Mulvaney defended the maneuver as absolutely appropriate.

Has he also talked to me in the past about corruption related to the DNC server? Absolutely. Without question. But that’s why we withheld the money, Mulvaney said, referring to an unproven conspiracy theory that a hacked Democratic National Committee computer server was taken to Ukraine in 2016 to hide evidence that Kiev, not Moscow, was meddling in the last U.S. presidential election.

But hours later, Mulvaney scrambled to back down on his comments in an official statement, blaming the media for misinterpreting his words to promote a biased and political witch hunt against President trump.

Let me be clear that there was absolutely no qui-Pro quo between Ukrainian military assistance and any investigation into the 2016 election, ” he said in a written statement. Communication between funds and Ukrainians, Affairs with the server, never was… there have never been any conditions on the flow of help related to the dNC server issue.

At his press conference, Mulvaney also said the funds were withheld because European countries were very, very stingy when it comes to lethal aid for Ukraine, and over the fact Ukrainian leaders were cooperating in the ongoing investigation with our justice Department.

Bouton also characterized the decision to use congressional-approved aid as common practice, citing other cases where the trump administration has withheld aid to foreign countries, and urged critics to overcome it.

Mulvaney is a key mediator of the campaign for pressure on Ukraine

I have news for everyone: get over it. There will be political influence in foreign policy, Mulvaney said. Elections have consequences and they should, and your foreign policy is going to change Theres no problem with that.

Mulvaneys bold defense of Trump’s Ukraine action comes as a house impeachment probe approaches presidents ‘ most senior advisers to determine whether trump abused his power and pressured a foreign government to conduct investigations that could help his chances of re-election in 2020.

For Democrats on three panels conducting an impeachment probe, Mulvaney’s words marked a significant turning point.

We have a confession from the President, said house intelligence Committee member Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), referring to trump’s July 25 phone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, during which trump pressured his colleague to open an Investigation into the 2016 election and former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, who has resigned from the Board of Directors of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

Mulvaney, Swalwell said, signed the presidents ‘ confession, adding that the administration is still involved in a constant cover-up.

Privately, some Republicans were outraged, calling Mulvaneys comments a strategic mistake in the midst of the impeachment probe.

Totally inexplicable, said one GOP lawmaker, complaining about the damage to Mulvaneys words. He literally said the President and everyone else said it didn’t happen. The Congressman spoke on condition of anonymity to be candid.

During his press conference Thursday, Mulvaney said the decision to shelter military aid from Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with Biden. He also denied claims that the administration tried to hide anything by moving a transcript of trump’s conversation with Zelensky to a more secure server.

Let me ask you this, if we wanted to hide this, we would almost immediately call the justice Department and ask them to look at the transcript of the video, which we did, by the way? Mulvaney said. If we wanted to hide it, would we release it to the public?

But after his comments, other administration officials as well as trump’s legal team tried to distance themselves from Mulvaney.

A justice Department official did not tell Mulvanis, saying that if the White house is withholding assistance due to cooperation at the justice Department, then that’s news to us.

In a statement, trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow said the presidents ‘ lawyer did not participate in a briefing for reporters by acting chief of staff Mick Mulvanis.

While Mulvaney was speaking Thursday, members of the House intelligence, oversight and foreign Affairs Committee, which is conducting an impeachment investigation, met behind closed doors with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who told them that trump official U.S. policy toward Ukraine to his personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani.

Sondland was uncomfortable with the decision, he testified, though he was still implementing the strategy.

I would not recommend that Mr. Giuliani or any private citizen be involved in these foreign policy issues, Sondland said, according to his prepared remarks.

Mulvaney dismissed those concerns, defending the right of presidents to put foreign policy in the hands of their personal counsel.

You might not like the fact that Giuliani was involved, that’s great, that’s fine, Mulvaney said, referring to Sondlands ‘ remarks. Its not illegal, its not impeached, the President gets to set foreign policy and he gets to choose who to do it, as long as he doesn’t break any law.

Subversive diplomat Gordon Sondland, a key figure in the trump impeachment furore, has long been a coveted Ambassador

Sondland, a major trump donor at the center of an impeachment investigation because of his oversized role in U.S.-Ukrainian politics, criticized the presidents ‘ temporary withholding of aid and the recall of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Mari Evanovich. Sondland called her an excellent diplomat and said he regretted her departure, which followed Giuliani’s campaign to paint her as disloyal to the President.

Democratic lawmakers coming out of the beleaguered Sondlands said that while they found him generally trustworthy and were glad he decided to testify despite pressure from the White house not to, they thought Sondland was selective and checkered with details.

He does not answer questions with specifics, what we have seen from other witnesses and other details, said Rep. Harley Ore (D-Calif.), member of the oversight Committee.

I think HES clearly trying to protect his reputation and his behavior, said Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-R. I.), a member of the foreign Affairs Committee. He also criticized some of The sondlands ‘ testimony as not credible to me, regarding his kind of not understanding everything that was going on around him and in front of the American people.

In his prepared speech, Sondland, a hotel tycoon who came to work without diplomatic experience, portrays himself as a well-meaning but in some cases out-of-the-loop emissary for a President who has tried his best to support Ukraine’s government as it beats back Russian-backed separatists.

Sondland said that in principle he opposes any quid pro quo that would trade U.S. support to a friendly nation for a Biden investigation.

However, he said it was recently revealed that trump’s efforts to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma were linked to its ties to Biden, whose son hunter sat on its Board of Directors.

I did not realize, much later, that Mr. Julian’s agenda may also include efforts to encourage Ukrainians to investigate Vice President Biden or his son or to involve Ukrainians, directly or indirectly, in the 2020 presidential re-election campaign.He said, explaining that he understood that Burisma was one of many examples of Ukrainian companies run by oligarchs and lacking the type of corporate governance structures found in Western companies.

Sondlands apparent failure to connect the dots between Burisma and Bidens occurred as Giuliani made several television appearances during the spring and summer criticizing hunter Bidens ‘ involvement on Board, and numerous newspaper and magazine articles questioned whether his role in Burisma could prove to be a drag on his fathers presidential campaign.

Withholding foreign aid to pressure a foreign government to take such steps would be wrong, he said in prepared testimony. I did not participate and will never participate in such endeavors.

Fiona hill, trump’s ex-Russia adviser told impeachment investigators about Giulianis ‘ efforts in Ukraine

But the testimony appears to contradict what other current and former trump administration officials have told House investigators over the past two weeks. Fiona hill, the national security Council’s former senior Director for Russia and Europe, told House investigators she was concerned About sondlandso’s conversations about the investigations at the July meeting, which she eventually referred to the Council’s national security lawyer.

And Deputy assistant Secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia George Kent said Sondland was appointed Deputy, and former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volcker and energy Secretary Rick Perry were among the three Amigos who run Ukraine policy. The move was dictated during a may meeting that Mulvaney organized after Iovanovich’s ouster.

Last week, Volcker provided impeachment investigators with text messages showing that Sondland said trump, before agreeing to meet in person with his Ukrainian counterpart, wanted to fulfill Zelensky’s promise to investigate Burisma and the 2016 Election.

Sondland argued that his handling of investigations in Ukraine has always been consistent with long-standing U.S. policy to seek transparency and fight corruption in the country. He added that he was never aware of objections to the Ukraine policy plans from hill or her boss, national security adviser John Bolton. Hill testified Monday that Bolton was furious that Giuliani was running Ukraine’s shadow politics.

I should consider her testimony, if the media reports are accurate, as a product of hindsight and in the context of the well-known tensions between the NSC, on the one hand, and the State Department, on the other, Sondland said.

Josh Dawsey, Matt Zapotoski and Carol D. Leonnig contributed to this report.