Politics & Government
Trump Knew Of Whistle-Blower When Aid Went To Ukraine: NY Times
The New York Times reports that the president was briefed about the whistle-blower complaint in late August.
WASHINGTON — President Trump had already been briefed on a whistle-blower’s complaint over with Ukraine when he unfroze military aid for the country in September, according to The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Lawyers from the White House counsel’s office told Trump in late August about the complaint, the Times reported.
The Times explains that the timing could shed light on Trump’s thinking at two critical points under scrutiny by impeachment investigators: his decision in early September to release $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine and his denial to a key ambassador around the same time that there was a “quid pro quo” with Kiev. Trump used the phrase before it had entered the public lexicon in the Ukraine affair.
Find out what's happening in White Housefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.