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January 15, 2020

WaPo: Threatening Text Messages Show Yovanovitch Was Under Surveillance
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The Washington Post reports explosive new information at the center of
the impeachment inquiry. New materials released by House Democrats show
text messages between former Giuliani associate Lev Parnas and Robert
Hyde, a Republican congressional candidate from Connecticut, in which
the two have threatening exchanges about Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S.
ambassador to Ukraine. In the text messages, Parnas and Hyde discuss how
Yovanovitch was under surveillance. In one message, Hyde wrote, "They
are willing to help if we/you would like a price. … Guess you can do
anything in the Ukraine with money…what I was told." In another message,
Hyde described being in contact with a security team near the embassy,
apparently monitoring her physical movements. He wrote, "Her phone is
off. Computer is off. … They will let me know when she's on the move."
Yovanovitch later received a call from the State Department and was told
to leave Ukraine immediately. Her lawyer is now calling for an
investigation. Yovanovitch has repeatedly said she felt threatened by
Trump, who called her "bad news" in his now-infamous July 25 call with
Ukrainian President Zelensky. During this call, Trump also said of
Yovanovitch, "She's going to go through some things."


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