Trump Envoy: There was "Quid Pro Quo" with Ukraine, but it "Was Not Corrupt"

Ambassador Sondland shakes hands with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

According to a person familiar with the upcoming testimony of Trump envoy Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union plans to testify that there was indeed a quid pro quo with Ukraine surrounding the infamous July phone call between the President of Ukraine and President Trump. However, the quid pro quo "was not a corrupt one."

On Tuesday, the President blocked Mr. Sondland from appearing in front of Congress. This coming week, however, Sondland is expected to appear anyway.

In the upcoming testimony, Ambassador Sondland is expected to state that his text message, stating there was "no quid pro quo" in President Trump's dealings with Ukraine did not come from him. Instead, that statement came directly from the President himself.

Sondland will also state that he was unaware that Mr. Trump's repeated references to investigating the Ukrainian company Burisma was meant to target Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.

That President Trump demanded that Ukraine investigate the company, in exchange for an audience for the White House, did not make Mr. Sondland think there was a "corrupt" quid pro quo happening.

“It was a quid pro quo, but not a corrupt one,” a person familiar with Sondland’s testimony told the Washington Post.