The Democrats' impeachment inquiry sprinted forward on Wednesday as a former State Department official arrived at the Capitol for what's expected to be another round of marathon testimony into the Trump administration's dealings with Ukraine.
Michael McKinley, a former top adviser to Secretary of State Mike PompeoMike PompeoFive takeaways from CPAC 2021 Pompeo: Release of Khashoggi report by Biden admin 'reckless' Trump wins CPAC straw poll with 55 percent MORE, is slated to discuss issues surrounding Pompeo's role in the administration's pressure campaign to get Ukrainian leaders to investigate one of Trump's leading political opponents, former Vice President Joe Biden
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That campaign, which resulted in the removal of Marie Yovanovitch from her post as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in May, is at the center of the Democrats' hard-charging investigation into whether Trump sought to enlist foreign leaders to boost his reelection chances next year.
The inquiry has been fueled by allegations, lodged by a government whistleblower, that Trump had also threatened to withhold almost $400 million in U.S. aide to Ukraine if President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to comply with the administration's request.
Pompeo was reportedly on the July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky, when Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart for "a favor" — a reference to opening the Bien investigation.
McKinley, a career diplomat who resigned last week, had been serving as U.S. ambassador to Brazil in 2018 when Pompeo brought him back to Washington to serve as an informal liaison between the agency brass and the department's career diplomats. His resignation was reportedly in protest of Pompeo's failure, as perceived by a growing number of State Department employees, to protect diplomats from the administration's Ukraine operations amid allegations that they were politically motivated.
With his testimony, McKinley becomes the fifth witness to appear before Congress since Speaker Nancy Pelosi


McKinley's appearance follows that of Kurt Volker

Democrats have emerged from each of the lengthy depositions with claims that the witness corroborated the whistleblower's charges, lending fuel to the Democrats' impeachment inquiry and fanning sentiments that the drafting of impeachment articles are all but inevitable.
Republicans, meanwhile, have defended Trump by focusing on the process, accusing Democrats of conducting a "clown show" — not an impeachment investigation — since the testimony is all being conducted privately and Pelosi has refused to stage a floor vote to launch the impeachment inquiry formally.
Olivia Beavers contributed.