GOP’s Conaway questions Yovanovitch on reputation, new post

Rep. Mike Conaway argued Friday that Marie Yovanovitch’s life has not been significantly altered by her dismissal from her former position as ambassador to Ukraine in May even though she says it was.

It was the first time during the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment hearings that Conaway, a Texas Republican, asked a witness questions. He gave up his time Wednesday so that fellow Texas Republican John Ratcliffe could ask questions.

Conaway Friday asked Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, about her current position as a fellow at Georgetown University, her reputation among her State Department colleagues and any change in her compensation as a State Department official today versus when she worked in Ukraine.

Yovanovitch had said during her opening statement at the hearing that “When I returned to the United States, Deputy Secretary of State (john) Sullivan told me there had been a concerted campaign against me, that the president no longer wished me to serve as ambassador to Ukraine, and that in fact, the president had been pushing for my removal since the prior summer,”

Conaway asked whether her colleagues held her in less regard as a result.

“Do they shove you at the lunch counter or treat you any less badly as a result of the way you were treated by the president?” he asked.

Yovanovitch answered that she did not experience any change in compensation between her ambassador position in Ukraine and her current fellowship. She also said that she’s received an “outpouring of support” from her colleagues at the State Department.

“Okay, so the folks that you respect the most still respect you up here and hold you up to a high regard,” Conaway said.

Yovanovitch testified for more than five hours Friday.

She answered questions about her time as ambassador, a position she held from August 2016 to May 2019. She also spoke about her sudden removal from Ukraine in May, just months after she was asked to extend her time in that country and during what she said was an alleged smear campaign against her, orchestrated by Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, and his associates.

Democrats on the Intelligence Committee disputed Conaway’s argument that Yavonovitch’s recall did not significantly affect her.

“It’s like a Hallmark movie,” Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, said sarcastically. “You ended up at Georgetown and it’s all okay.”

Immediately after Conaway spoke Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, cited the effects the experience had on Yovanovitch’s reputation, despite the support from her State Department colleagues and her compensation.

“Today we’ve seen you as this former ambassador, this 33-year veteran of the foreign service, but I want to know about you personally and how this has affected you personally, and your family,” Sewell asked.

“It’s been a difficult time,” Yovanovitch answered. “I mean, there’s a question as to why the kind of campaign to get me out of Ukraine happened.”

Ratcliffe didn’t address Conaway’s argument during his own questioning time. Rank and file committee members each get five minutes to ask questions.

“I obviously didn’t focus on that and my questioning going forward will continue to focus on whatever the impeachment inquiry is that day,” Ratcliffe told McClatchy at the end of the hearing.

He used his questioning time on Friday to focus on Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden. Ratcliffe wanted to know more about Hunter Biden’s role in Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, whose head was investigated for corruption.

Ratcliffe referenced Yovanovitch’s confirmation hearings in 2016, where she was prepared by State Department officials to answer questions about a potential conflict of interest regarding Hunter Biden and his seat on the board of Burisma. She did not answer those questions about Biden during her confirmation hearing.

“[The State Department] though Hunter Biden’s role in Burisma might be significant enough it would come up during your confirmation,” he asked. “Is that correct?”

“Apparently so,” Yovanovitch answered.

Due to her response, Ratcliffe argued near the end of the hearing that Hunter Biden be brought in to testify in front of the committee.

“I’d like to renew my request ... that Hunter Biden’s testimony [in front of this committee] that has been requested by the Republicans be considered as legitimate, rather than as a sham,” he argued at the end of his questioning time.

This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 4:52 PM with the headline "GOP’s Conaway questions Yovanovitch on reputation, new post."