The Latest Smoking Guns

U.S. Embassy official David Holmes is stepping forward, filling in some of the missing pieces in the Trump- Ukraine extortion/ bribery scheme, providing first- hand knowledge of the Giant Toddler's purpose in shaking down Ukraine.  Strategically memory- challenged Gordon Sondland will have some 'splaining to do:

David Holmes told lawmakers in a closed-door impeachment inquiry Friday that US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland had told Trump the Ukrainian President would do "anything you ask him to" and that Sondland had confirmed the Ukrainians were going to "do the investigation," one day after Trump has asked Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, according to a copy of Holmes' opening statement obtained by CNN.

Holmes' statement confirmed the testimony from Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, who revealed the July 26 phone call with lawmakers at his public testimony Wednesday, saying Holmes had informed Taylor about it after he first appeared on Capitol Hill behind closed doors last month. Holmes' testimony places Trump closer to the push for Ukraine to open an investigation into his political rival, and raises additional questions about the testimony of Sondland, who is scheduled to testify publicly next week.

"Sondland told Trump that Zelensky 'loves your ass,' " Holmes said, according to a copy of his opening statement. "I then heard President Trump ask, 'So, he's gonna do the investigation?' Ambassador Sondland replied that 'he's gonna do it,' adding that President Zelensky will do 'anything you ask him to.'" 

Holmes, who was subpoenaed to appear on Friday, explained that Sondland had placed the call to Trump, and he could hear Trump because the call was so loud on the terrace of a restaurant, where they dined with two others. [snip]

Holmes also confirmed Taylor's testimony about the President's thoughts on Ukraine, saying he had asked Sondland "if it was true that the President did not 'give a s--- about Ukraine." 

Holmes said Sondland had responded that Trump cares only about "big stuff." When Holmes said that the Ukraine war was big, Sondland responded, " 'Big stuff' that benefits the President, like the Biden investigation that Mr. Giuliani was pushing," Holmes said. (our emphasis)

Holmes's opening statement is at the link embedded above.

Sondland is expected to appear for a second round of testimony on Wednesday.  Now that he's seen Roger Stone facing hard time for lying to Congress, Sondland may be ready to remember more about the direct connection nitwit crime family boss Donald "The Dumb Don" Trump had in the extortion/ bribery scheme.  One has to wonder also how many intelligence services, in addition to our own, were monitoring the non- secure call.

I hear a whoosh of refreshment coming https://t.co/CppC9WFAnd

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) November 16, 2019

Oh, and there's this minor, related matter:

EXCLUSIVE: At last year's WH Hanukkah party, Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman had a private meeting w Trump & Giuliani during which Trump tasked the two men with “a secret mission” to pressure the Ukrainian gov't to investigate Joe & Hunter Biden, sources say. https://t.co/LoeQ7msJIA

— Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) November 16, 2019

Details, please:

Among the many guests who had their pictures taken with President Donald Trump at the White House's annual Hanukkah party [!] last year were two Soviet-born businessmen from Florida, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman.  [snip]

At one point during the party that night, Parnas and Fruman slipped out of a large reception room packed with hundreds of Trump donors to have a private meeting with the President and Giuliani, according to two acquaintances in whom Parnas confided right after the meeting.

Word of the encounter in the White House last December, which has not been previously reported, is further indication that Trump knew Parnas and Fruman, despite Trump publicly stating that he did not on the day after the two men were arrested at Dulles International Airport last month.

Eventually, according to what Parnas told his confidants, the topic turned to Ukraine that night. According to those two confidants, Parnas said that "the big guy," as he sometimes referred to the President in conversation, talked about tasking him and Fruman with what Parnas described as "a secret mission" to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. (our emphasis)

Parnas, of course, is now cooperating with the House impeachment inquiry as well as with Southern District of New York prosecutors after his and Fruman's indictments for conspiracy, false statements and falsification of records in violation of campaign financing laws. 

[cough cough] The smoke from all those guns going off is getting pretty thick.