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Giuliani Associates Arrested, House Impeachment Probe Hears from Former US Ukraine Amb.

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WASHINGTON - Former US Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch testified Friday before a House impeachment probe panel saying she was told President Trump pressured the State Department to remove her. 

Her appearance could signal a breakthrough as lawmakers look into whether Trump committed impeachable offenses by asking a foreign country to investigate a potential 2020 political rival. 

"They know they can't win the 2020 election so they are pursuing the insane impeachment witch hunt," Trump said. 

Also on Friday, two associates of Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani were taken into custody.

"They were about to board an international flight with one-way tickets," US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jeffrey Berman said. 

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were allegedly involved in Giuliani's efforts to investigate the dealings of Joe Biden's son, Hunter.

"The defendants broke the law to gain political influence while avoiding disclosure of who was actually making the donations and where the money was coming from," Berman said. 

Prosecutors say the men were not only scheming to use foreign money to influence US elections, but they were also trying to get Yovanovich fired from her post. 

This news comes as House Democrats subpoenaed Energy Secretary Rick Perry's documents pertaining to his Ukraine visit.

Perry spoke exclusively to CBN News about the matter.

"I never heard, and I talked to the president about this," Perry said. I had a conversation with - a phone call - with Rudy Guiliani about it. I've talked to the previous ambassador. I've talked to the current ambassador. I've talked to Kurt Volker, Gordan Sondland, the EU ambassador- every name that you've seen out in the media and not once, not once as God as my witness, not once was a Biden name - not the former vice president, not his son ever mentioned."

Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, is now set to testify next Thursday after receiving a subpoena. 

Earlier this week, the White House demanded that Sondland not talk to lawmakers. 

Meanwhile, President Trump's finances could face a lot more scrutiny soon. A federal appeals court has ruled that his financial records must be turned over to the House of Representatives.

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About The Author

Ben
Kennedy

Ben Kennedy is an Emmy Award-winning White House correspondent for CBN News in Washington, D.C. He has more than a decade of reporting experience covering breaking news nationwide. He's traveled cross country covering the President and scored exclusive interviews with lawmakers and White House officials. Kennedy spent seven years reporting for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami, Florida. While there he reported live from Kingston, Jamaica, as Hurricane Matthew hit the island. He was the first journalist to interview Diana Nyad moments after her historic swim from Cuba to Key West. He reported