Pence says he never spoke with Sondland about linking military aid to investigations in Ukraine

A top aide to Vice President Mike Pence says a conversation with EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland about a link between military aid to Ukraine and investigations “never happened.”

Marc Short, Pence’s chief of staff, says Pence never spoke with Sondland “about investigating the Bidens, Burisma, or the conditional release of financial aid to Ukraine based upon potential investigations.”

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He adds that Sondland was “never alone” with Pence during the Sept. 1 trip to Poland. Short says: “This alleged discussion recalled by Ambassador Sondland never happened.”

Sondland testified Wednesday morning in the impeachment inquiry that he told Pence before the Sept. 1 meetings with Ukrainian officials “that I had concerns that the delay in aid had become tied to the issue of investigations.”