Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, will testify before the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday as part of the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

Sondland delivered a private deposition before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight Committees on October 17, testifying that the told Bill Taylor, the U.S. Charge d’affaires for Ukraine, that President Trump sought “nothing” from Ukraine and that there was “no quid pro quo” during the president’s July 25 telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to U.S. diplomat David Holmes, he overheard a July 26 call in which President Trump mentioned “the investigations” to Sondland — an alleged reference to the president’s request for Ukraine to probe into allegations of corruption against former Vice President and 2020 White House contender Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Holmes testified that Sondland conveyed to him that President Trump cared “more about the investigations” than Ukraine.

A partisan CIA analyst mischaracterized the Trump-Zelensky call in a “whistleblower” complaint to the intelligence community inspector general, prompting the House Democrats to launch an impeachment probe on September 24.

Click here to read Breitbart News’ “Cheat Sheet” on Sondland’s public testimony.

**Follow live updates on this event from Breitbart News. All times in eastern.**

4:40 P.M. — Fox News’ Dana Perino, citing a new poll published Wednesday, says impeachment is boosting President Trump’s re-election chances in 2020: “Gallup put out its poll [showing] the president’s approval rating is up two percentage points and in Wisconsin, he beats every possible opponent in that poll for match-ups in 2020 and being against impeachment is up 8 percent in Wisconsin, alone.”

FNC’s Dana Perino: new poll numbers show voters back Trump amid impeachment hearingshttps://t.co/y1ptL2uz4L pic.twitter.com/F51EXSs5KS — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 20, 2019

4:20 P.M. —

4:12 P.M. — Preview of Pence’s response to Sondland’s testimony:

In interview this PM, @VP: "I have no recollection of any discussion with Ambassador Sondland before that meeting. In fact there have been two people who have now testified under oath – at no point before, during or after my meeting with Pres Zelensky did those topics come up." pic.twitter.com/zIkqLcVxaD — Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) November 20, 2019

4:00 P.M. — Interesting point by Mark Levin:

2. Could this be why Hunter Biden was hired and paid a fortune by one of Ukraine’s largest companies — that is, they were trying to buy support. — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 20, 2019

3:52 P.M. —

3:49 P.M. — Biggs slams Schiff’s closing statements, calls them “theatrical” and urges the impeachment inquiry to be shut down.

Chairman Schiff’s closing statements have become much more theatrical and entreating with each passing public hearing. Democrats know that they need to create the soundbites worthy of impeachment for the evening news because their witnesses sure aren’t. Shut this sham down. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

3:48 P.M. — Schiff has adjourned Sondland’s hearing.

Standing ovation after Schiff’s closing statement. pic.twitter.com/kJ6Ii2edqW — Patricia Zengerle (@ReutersZengerle) November 20, 2019

3:42 P.M. —

Rep. Schiff: "I do not believe that the president would allow himself to be led by the nose by Rudy Giuliani, or Amb. Sondland, or anybody else. I think the president was the one who decided whether a meeting would happen, whether aid would be lifted." https://t.co/1TxiFjjHgO pic.twitter.com/WSPRl7c6lx — ABC News (@ABC) November 20, 2019

3:36 P.M. —

Not this witness or any other can or has testified under oath and penalty of perjury that the president bribed, extorted, or committed an impeachable offense. They saw no such evidence. — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 20, 2019

3:35 P.M. — Schiff, in his closing statement, says “this is a seminal moment in our investigation” and brands Sondland’s testimony “deeply significant and troubling.”

Rep. Adam Schiff to Amb. Sondland: "This is a seminal moment in our investigation, and the evidence you have brought forward is deeply significant and troubling." https://t.co/1TxiFjjHgO #ImpeachmentHearings pic.twitter.com/VtyuPzLLcL — ABC News (@ABC) November 20, 2019

3:34 P.M. —

Rep. Devin Nunes in closing statement: “Another hearing in the books, and no answers to basic three material, factual questions that we need answers to.” https://t.co/rEoy7Nnhjo pic.twitter.com/VVWli6gPMu — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 20, 2019

3:33 P.M. — Nunes, in his closing statement, asks: “who was the whistleblower who gave birth to this hoax?”

3:31 P.M. — A third quip from Sondland as the hearing nears an end:

"I lost my amigos?" Sondland says in response to Schiff's closing statement "Not from us," Schiff replies — Alana Abramson (@aabramson) November 20, 2019

3:30 P.M. —

“Easy come, easy go.” Sondland’s response to Trump having been previously supportive of him. #ImpeachmentHearings — Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) November 20, 2019

3:28 P.M. —

Krishnamoorthi: "They called you the 'Gordon problem.'" Sondland: "That is what my wife calls me." Gets laughs. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 20, 2019

3:25 P.M. — State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus: “Gordon Sondland never told Secretary Pompeo that he believed the President was linking aid to investigations of political opponents. Any suggestion to the contrary is flat out false.”

3:24 P.M. —

Sondland replies to barrage of questions coming from @RepValDemings, "I remember the first girl I kissed." — Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) November 20, 2019

3:21 P.M. —

Rep. Val Demings (D-FL): “In the May 23rd meeting you talked about how the President categorized Ukraine. Did you ever hear President Zelensky relay concern about being used as a tool for political reasons.”

Sondland: “We tried to relay the glass half full.”

3:16 P.M. —

Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY): “Who would benefit from an investigation of the Bidens?”

Sondland : “I assume President Trump would benefit.”

3:11 P.M. — Sondland: “I would have preferred that, and I’m sure everyone would have preferred, that the president simply met with Mr. Zelensky right away. Our assessment of Mr. Zelensky was that he and the president would get on famously.”

3:09 P.M. — Pompeo has departed Brussels ahead of Sondland’s trip back.

Just departed #Brussels after constructive discussions at the @NATO #ForMin. Our security challenges are changing but not diminishing. We will continue to work with our Allies to meet those threats head-on. pic.twitter.com/QMavPL2OTE — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 20, 2019

3:08 P.M. — Jordan says “the facts are so darn clear” on why President Trump shouldn’t be impeached.

3:06 P.M. — Jordan to Sondland: “You said there were three quid pro quos but there weren’t.”

3:05 P.M. —

The Sondland hearing played on Fox News on Air Force One during flight to Texas, per @bgittleson. — Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) November 20, 2019

2:56 P.M. — Ratcliffe pushes back on Sondland’s belief that President Trump doesn’t care about Ukraine, saying: “nothing says you care about Ukraine like sending javelin anti tanks.”

2:54 P.M. — David Axelrod, former President Barack Obama’s chief campaign strategist, worries House Republicans show no signs of supporting impeachment.

Just listening to @HurdOnTheHill questioning of Sondland underscores how unlikely it is that any R will break ranks on impeachment.

Hurd is among the more independent @GOP members, a veteran of the Intel Community and a retiring member. And he shows no signs of voting yes. — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 20, 2019

2:51 P.M. — Sondland says he recalls only meeting with Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney just once.

Sondland: I think I've only had one formal meeting with Mulvaney, and it wasn't even about Ukraine. Seen him at White House casually. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 20, 2019

2:49 P.M. —

Rep. Hurd: "My colleague from California indicated that you were supportive of the president's campaign, is that correct?" Amb. Sondland: "I actually donated to the inaugural committee in order to secure tickets." https://t.co/Wef3oz52Hz pic.twitter.com/KRQHt4U2HX — Deena Zeina Zaru 👩🏻‍💻 (@Deena_Zaru) November 20, 2019

2:48 P.M. — John Cornyn (R-TX) on today’s hearing:

.@JohnCornyn shrugs off #Sondland in TX press call, incl Ken Starr calling #impeachment justified & idea that Rs will ask Trump to resign: “This is more of this hysteria surrounding this impeachment mania….All I’ve seen is a partisan process…not designed to get to the truth.” — Todd J. Gillman (@toddgillman) November 20, 2019

2:47 P.M. —

After Pres. Trump claimed he did not know him well, Sondland says, "We are not close friends, no. We have a professional, cordial working relationship." Sondland adds, "I bought a VVIP ticket to the inauguration," agreeing that "that's a lot of money." https://t.co/1TxiFjjHgO pic.twitter.com/QJ0y79Y6Mc — ABC News (@ABC) November 20, 2019

2:44 P.M. —

Swalwell: “Did the president ever say to you, ‘stop talking to Rudy’?”

Sondland: “No.”

Swalwell: “Did he ever say, ‘don’t any longer talk to Rudy’?”

Sondland: “No.”

2:41 P.M. — Sondland agrees that Hunter Biden serving on Burisma’s board of directors gives the appearance of a conflict of interest. Past impeachment witnesses have testified the same.

"Clearly it's an appearance of a conflict [of interest]," Amb. Gordon Sondland tells Rep. Elise Stefanik about Hunter Biden's position on the board of Barisma. "And yet we are not allowed to call Hunter Biden to answer questions," Stefanik adds. https://t.co/tye8u20xkC pic.twitter.com/ejfQYVrEyv — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 20, 2019

2:39 P.M. —

Rep. Stefanik reviewing that Sondland says he never spoke about the investigations directly with Trump, that the investigations didn’t happen and that since Trump met with Zelenskyy during the UN General Assembly that’s the same as a White House meeting. Sondland agrees. — GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) November 20, 2019

2:38 P.M. —

Rep. Quigley to Republicans: "If we were investigating an arson, you all would indict the person who pulled the fire alarm." "We've seen the smoke and we've seen the fire. Whatever the whistleblower did, doesn't change the president's actions." https://t.co/jx8GtXmcAv pic.twitter.com/bhA10ZH5Hq — ABC News (@ABC) November 20, 2019

2:30 P.M. —

2:26 P.M. — Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) asks Sondland if President Trump was talking in “code” about an investigation in the Bidens. Sondland replies their conversations have been “fairly direct.”

2:25 P.M. — Sondland says he’s had roughly 20 telephone calls with President Trump.

2:22 P.M. — Meadows points to Turner’s questioning as “game over” for the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry:

Wow.@RepMikeTurner: "Mr. Sondland, let's be clear: no one on this planet—not Donald Trump, Rudy Guiliani, Mick Mulvaney, Mike Pompeo—no one told you aid was tied to political investigations, is that correct." Gordon Sondland: "That's correct." Game over. — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019

2:21 P.M. —

Rep. Conaway calling out Rep. Blumenauer for pushing people to protest Sondland's property in Oregon — Lindsey McPherson (@lindsemcpherson) November 20, 2019

2:20 P.M. — Sondland says he and his family are getting threats due to the impeachment probe, notes his hotels are being boycotted.

Sondland said he has received numerous threats in light of his role in the impeachment inquiry. "We have countless emails apparently to my wife. Our properties have been picketed or boycotted," he said. — Lindsey McPherson (@lindsemcpherson) November 20, 2019

2:19 P.M. — Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH): “2 presumptions plus 2 presumptions does not equal even one fact.”

2:16 P.M. —

Rep. Schiff: "My colleagues seem to be under the impression that unless the president spoke the words, 'Ambassador Sondland, I am bribing the Ukrainian president,' that there is no evidence of bribery." — David Wright (@DavidWright_CNN) November 20, 2019

2:11 P.M. — Big moment from Turner, who gets Sondland to concede nobody told him that President Trump linked the Ukraine aide to a Biden probe, rendering Schiff’s statements and CNN’s lead story inaccurate, says the lawmaker.

GOP lawmaker @RepMikeTurner pressing Sondland on his testimony on US military aid being tied to investigations: "No one on this planet told you that President Trump was tying aid to investigations. Yes or no?" Sondland: "Yes." — Elizabeth Thomas (@lizzkatherine_) November 20, 2019

2:08 P.M. — Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) grills Sondland over his testimony, calls his answers “somewhat circular.”

Rep. Mike Turner going after Sondland right now, saying his answers are "somewhat circular" and at times contradictory. "I'm a little confused who everyone is in the loop," Turner says. — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 20, 2019

2:05 P.M. — Sondland on Volker about allegations of quid pro quo: “I strongly disagree with that portion of his testimony. It was absolutely a requirement.”

1:57 P.M. — A lawyer for the so-called “whistleblower” tweets about House Republicans seeking his client’s testimony:

WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS ALERT: Minority's effort to again subpoena #whistleblower is nothing but desperate publicity stunt to deflect from damning testimony by Amb #Sondland directly implicating President in quid pro quo.#ProtectTheWhistleblower #FactsMatter — Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 20, 2019

1:57 P.M. — President Trump tweets that Sondland’s testimony is the final nail in the coffin regarding impeachment:

….”I WANT NOTHING! I WANT NOTHING! I WANT NO QUID PRO QUO! TELL PRESIDENT ZELENSKY TO DO THE RIGHT THING!” Later, Ambassador Sondland said that I told him, “Good, go tell the truth!” This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2019

1:50 P.M. — Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) grills Sondland on the fact that U.S. aide was delivered to Ukraine and a probe into the Bidens did not occur.

.@Jim_Jordan makes the critical point: Ukraine got a phone call, a meeting, and security assistance without promising anything in return. No quid pro quo. No extortion. No bribery. No case for the Democrats' impeachment fantasies. pic.twitter.com/3eu1WzmANq — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

1:49 P.M. — Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) says he expects lawmakers will see the transcript of Sondland’s call with President Trump.

1:44 P.M. — Giuliani fires off tweets about Castor:

Republican lawyer doesn’t do his own research and preparation, and is instead picking up Democrat lies, shame. Allow me to inform him: I have NO financial interests in Ukraine, NONE! I would appreciate his apology. — Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 20, 2019

1:40 P.M. — The Hearing has resumed. Schiff notes Mark Sandy, an OMB official who testified Saturday, is having his transcript reviewed and will be released soon.

1:32 P.M. — Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) to MSNBC: “We heard very powerful evidence today in the exchange between Chairman Schiff and Ambassador Sondland of evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, to include abuse of power, obstruction of Congress, also extortion and also evidence of bribery.”

1:25 P.M. — Giuliani re-posts earlier tweet about his “very little contact” with Sondland.

I came into this at Volker’s request. Sondland is speculating based on VERY little contact. I never met him and had very few calls with him, mostly with Volker. Volker testified I answered their questions and described them as my opinions, NOT demands. I.E., no quid pro quo! — Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 20, 2019

1:10 P.M. — Pompeo on Sondland’s testimony:

At news conference at @NATO in Brussels, @SecPompeo says he didn't see any of Sondland's testimony, but is "incredibly proud" of what US accomplished to help Ukraine get the defensive systems it needed. Sees no reason to recuse himself from the Ukraine matter. pic.twitter.com/b2UjhenQLp — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 20, 2019

1:09 P.M. — Schiff gavels the hearing into a 30-minute recess:

Sondland's attorney asks Schiff if break can be shorter because Sondland hopes to make a flight back to Brussels today "to resume his duties" — Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) November 20, 2019

12:58 P.M. — Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) downplays Sondland’s testimony:

GOP IN Sen Braun on Sondland: I really don't think it's going to be the pivotal kind of new piece of information that's going to change the dynamic. I really believe this is settled into where the American public is starting to now get frustrated that we're wasting all this time — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 20, 2019

12:57 P.M. — The Department of Energy releases a statement saying Sondland “misrepresented” Sec. Rick Perry’s interaction with President Trump and Guiliani:

The Department of Energy says Sondland has "misrepresented" Perry's interaction w Guiliani + Trump. Says at "no point" did the words "Biden" or "Burisma" come up in his presence https://t.co/hFV1H2JLL0 pic.twitter.com/Hxs5gBDqqE — lesley clark (@lesleyclark) November 20, 2019

12:56 P.M. — Castor grilling Sondland for not including a piece of “exculpatory” information in his opening statement:

GOP counsel Steve Castor takes Sondland to task for not including the Sept. 9 call in which Trump said "no quid pro quo" in his opening: "This is an exculpatory fact shedding some light on the president's state of mind," Castor says Sondland: "It was not purposeful, trust me." — Lindsey McPherson (@lindsemcpherson) November 20, 2019

12:56 P.M. —

“Not only did I buy him lunch, I provided him some entertainment… great” – Ambassador Sondland in reference to the “witness” to his phone call with the President. He went on to question how many conversations the other witness had… presumably none. #SameSchiffDifferentDay — Rep Rick Crawford (@RepRickCrawford) November 20, 2019

12:50 P.M. —

Sondland says he never met with Parnas or Fruman. Says he was not aware of Giuliani's business interests in Ukraine. — Kate Brannen (@K8brannen) November 20, 2019

12:49 P.M. —

“No comment” from John Bolton’s camp when I asked whether he would reconsider his decision not to voluntarily testify. — Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) November 20, 2019

12:47 P.M. — The White House issues a statement on Sondland’s testimony:

"Democrats keep chasing ghosts,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham says in a statement on Sondland's testimony pic.twitter.com/Va1jO6LmKy — Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) November 20, 2019

12:43 P.M. — Giuliani deletes tweet stating he had “very little contact” with Sondland.

12:41 P.M. — Nunes begins his line of questioning, says Democrats “fantasize” about Watergate.

12:38 P.M. — Sondland says Ukraine President Zelensky’s CNN interview was previously planned and Ukraine claimed he would announce the investigations into the Bidens on it.

12:36 P.M. —

Sondland: "Morrison ready to get dates as soon as Yermak confirms."

Volker: "Excellent!! How did you sway him?"

S: "I'm not sure I did, I think POTUS really wants the deliverable." HPSCI counsel: "What do you mean there?"

Sondland: "The commitment to do the investigations." pic.twitter.com/1QgCFK0JnN — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 20, 2019

12:31 P.M. — Rudy Giuliani fires back at Sondland’s testimony:

I came into this at Volker’s request. Sondland is speculating based on VERY little contact. I never met him and had very few calls with him, mostly with Volker. Volker testified I answered their questions and described them as my opinions, NOT demands. I.E., no quid pro quo! — Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 20, 2019

12:30 P.M. — Meadows bats down the Associated Press:

This is not a contradiction. It is a direct quote from Amb. Sondland's testimony. https://t.co/UfSgLNOH8s — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019

12:29 P.M. —

GOP Senators react (or don't) to Sondland testimony: McConnell: “Yeah, I haven’t been watching the House proceedings.” Tillis: “I haven’t seen it or the context. I can’t comment until I see the testimony.” Johnson: “I haven’t seen enough to express an opinion.” — Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) November 20, 2019

12:18 P.M. — Fox News anchor Chris Wallace says Sondland “took out the bus and ran it over” President Trump and his aides.

12:17 P.M. —

Clarification: Starr was quoting Schiff in the first part of what he said below, but added that he would assume new articles of impeachment would now be drawn up, describing today’s testimony as “bombshell.” https://t.co/9bMeBAvZqV — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 20, 2019

12:16 P.M. — NBC News reports that the FBI is looking to interview the so-called “whistleblower.” The individual has not agreed to an interview. “An FBI agent in the Washington field office in October reached out to one of the lawyers representing the whistleblower and asked to question the CIA analyst who triggered the congressional inquiry into the president’s conduct,” reports Yahoo News.

12:09 P.M. — Schiff asks Sondland how he did not link Burisma with the Biden family. Sondland replies that he did not pay attention to Guiliani’s television appearances as he spoke to him directly.

12:06 P.M. — Republican general counsel Steve Castor to Sondland: “You don’t have records, you don’t have notes because you don’t take notes, you don’t have recollections. This is a trifecta of unreliability.”

Sondland: “I think I’ve filled in a lot of blanks.”

Sondland to House Republican counsel: "What I'm trying to do today is use the limited information I have to be as forthcoming as possible with you and the rest of the committee." https://t.co/rEoy7Nnhjo pic.twitter.com/Ik79eDTKSr — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 20, 2019

12:01 P.M. —

Sondland: I told Taylor to call me on that text because I always do that for anything more substantive than a few lines of text. — GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) November 20, 2019

11:56 A.M. —

What this "bombshell" hearing is amounting to: – Another witness who never heard anything from the President – Reached a nefarious conclusion on his own – Is contradicted by witnesses who actually DID get directives from the President — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019

11:55 A.M. — Sondland says he didn’t realize probing Burisma meant looking into the Bidens regarding discussions of investigations.

11:53 A.M. —

Reading from hand-written notes on today's hearing, Pres Trump quoted himself telling Sondland when asked what he wants Ukraine to do: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelenskiy to do the right thing."

The pres said "that means it's all over." pic.twitter.com/NacSuIjl8P — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 20, 2019

11:48 A.M. — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) tweets of today’s hearing: The “Democrats’ smear campaign is falling apart.”

Case closed ⇨ Ambassador Sondland just testified under oath that he NEVER heard the president say there were conditions on aid to Ukraine. Democrats' smear campaign is falling apart. — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 20, 2019

11:47 A.M. — President Trump weighs in on Sondland’s testimony:

President Trump reacts to Ambassador Sondland's #ImpeachmentHearings Testimony “I don’t know him very well. I have not spoken to him much. This is not a man I know well. He seems like a nice guy though.” pic.twitter.com/eijyVKWQ2b — CSPAN (@cspan) November 20, 2019

11:43 A.M. —

GOP counsel: "Did the president ever tell you personally about any preconditions for anything?" Sondland: "No." "So the president never told you about any preconditions for the aid to be released?" "No." https://t.co/BPC2DKUMGB #ImpeachmentHearings pic.twitter.com/qqCFXy4x2O — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 20, 2019

11:40 A.M. —

.@POTUS is now standing on South Lawn reading – from handwritten notes – quotes from Sondland testimony: pic.twitter.com/9LqG1k4Bpt — Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) November 20, 2019

11:39 A.M. — Sondland re-ups his assumption on President Trump linking U.S. aide to Ukraine to investigations into the Bidens:

GOP counsel: "So it wasn't an order or a direction [from Trump] to go talk with Mr. Giuliani, correct?" Amb. Gordon Sondland: "The conclusion of the three of us was that if we did not talk to Rudy, nothing would move forward on Ukraine." https://t.co/76PEI9Q3ut pic.twitter.com/kEnhsF7YwD — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 20, 2019

11:36 A.M. — Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and other Republicans are driving this point home: Sondland assumed President Trump made U.S. aide to Ukraine contingent on probes into the Bidens.

Sondland SPECULATED why there was a hold on aid & shared his GUESS re linkage; a reminder why the depo transcript of Mark Sandy from OMB should’ve been released by now.

Inconvenient truth: POTUS told Sondland “no quid pro quo” & the aid was released w/out any new investigations. — Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) November 20, 2019

11:35 A.M. —

GOP counsel asks several times, and Sondland concurs, that the president never made a Biden/aide link in their chats. He asks: How do you know Trump wanted an investigation into Biden? Sondland: Because he told me to talk to his lawyer, Rudy, and that's what Rudy told me — Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) November 20, 2019

11:28 A.M. — Vice President Mike Pence’s office denies discussing investigations into the Bidens with Sondland:

“The Vice President never had a conversation with Gordon Sondland about investigating the Bidens, Burisma, or the conditional release of financial aid to Ukraine based upon potential investigations. Ambassador Gordon Sondland was never alone with Vice President Pence on the September 1 trip to Poland. This alleged discussion recalled by Ambassador Sondland never happened. Multiple witnesses have testified under oath that Vice President Pence never raised Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden, Crowdstrike, Burisma, or investigations in any conversation with Ukrainians or President Zelensky before, during, or after the September 1 meeting in Poland.”

11:25 A.M. —

Sondland: “I don’t know about any drug deal.”

Nunes: “And did you know you’re part of the three amigos?”

Sondland: “I am. I am a proud part of the three amigos.”

11:21 A.M. — Nunes begins his questioning by asking Sondland whether he was aware of the efforts of DNC contractor Alexandra Chalupa and Ukraine’s efforts to meddle in the 2016 election. Sondland responds that he’s unaware.

11:2o A.M. — The hearing has resumed.

11:13 A.M. — Schiff says at a press conference during the recess: “Today’s testimony is among the most significant evidence to date and what we have just heard from Sondland is. This scheme was a basic quid pro quo. It was the conditioning of official acts for something of great value, right to the heart of the issue of bribery.”

11:07 A.M. —

The most important quote out of this hearing so far: Sondland: "I've never heard from President Trump that the aid was conditioned on the investigations." He reached this conclusion on his own. So, in short, yet another witness who can't testify to the Democrats' accusations. — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 20, 2019

11:04 A.M. — The hearing is now in a brief recess.

11:03 A.M. — Sondland says he assumed that U.S. aid to Ukraine was contingent on probes into the Bidens. Again, Sondland previously stated President Trump never told him such a thing.

HPSCI counsel: “after that conversation [with Pres. Trump], you were still under the impression that the aid was contingent on these public announcements?” Sondland: “I did not get that from President Trump, but I was under the impression that absolutely it was contingent.” — Norah O'Donnell🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) November 20, 2019

10:54 A.M. — Sondland: “President Trump never told me directly that the aid was conditioned on” an announcement of a probe into the Bidens.

SONDLAND: "I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on announcement…." Sondland is destroying the foolishly revived narrative of "quid pro quo for security assistance" There is nothing impeachable here. pic.twitter.com/MFyGnhUm85 — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

10:52 A.M. — Important flashback: Ukrainian foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko said Sondland “never” linked U.S. aid to investigations.

REMINDER: Last week @Reuters published an article with a report from Ukraine's Foreign Minister, stating, "Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and certainly did not tell me, about a connection between the assistance and the investigations." https://t.co/JVrF7CmsrH — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

10:51 A.M. — Sondland: “I never heard anyone advocating for holding the aid.”

10:49 A.M. —

“Through Giuliani, we were led to believe this is what [the President] wanted” referring to investigations. Sondland never heard it from the President. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

10:44 A.M. — Sondland on his relationship with President Trump: “I had occasional access when he chose to take my calls. Sometimes he would, sometimes he wouldn’t.”

10:43 A.M. —

Exhibit A of the wishful thinking and impeachment fantasies of the left. Sondland's "implication" of the President & Vice President are based off of presumptions. Hard to see this testimony holding up in a court of law. But, to the left, today's testimony is game, set, match. https://t.co/vttIy75cgY — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

10:39 A.M. —

Sondland when asked if he told Trump the Ukrainian president "loves your ass"– "That's how President Trump and I communicate. A lot of four letter words. In this case a three letter word" — Dorey Scheimer (@DoreyScheimer) November 20, 2019

10:34 A.M. — Sondland says a change in his impeachment testimony was triggered by reference to rapper A$AP Rocky.

10:33 A.M. —

Rep. Adam Schiff: "Donald Trump wanted these two investigations that would help his re-election campaign, correct?" Amb. Gordon Sondland: "I can't characterize why he wanted them. All I can tell you is this is what we heard from Mr. Giuliani." https://t.co/tye8u20xkC pic.twitter.com/ecNtMNodK4 — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 20, 2019

10:26 A.M. —

As Ambassador Sondland begins fielding questions from the House Intelligence Committee, President Trump is preparing to leave the White House to visit an Apple plant in Austin, Texas. — Ben Siegel (@benyc) November 20, 2019

10:25 A.M. —

"The Vice President nodded." Sondland describes raising concerns to Pence about the aid logjam and its connection to investigations, and the VP's reaction. — Jason Seher (@jhseher) November 20, 2019

10:24 A.M. — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) calls for “proven liar” Schiff to testify as part of the impeachment probe.

Proven liar Adam Schiff is a witness & must testify under oath: 1) How many times did he meet with the “whistleblower?” 2) Is the “whistleblower” a Democrat operative? 3) Is the deep state involved in the coordinated effort to take down @POTUS?#SchiffMustTestify — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) November 20, 2019

10:23 A.M. —

Sondland never knew why there had been a hold on foreign aid to Ukraine. For him, it was all about a call and meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky. It's important to point out that Sondland is drawing his own conclusions without direct evidence. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

10:22 A.M. — Sondland on President Trump: “He was not particularly fond of Ukraine.”

10:20 A.M. — Sondland tells Schiff he doesn’t remember saying “Biden.” Holmes told lawmakers that Sondland told him President Trump solely cares about “big stuff that matters to him, like this Biden investigation that Giuliani is pushing.”

10:18 A.M. — Sondland: “I’ve never doubted the strategic value of strengthening our alliance with Ukraine. And at all times, our efforts were in good faith and fully transparent to those tasked with overseeing them. Our efforts were reported and approved.”

10:15 A.M. — Sondland wraps up his opening statement, saying he acted in “good faith.”

“At all times, our efforts were in good faith and fully transparent to those tasked with overseeing them. Our efforts were reported and approved. Not once do I recall encountering objection,” he adds.

10:13 A.M. — Sondland: “State Department was fully supportive of our engagement in Ukraine affairs, and was aware that a commitment to investigations was among the issues we were pursuing.”

10:11 A.M. — Sondland: “By the end of August, my belief was that if Ukraine did something to demonstrate a serious intention to fight corruption, specifically addressing Burisma and 2016 server, then the hold on military aid would be lifted.”

10:08 A.M. — Sondland: “In preparation for the September 1 Warsaw meeting, I asked Secretary Pompeo whether a face-to-face conversation between President Trump with Zelensky could help break the logjam.”

“Secretary Pompeo replied, ‘Yes,'” he adds.

10:05 A.M. — Sondland on the freeze on U.S. military aid to Ukraine: “I was never able to obtain a clear answer regarding the specific reason for the hold.”

10:03 A.M. — Sondland: “Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’ As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.” Sondland’s testimony contradicts previous impeachment witnesses, including former U.S. envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker and former NSC official Tim Morrison, who agreed that no quid pro quo, bribery, or treason occurred.

Volker and Morrison both say they have no evidence of quid pro quo, bribery or treason https://t.co/xHzl0V73EQ pic.twitter.com/7eCmuCRRF9 — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 20, 2019

10:01 A.M. — Sondland confirms the July 26 call between Trump-Zelensky, which David Holmes testified that he overheard: “The White House, which has finally shared certain call dates and times with my attorneys, confirms this. The call lasted five minutes.”

“Again, given Mr. Giuliani’s demand that President Zelensky make a public statement about investigations, I knew that the topic of investigations was important to President Trump. We did not discuss any classified information,” he adds.

9:59 A.M. — Sondland: “Mr. Giuliani was communicating with the reportedly corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor Lutsenko and discussing whether a Zelensky-Trump meeting was going to happen, again without our knowledge.”

9:57 A.M. — Another important point from Biggs:

Sondland testified that he did not believe what he was asked to do during the time in question "did not appear to be wrong." Consistent with previous testimony we've heard this week & last. The only "wrongdoing" on the part of @realDonaldTrump was crossing certain bureaucrats. pic.twitter.com/Y0MeFIQpzZ — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

9:56 A.M. —

#BREAKING: Republicans have sent a letter to Chairman Schiff, informing him that they intend to subpoena both the #whistleblower and #HunterBiden for sworn testimony in closed-door depositions.https://t.co/ENohSHGLGt — Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) November 20, 2019

9:55 A.M. —

#Sondland discounts part of Dr. Fiona Hill and Lt. Col. Alexander #Vindman's accounts of the July 10th meeting. "I recall mentioning hte pre-requisite of investigations before any White House call or meeting. I do not recall any yelling or screaming as others have said." — Alex Miller (@AlexMillerNews) November 20, 2019

9:52 A.M. — Sondland on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor John Bolton: “They knew what we were doing and why.”

9:50 A.M. — Sondland: “Let me say again: We weren’t happy with the President’s directive to talk with Rudy. We did not want to involve Mr. Giuliani.”

9:48 A.M. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) rips Sondland’s opening statement:

Ambassador #Sondland is all over the place. He gives contemporaneous accounts where he's testing that there's 'no quid pro quo,' then he gives his live testimony, then he makes changes to his live testimony. He seems to have recounted conflicting versions of events. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 20, 2019

9:47 A.M. — Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) makes an important point about Sondland’s testimony:

Sondland's opening statement so far is an attempt to inoculate against a possible perjury trap. He ignored directives from the State Department regarding his appearance. — Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) November 20, 2019

9:46 A.M. — Sondland: “Indeed, my personal view, which I shared repeatedly with others, was that the White House meeting and security assistance should have proceeded without pre-conditions of any kind.”

9:45 A.M. —

Amb. Gordon Sondland: "The suggestion that we were engaged in some irregular or rogue diplomacy is absolutely false." https://t.co/76PEI9Q3ut pic.twitter.com/Ct75TOY01f — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 20, 2019

9:44 A.M. — Sondland: “In the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid, I later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a public statement from Ukraine committing to the investigations of the 2016 election and Burisma.”

9:43 A.M. — Sondland: “Mr. Giuliani’s requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky. Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the President of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the President.”

9:42 A.M. — Sondland: “Precisely because we did not think that we were engaging in improper behavior, we made every effort to ensure that the relevant decisionmakers at the National Security Council and State Department knew the important details of our efforts.”

9:41 A.M. — Sondland: “We did not want to work with Mr. Giuliani. We simply played the hand we were dealt.”

"We did not want to work with Mr. Giuliani. Simply put, we played the hand we were dealt…we followed the President’s orders," Sondland testifies. https://t.co/dAulXuKsHy pic.twitter.com/O0u2gqUE6q — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) November 20, 2019

9:38 A.M. — Sondland says the State Department would not provide documents that could refresh his testimony: “Having access to the State Department materials would have been very helpful to me in trying to reconstruct with whom I spoke and met, when, and what was said. I am not a note-taker. I am not a memo writer. Never have been.”

He adds: “These documents are not classified and, in fairness, should have been made available. In the absence of these materials, my memory, admittedly has not been perfect.”

9:36 A.M. — Sondland: “I expect that few Americans have heard my name before these events. My parents fled Europe during the Holocaust.”

9:34 A.M. — Sondland is being sworn in.

US Amb to EU Gordon Sondland opening statement https://t.co/P7qxRrRpnN pic.twitter.com/gllVvlph3E — Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) November 20, 2019

9:30 A.M. — Nunes: “We need to subpoena Hunter Biden, as well as the whistleblower.”

9:29 A.M. — Nunes: “Our first president, George Washington, directed his own diplomatic channels to secure a treaty with Great Britain. If my Democratic colleagues were around in 1794, they’d want to impeach him too.”

Rep. Nunes slams Dems’ changing narrative: “they’d probably want to impeach” Washington too if “around in 1794”https://t.co/Y4h9F4lHqw pic.twitter.com/u0x1QeWEb2 — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 20, 2019

9:27 A.M. — Nunes: “Ambassador Sondland, you are here today to be smeared.”

9:23 A.M. — House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) begins his opening statement: “Ambassador Sondland, welcome. Glad you’re here. Really not glad you’re here, but welcome to the fifth day of this circus.”

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes (R-CA) delivers opening statement, tells Gordon Sondland "I'm really not glad you are here." https://t.co/rEoy7Nnhjo pic.twitter.com/iN6WIxM81y — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 20, 2019

9:19 A.M. —

Schiff: "If the president abused his power and invited foreign interference in our elections, if he sought to condition, coerce, extort, or bribe an ally…it will be up to us to decide, whether those acts are compatible with the office of the presidency" https://t.co/RzSCdGn4eM pic.twitter.com/I5ZSajvUvT — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 20, 2019

9:18 A.M. — More from Schiff’s opening statement:

Schiff: Sondland told Taylor that he had “made a mistake” by telling the Ukrainians that an Oval Office meeting "was dependent on a public announcement of investigations. In fact, everything was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance.” — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 20, 2019

9:15 A.M. — Schiff: “As Ambassador Sondland would later tell career foreign service officer David Holmes immediately after speaking to the president, Trump ‘did not give an *expletive* about Ukraine.'”

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA): "As Amb. Sondland would later tell career foreign service officer David Holmes immediately after speaking to the president, Trump 'did not give an *expletive* about Ukraine'" https://t.co/xNMZ7UURm1 pic.twitter.com/rfrRAs06o3 — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 20, 2019

9:14 A.M. — Schiff calls Sondland a “skilled dealmaker” who found himself “embroiled” in activities regarding President Trump and Ukraine.

9:11 A.M. — House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) has gaveled the hearing to begin and delivers his opening statement.

Rep. Adam Schiff delivers opening statement: "Trump’s scheme undermined military and diplomatic support for a key ally and undercut U.S. anticorruption efforts in Ukraine. Trump put his personal and political interests above those of the United States." https://t.co/RzSCdGn4eM pic.twitter.com/Q4PCavcdsc — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 20, 2019

9:07 A.M. — Sondland has taken his seat.

9:00 A.M. — WASHINGTON (AP) — Sondland confirmed for House impeachment investigators Wednesday he spoke with President Donald Trump on a cellphone from a busy Kyiv restaurant the day after the president prodded Ukraine’s leader to investigate political rival Joe Biden.

Sondland, the most anticipated witness in the inquiry, also said he kept Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top administration officials aware of what was going on.

He said he specifically told Vice President Mike Pence he “had concerns” the military aid to Ukraine “had become tied” to the investigations.

“Everyone was in the loop,” Sondland testified in opening remarks. “It was no secret.”

8:46 A.M. — Sondland is arriving on Capitol Hill for his testimony.

WATCH: U.S. Amb. to EU Gordon Sondland arrives on Capitol Hill to publicly testify before the House Intelligence Committee as part of the impeachment inquiry https://t.co/VBarlqf0yy pic.twitter.com/qJYrrTrPhr — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 20, 2019

The Associated Press contributed to this report.