Official Tells Impeachment Probe He Wanted Pompeo to Back Envoy

Rare Saturday hearing held to hear from key State official
Committees ramping up impeachment schedule for witnesses

The sun rises near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S.Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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By Erik Wasson, Billy House, and Nick Wadhams

October 26, 2019 at 10:00 AM UTC

Updated on

October 27, 2019 at 1:10 AM UTC

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The State Department’s top diplomat for Europe told impeachment investigators Saturday he was disappointed Secretary of State Michael Pompeo didn’t back the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine when she was targeted in a smear campaign by President Donald Trump and his associates, a person familiar with his testimony said.

Speaking for more than eight hours in a rare Saturday session, Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary for Europe, said he pushed department leadership to make a statement of support for Marie Yovanovitch to counter the push to get her recalled, led by Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.