Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Phil Reeker has arrived at the U.S. Capitol. Reeker is meeting behind closed doors to testify before the House committees on Saturday as part of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. (Oct. 26) AP, AP
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The impeachment inquiry has resumed following the conclusion of ceremonies for the funeral of Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings.
Today, the congressional committees leading the impeachment inquiry are interviewing State Department official Philip Reeker in the first Saturday deposition so far.
The House Foreign Affairs, Oversight, and Intelligence Committees are leading a probe into the Trump administration’s withholding of military aid to Ukraine unless the Ukrainian government opened investigations into President Donald Trump’s political rivals.
Check back for all of the impeachment news updates for Saturday.
Reeker subpoenaed, answering questions
An official working on the impeachment inquiry told USA TODAY that Reeker was subpoenaed to appear today “In light of an attempt by the State Department to direct Ambassador Philip Reeker not to appear for his scheduled deposition, and efforts by the State Department to also limit any testimony that does occur.”
“As is required of him, Ambassador Reeker is now complying with the subpoena and answering questions,” the official said.
Reeker arrives for his deposition
Reeker, who serves as the Acting Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, will likely be asked about the dismissal of Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch as well as what Ambassador William Taylor described as an “irregular channel” of Ukraine policymaking.
Check back throughout the day to keep up with Thursday’s impeachment news.
Reeker arrived for his deposition despite the State Department’s decision not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.
It is unclear if Reeker arrived under a subpoena or not, but other State Department witnesses have been subpoenaed by the congressional committees to compel their testimony after the Trump administration moved to block them from appearing.
More: All of the people who have been subpoenaed so far in House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry
Trump calls the inquiry “corrupt and fake”
In a Saturday morning tweet, Trump slammed the inquiry as “corrupt and fake.”
The president has railed against the impeachment inquiry and has insisted there was no wrongdoing in his conduct in Ukraine.
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