WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today released the following statement after President Trump and Secretary Hegseth sent a letter to the U.S. House Ethics Committee, Oversight Committee, and Armed Services Committee full of baseless innuendos, half-truths and false accusations.
This letter was sent just one day after Vindman spoke on the floor of the U.S. House demanding the release of a call transcript between President Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salaman.
Vindman said, “Unlike the President, I have nothing to hide. Donald Trump and his lackeys are working overtime to weaponize the government against his political opponents.
“This week, I demanded the release of a 2019 phone call transcript between President Trump and MBS. This obviously touched a nerve. The very next day, they spew lies to silence and intimidate me. It’s not going to work.
“I’ll save President Trump and Secretary Hegseth some time: I never took a dime from a Ukrainian citizen or government entity, directly or indirectly. I followed the law and properly complied with all relevant regulations.
“This is not the first time the president has attacked me, and it won’t be the last.
“But let’s be clear about what he’s trying so hard to distract from: his disturbing phone call with the Saudi Crown Prince after the murder of journalist and Virginia resident Jamal Khashoggi.
“I have one message to Virginians and Americans: I never back down from a fight. Not now, not ever.”
BACKGROUND
On Tuesday, November 18, Vindman spoke on the floor of the U.S. House to demand President Trump release transcript of 2019 call with Mohammed bin Salman. Following Khashoggi’s murder in 2018, Vindman served on NSC staff in the first Trump Administration and reviewed a phone call that he believes would be of interest to both the Khashoggi family and the American people — especially given Trump’s disturbing defense of the Saudi Crown Prince in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
On Thursday, November 21, Vindman led a group of 37 U.S. House lawmakers in sending a letter to President Donald Trump calling for the immediate release of the transcript of a 2019 phone call between President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
On Friday, November 22, Vindman hosted Hanan Elatr Khashoggi — the wife of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi — on Capitol Hill to amplify her story and urge President Trump to release the transcript of his 2019 call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Further calling out the incompetence of Trump and his Administration, Vindman questioned Secretary Hegseth during the budget oversight hearing for the House Armed Services Committee. Vindman repeated his call for Hegseth to resign.
In the wake of Signalgate, Vindman was among the first lawmakers to call for Hegseth to resign.
Before being sworn in as a Member of Congress, Vindman divested from Trident Support, LLC. He never received payment from the government of Ukraine or any Ukrainian citizen or entity as part of this venture — or in any other capacity.
The Trump administration has also attempted to intimidate and silence other Democratic lawmakers such as Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Representatives Robert Garcia (D-Calif.-42), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.-15), and LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10).
This week, Trump called for the execution of Members of Congress who have restated military law including Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.-17) , Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.-02), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.-06), and Jason Crow (D-Colo.-06).
Click here to view the document sent by the Department of Defense to the aforementioned U.S. House Committees which is full of lies about Vindman and just another example of retribution from Trump for seeking the truth.
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