After the State Department blocked U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland from testifying before Congress on Tuesday, House Democrats responded with a subpoena, demanding Sondland hand over emails and text messages from his personal devices by Oct. 14 and appear for a deposition on Oct. 16.
As part of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, Sondland was scheduled to discuss Trump's dealings with Ukraine during closed door sessions with the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight committees Tuesday morning. When the State Department directed him not to testify, he was "required to follow their direction," Sondland's attorney Robert Luskin said. Sondland, he added, was "profoundly disappointed" that he was unable to give a deposition.
"The failure to produce this witness, the failure to produce these documents, we consider yet additional strong evidence of obstruction of the constitutional functions of Congress," House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters. Read more about the inquiry and what Democrats want to ask Sondland about at CNN.
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