Key impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman retires, cites ‘bullying’ by Trump
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, will retire from the U.S. Army.
Vindman announced the decision to leave the military in a tweet on Wednesday.
“Today I officially requested retirement from the US Army, an organization I love,” Vindman wrote. “My family and I look forward to the next chapter of our lives.”
Vindman’s testimony about his father’s decision to leave the Soviet Union gained national attention during the trial into whether Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to get the country to investigate political rival and former Vice President Joe Biden.
“Dad, my sitting here today, in the U.S. Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union... Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth,” Vindman said.
In a statement obtained by Politico, Vindman’s attorney accused Trump of “bullying” the 21-year veteran of the military into leaving.
“Through a campaign of bulling, intimidation and retaliation, the President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing the President,” attorney David Pressman said in the statement.
Full statement from Lt. Col. Alex Vindman's lawyer on Vindman's retirement: "Through a campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation, the President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President." pic.twitter.com/e4kQhkKj29
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) July 8, 2020
Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, testified about his concerns regarding a phone call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I was concerned by the call, what I heard was improper, and I reported my concerns,” Vindman testified. “It is improper for the President of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen and political opponent.”
Amid the impeachment trial, the U.S. Army was prepared to relocate Vindman and his family to a military base for security reasons if necessary, CNN reported.
On Wednesday, Vindman tweeted a photo of himself typing on a laptop computer in civilian clothing.
Today I officially requested retirement from the US Army, an organization I love. My family and I look forward to the next chapter of our lives. pic.twitter.com/h2D9MRUHY2
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) July 8, 2020
Two days after Trump was acquitted, he fired Vindman from the National Security Council, and security guards escorted him out of the White House, The New York Times reported.
Vindman, a veteran of the Iraq war, was among the Army officers in line to be promoted, but the Trump administration did not support it, the newspaper reported.
How did impeachment witness Alexander Vindman earn his Purple Heart?
