The Donald Trump impeachment inquiry is set for its most momentous revelation to date, with a top Republican donor set to offer damning evidence against the US president.
Gordon Sondland, who was named America’s ambassador to the EU by Mr Trump himself, is giving evidence at the Trump impeachment inquiry on Wednesday.
It is understood from his prepared testimony that he will explicitly state there was an exchange of favours between the US president and his Ukranian counterpart Vlodymyr Zelensky.
Mr Trump is accused of improperly pressuring Mr Zelensky into investigating his political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter, in exchange for the release of military aid.
According to Mr Sondland’s prepared remarks, which were shared with the BBC, he will say: "I know that members of this Committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a 'quid pro quo?'
"As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes."
He will add: "As I testified previously, Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelenskiy.
"Mr Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma.
"Mr Giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the president
"At all times, I was acting in good faith. As a presidential appointee, I followed the directions of the president.
"We worked with Mr Giuliani because the president directed us to do so. We had no desire to set any conditions on the Ukrainians."
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Democrats view Mr Sondland, a Republican mega donor and hotel tycoon, as a co-conspirator in Mr Trump’s alleged abuse of presidential power.
Addressing the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, he said that he and other officials did not want to work with Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine matters but they "followed the president's orders"
Had he known that some of Giuliani's associations with individuals who are now under criminal indictment, he said he never would have "acquiesced to his participation."
The public hearing continues.
