Trump Would Only Talk to Ukraine If They Would ‘Play Ball’ and Other Highlights of the Whistleblower Complaint

Highlights of the U.S. whistleblower complaint

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(Reuters) – The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released a declassified version of a whistleblower report accusing President Donald Trump of using his office to solicit interference in the 2020 presidential election from a foreign country.

“I am deeply concerned that the actions described below constitute ‘a serious or flagrant problem, abuse, or violation of law or executive order’ that ‘does not include differences of opinion concerning public policy matters,’ consistent with the definition of an ‘urgent concern’,” the report said.

The whistleblower has yet to be identified.

Here is a snapshot of highlights from the report:

* The whistleblower received information from U.S. officials that Trump used his office to solicit interference from a foreign country ahead of the 2020 U.S. election.

* The interference included pressuring a foreign country to investigate one of Trump’s “main domestic political rivals.”

* Trump pressured the Ukrainian leader to advance his personal political interests.

* Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is a central figure in the interference report, and Attorney General William Barr also appeared to be involved.

* Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was part of “ongoing concerns.”

* More than six U.S. officials contacted the whistleblower regarding Trump’s effort to seek Ukrainian interference.

* The complaint cites concerns that efforts to pressure Ukraine “pose risks to U.S. national security” and undermine efforts “to deter and counter foreign interference in U.S. elections.”

* The whistleblower was contacted by multiple White House officials who said they “were deeply disturbed by what had transpired in the call” between Trump and Ukraine’s Zelenskiy.

* Multiple U.S. officials said Ukrainian leaders were led to believe that Trump would only talk to the Ukrainian president if he was willing to “play ball.”

* Multiple U.S. officials said the White House had intervened to “lock down” all records of the Trump-Zelenskiy call, showing they understood the gravity of the situation.

* White House lawyers directed that an electronic transcript of the Trump-Zelenskiy call be removed from a computer system.

* About one dozen White House officials listened to the Trump-Zelenskiy call.

A link to the whistleblower complaint may be found here.

(Editing by Howard Goller)