'This is what we do': Trump official Mike Pompeo suggest pressuring foreign leaders to investigate political rivals is normal
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, has not ruled out the possibility of Donald Trump pressuring other countries into helping him ahead of the 2020 election.
The Trump administration official suggested the president's call with Ukraine's leader, in which Mr Trump encouraged the country’s leader to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden, was normal and dismissed concerns as “some silly gotcha game”.
“This is what we do,” Mr Pompeo told reporters, when asked if other countries might be pressured by the president.
“Nations work together, and the say ‘Boy, goodness gracious, if you can help me with ‘X,’ we’ll help you achieve ‘Y’.
“This is what partnerships do. It’s win-win, it’s better for each of us.”
Mr Trump is accused of using a phone call with Ukraine in July to further his personal political interests by getting the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate unsubstantiated corruption allegations against Mr Biden and his son Hunter.
In a memorandum of the call released by the White House last month, Mr Zelensky sought more US military aid just before Mr Trump asks for a “favour” from him.
The document appears to show that this favour was an investigation into a discredited conspiracy theory that aims to cast doubt on Russia's role in the 2016 hacking of the Democratic National Committee and alleges that Ukraine had spread disinformation during the US election.
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The favour also appeared to include an investigation into the Bidens’ business dealings in Ukraine.
Democrats have made the Ukraine call and a whistleblower complaint against Mr Trump the centrepieces of an impeachment investigation into the president.
The request to investigate the Bidens came without evidence of wrongdoing by the family and during the Democratic Party primary for the 2020 election, in which Mr Biden is the favourite to defeat Mr Trump.
Mr Pompeo also said the State Department had responded to a congressional subpoena for Ukraine-related documents.
However, he did not say what that response was and has suggested that he will not comply with the subpoena at the pace requested by Congress.
“We'll obviously do all the things that we're required to do by law,” he said.
The secretary of state has become a key figure in the impeachment investigation after it was revealed that he was on the line during the July phone call with Mr Zelensky.
Mr Pompeo has previously served as a congressman and pursued investigations into the attack on US facilities in Benghazi, Libya, during the Obama administration.
Agencies contributed to this report
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