Yovanovitch retires from State Department: reports

Former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie YovanovitchMarie YovanovitchYovanovitch retires from State Department: reports Bolton backs officials called in House impeachment hearing Swing votes steal spotlight in marathon Trump impeachment Q&A MORE, who has been at the center of President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate Democrats outraise Republicans, but GOP has cash edge Comey op-ed: US democracy won’t ‘come apart’ if Trump isn’t removed from office Protesters flock to the Capitol after Senate impeachment votes MORE‘s impeachment inquiry, is retiring from her role in the State Department, according to multiple reports. 

Both CNN and NPR reported Friday that Yovanovitch had retired from her role sometime within the last two weeks, though the exact time of her departure was not made immediately clear. The former ambassador was most recently serving as a senior State Department fellow at Georgetown University.

Yovanovitch played a key role in the House’s impeachment inquiry into Trump, serving as a witness as she discussed the president’s dealings in Ukraine as well as her ouster from her ambassador position. She was removed from her position in May 2019 after she insisted that Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiYovanovitch retires from State Department: reports Impeachment managers make final arguments for witnesses Senate faces hours of late-night votes without agreement on ending impeachment trial MORE‘s requests for investigations of the Biden family by Kyiv go through official channels.

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She testified that she was pushed out of her role by Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, and his associates, alleging they were behind what she says are false attacks that influenced Trump’s decision to have her removed. 

Giuliani has denied any wrongdoing, but admitted to telling Trump that Yovanovitch was blocking Biden investigations.

He said in an interview that he did not recommend Trump or Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoYovanovitch retires from State Department: reports Attorney tells McConnell that Parnas has records ‘directly relevant’ to impeachment Is South America where Iran will avenge Soleimani’s assassination? MORE remove Yovanovitch.

“I just gave them the facts,” he said. “I mean, did I think she should be recalled? I thought she should have been fired.”

However, evidence later released by the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform committees appeared to back up Yovanovitch’s claims and further showed she was possibly being surveilled by Giuliani’s associates. Communications between indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas and Connecticut congressional candidate Robert Hyde, for example, hinted that the ambassador was being watched.

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That evidence has since sparked an investigation by the State Department.

Recently released audio recordings also appear to capture Trump and Giuliani associates discussing the ambassador’s removal.

Her role at the center of impeachment was tough on Yovanovitch, who said she was personally having a “difficult time”.