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A26 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 9 July 2020
Vindman retiring from Army, lawyer blames Trump

By JILL COLVIN and LOLITA ergy company Burisma in
C. BALDOR Ukraine. And he told im-
Associated Press peachment investigators
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lt. that he twice raised con-
Col. Alexander Vindman, cerns over the administra-
a national security aide tion's push to have Ukraine
who played a central role investigate the Bidens.
in President Donald Trump's In the aftermath, senior
impeachment case, an- Pentagon leaders insisted
nounced his retirement that Vindman would not
from the Army on Wednes- see any retaliation as a re-
day in a scathing statement sult of the testimony. Talk-
that accused the president ing to reporters in Novem-
of running a "campaign of ber, Esper said the depart-
bullying, intimidation, and ment has protections for
retaliation." whistleblowers. Vindman
The statement from attor- "shouldn't have any fear of
ney David Pressman said retaliation. That's DOD's po-
Vindman, 45, was leaving sition," Esper said, adding
the Army after more than that he flatly rejected sug-
21 years after it had been gestions that the soldier's
made clear "that his future career was over. He said
within the institution he has he had spoken with Army
dutifully served will forever In this Nov. 19, 2019, file photo National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is sworn Secretary Ryan McCarthy
be limited." in to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. about the matter.
"Through a campaign of Associated Press McCarthy said in February
bullying, intimidation, and that Vindman was not un-
retaliation, the President of did a review and found It's not clear whether Esper Vindman from his job on der investigation, and that
the United States attempt- that any suggestion of mis- already knew of Vindman's the National Security Coun- he was serving in an Army
ed to force LTC Vindman conduct was unfounded. plan to retire before he cil, where he served as an headquarters job and
to choose: Between adher- One official said the list was signed the list, or whether expert on Ukraine, just two would go on to senior ser-
ing to the law or pleasing a resent to Esper about a the White House would days after the president's vice college in the summer.
President. Between honor- month ago, but again was have approved the pro- acquittal by the Senate. In gripping testimony, Vin-
ing his oath or protecting delayed. motion list. The White House Vindman's lawyer said then dman also spoke of his
his career. Between pro- A senior defense official and the Pentagon did not that his client had been family's story and his father
tecting his promotion or the said the list was held up by immediately respond to re- told to leave in retaliation bringing them to the U.S.
promotion of his fellow sol- a routine personnel review, quests for comment. for "telling the truth." from the Soviet Union when
diers," read the statement, not related to Vindman. Pressman said Vindman Vindman's twin brother, Lt. he was a young child.
first obtained by CNN. Esper received the final "did what the law com- Col. Yevgeny Vindman, "Dad, my sitting here today
Vindman's name was on a promotion list on Monday pelled him to do; and for was also asked to leave his in the U.S. Capitol, talking
promotion list sent to De- and approved it, with Vind- that he was bullied by the job as a White House law- to our elected officials, is
fense Secretary Mark Esper man's name included, and President and his proxies." yer. Both men were reas- proof that you made the
earlier this year, according it was expected to be sent "LTC Vindman's patriotism," signed to the Army. right decision 40 years ago
to two U.S. officials familiar to the White House in the he said, "has cost him his Vindman had testified that to leave the Soviet Union
with the matter. But that next day or two, the de- career. Today our country he didn't think it was "prop- and come here to United
list was delayed for weeks fense official said. loses a devoted soldier, but er" for Trump to "demand States of America in search
because the White House The officials spoke on con- it is incumbent upon all of that a foreign government of a better life for our fam-
asked for an investigation dition of anonymity to dis- us to ensure it does not lose investigate" former Vice ily," he testified. "Do not
of Vindman, one of the of- cuss an internal personnel the values he represents." President Joe Biden and worry, I will be fine for telling
ficials said. The Pentagon matter. Trump in February ousted his son's work for the en- the truth."q

U.S. seizes 81 vehicles in Venezuela

smuggling ring

said Wednesday they have "This is all part of an ongo- many of the vehicles are
seized 81 vehicles worth an ing effort to combat for- linked to Venezuelans al-
estimated $3.2 million that eign public corruption and ready facing indictments
were bound for Venezu- in particular for public cor- in the U.S., including billion-
ela as part of a smuggling ruption in Venezuela and aire Raul Gorrin. Gorrin is a
ring operated for wealthy the laundering and the government-connected
and politically connected fleecing of the Venezuelan media magnate wanted in
people. people's wealth and the the U.S. for allegedly mas-
Anthony Salisbury, chief of stealing of the Venezuelan terminding a graft network
the Miami Homeland Se- wealth from the national that stole $2.4 billion from
An official with Homeland Security Investigations walks among curity Investigations office, treasury for the gain of a state coffers through fraud-
vehicles worth an estimated $3.2 million, at Port Everglades after said the vehicles were to few politically exploited, ulent currency deals with
they were seized by Homeland Security Investigations, Wednes-
day, July 8, 2020, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. be smuggled in violation of exposed people, klepto- Venezuela's oil monopoly.
Associated Press U.S. export laws and sanc- crats and their associates," Gorrín did not immediately
tions against the socialist Salisbury said. respond to a request for
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Federal investigators Venezuelan government, According to Salisbury, comment.q