A top State Department official told senators on Wednesday that attempts by a U.S. president to solicit foreign investigations into his domestic political opponents would not agree with American values.

During his confirmation hearing to become U.S. ambassador to Russia, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan said he doesn’t believe such behavior would “be in accord with our values,” adding to a chorus of State Department officials who have spoken critically of the misconduct at the heart of the House impeachment inquiry.

Sullivan’s remarks ― responding to a question posed by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) ― are particularly noteworthy because of the deputy secretary’s own role in the Ukraine affair, in which President Donald Trump sought to pressure the Ukrainian president into investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election.