The top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine says two other envoys invoked President Donald Trump's history as a businessman in trying to explain the U.S. relationship with Ukraine.
William Taylor described for lawmakers a September phone call in which Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, told him that Trump is a businessman and that businessmen ask people who owe something to pay up before they write out a check.
He says Kurt Volker used the same language several days later while they were together at the Yalta European Strategy Conference in Ukraine.
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Taylor says he told both that the explanation made no sense and that the Ukrainians did not owe Trump anything and that holding up security assistance for domestic political gain was "crazy."
Taylor is testifying Wednesday in the first public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry.