Getty Images; Fox News

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Fox News host Sean Hannity to find out about attacks the Trump ally was launching against former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, according to transcripts of her testimony to House representatives.

„What I was told by [State Department official] Phil Reeker was that the Secretary or perhaps somebody around him was going to place a call to Mr. Hannity on FOX News to say, you know: ‚what is going on?'“ — Yovanovitch testified.

„I mean, do you have proof of these kinds of allegations or not? And if you have proof, you know, tell me, and if not, stop,“ he continued, Yovanovitch added.

The transcript seemingly shows that while the secretary of state himself was locked out of the shadow foreign policy in Ukraine, Hannity was playing a key role.

Hannity denied communicating with Pompeo regarding his claims about Ukraine in a tweet Monday.

Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Fox News host Sean Hannity to find out if there was any substance behind smears he was spreading on his show about former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, according to transcripts of her congressional testimony released Monday.

In the testimony, Yovanovitch claimed that Hannity — who is so close to the Trump White House he serves as an informal policy adviser — played a key role in a campaign waged against her by conservative media allies of the president.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff during Yovanovitch’s October testimony asked her what her boss, Pompeo, had done about the rumours being spread about her.

Tweet Embed:

//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1191463083199344640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

„Breaking fake news! Never ever talked to Secy Pompeo about Ukraine PERIOD! Fake News CNN trying to boost their ratings by showing me. Biased Zucker needs to start paying me. pic.twitter.com/PwYsXZNYnZ

„What I was told by [State Department official] Phil Reeker was that the Secretary or perhaps somebody around him was going to place a call to Mr. Hannity on FOX News to say, you know, ‚what is going on? I mean, do you have proof of these kinds of allegations or not? And if you have proof, you know, tell me, and if not, stop,'“ Yovanovitch testified.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on as President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (not pictured) during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

She said that afterwards, media attacks on her in the US quietened down, and that she did not know what was said in the call. She said, however, that she was certain the call by Pompeo to Hannity was made.

The attempts by the Trump administration and its media allies to discredit her were, according to her testimony, one part of a shadow foreign policy being waged independently of the state department.

As part of the campaign, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani travelled to Ukraine as an unofficial envoy to pressure officials in Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, a domestic political foe of Trump.

Marie Yovanovitch AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Hannity’s role in the bid to smear Yovanovitch indicates he may have been more familiar with the shadow foreign policy campaign to undermine Yovanovitch, and was using his role on TV to push it, than the secretary of state himself.

An Obama administration appointee confirmed by the Republican-majority Senate in 2016, Yovanovitch in her remarks in October tied the campaign launched against her to her anti-corruption work in Ukraine.

„I do not know Mr. Giuliani’s motives for attacking me,“ she said. „But individuals who have been named in the press as contacts of Mr. Giuliani may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine.“

Schiff in the testimony released on Monday asked why Pompeo had sought a cable news host’s input.

„I mean, does that seem extraordinary to you that the secretary of state or some other high-ranking official would call a talk show host to figure out whether you should be retained as ambassador?“ asked Schiff in the testimony.

Yovanovitch responded: „Well … I’m not sure that’s exactly what was being asked.“

Schiff continued: „So some top administration official was going to him to find out what the basis of this Fox host was attacking you for?

„Uh-huh,“ said Yovanovitch.

In a tweet Monday, Hannity denied Yovanovitch’s claims.

„Breaking fake news! Never ever talked to [sic] Secy Pompeo about Ukraine PERIOD! Fake News CNN trying to boost their ratings by showing me. Biased Zucker needs to start paying me,“ Hannity tweeted alongside a photo of a TV showing CNN’s story about the call.