct access to Trump.
Morrison and Bolton “strategized on how to get the President to yes on the security assistance.”
Morrison also testified that he and Bolton were “mindful” that Sondland was “this free radical out there.” Morrison’s hope was that the top levels of the administration (I assume meaning Trump) wouldn’t end up listening to Sondland.
Sept 7: Morrison had a “sinking feeling” after this conversation with Sondland: (Notice the part about going to the microphone, and also the the utter —and almost comic— confusion about the meaning of ‘quid pro quo.’)
September 11: Morrison attended a meeting where it was decided to lift the freeze on the assistance. Trump, Pence, Senator Portman, and Mulvaney were present.
Morrison believes that he was part of the “process” that gave Trump the confidence he needed to release the aid. (In other words, Yay Morrison)
Of course, Morrison’s theory ignores the timeline Pelosi talks about here.
Another reason GOP thinks Morrison is a good witness: Morrison’s regret is that Ukraine ever learned of the review. He thinks the aid should have been transferred and everything hushed. With this impeachment inquiry, “Ukraine is subsumed in the US political process”
In other words, Morrison implies that it is all the fault of the Democrats for opening an impeachment inquiry and embroiling Ukraine in our politics.
