Democrats Drag Rick Perry Into Impeachment Mess, Issue Subpoena

Last week, political media reported Perry planned to resign his post as Energy Secretary ahead of official inclusion in the impeachment investigation. A few days ago, Perry denied those reports.

Politico again (different article):

Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Monday denied that he pressed the Ukrainian government to put two U.S. businessmen on the board of the state energy company or that he was planning to leave the Trump administration.

Perry’s comments at a press conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, come amid growing scrutiny into the Trump administration’s diplomacy in Ukraine, which has triggered a House impeachment inquiry into whether the president withheld aid to the country in exchange for a pledge from President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his son.

Perry acknowledged making the recommendations to Ukraine’s state-owned natural gas company Naftogaz, but said he did so only at the request of that country’s government. He also said it was “true” that he had pressed President Donald Trump to make the July call to Zelensky that is at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

“Absolutely, I asked the president multiple times, ‘Mr. President, we think it is in the United States’ and in Ukraine’s best interest that you and the president of Ukraine have conversations, that you discuss the options that are there,’” he said. Axios reported on Saturday that Trump told House Republicans he made the call at Perry’s request.

Perry also said he discussed the issue of corruption broadly with Zelensky and his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, but only as part of an effort to make the nation more appealing for energy investment opportunities. No public evidence has emerged to show that Perry asked Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter.

POLITICO was first to report about how Perry urged Ukranian officials to put the U.S. businessmen on the supervisory board of Naftogaz. An Associated Press story subsequently outlined similar allegations, though Perry steadfastly denied any impropriety.

“The idea that the AP story basically said that we said, ‘you put these people on there’ is just not correct. That was a totally dreamed-up story, best I can tell,” Perry said. “We gave recommendations at the request of the Ukrainian government and will continue to.”