Yovanovitch testifies at impeachment hearing

WASHINGTON—Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told House lawmakers Friday that the White House undermined her efforts to pursue anti-corruption policies. House Democrats have said her ouster illustrates how President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his allies sidelined experienced diplomats in a quest to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had business dealings in the country.

What does the White House say? The president tweeted Friday that Yovanovitch was not a good ambassador and he had a right to replace her. He also released a memo about a phone conversation he had in April with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It contained no mention of the Bidens and was largely a congratulatory call on Zelenskyy’s election victory.

Dig deeper: Read Thursday’s report in The Sift on the public testimony of acting U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine William Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent.