The Atlantic

Gordon Sondland’s Damning—But Delayed—Testimony

Gaps in the ambassador’s recollection frustrated Democrats and offered Republicans an opportunity to undermine his revelations.
Source: Andrew Harnik / AP

Gordon Sondland this morning delivered the most damning congressional testimony against President Donald Trump since that of James Comey, the former FBI director whose firing led to a two-year investigation that consumed Trump’s presidency.

But Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, is no Comey, whose seemingly photographic memory and extensive contemporaneous note-taking provided key evidence for Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s obstruction-of-justice probe.

“I’m not a note-taker, nor am I a memo writer. Never have been,” Sondland told the House Intelligence Committee this morning. Nor, it appears, does he have a particularly

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic5 min readAmerican Government
What Nikki Haley Is Trying to Prove
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Nikki Haley faces terrible odds in her home state of
The Atlantic3 min read
The Coen Brothers’ Split Is Working Out Fine
It’s still a mystery why the Coen brothers stopped working together. The pair made 18 movies as a duo, from 1984’s Blood Simple to 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, setting a new standard for black comedy in American cinema. None of those movies w

Related Books & Audiobooks