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A U.S government official has reportedly informed politicians leading the impeachment hearings against Donald Trump that she was urged by a Republican-linked lobbyist to remove the U.S ambassador to Ukraine from her post. It is noteworthy that the U.S President and his allies have launched a smear campaign against her. Catherine Croft is a Ukraine expert and worked at the U.S State Department. She said that she was repeatedly contacted by lobbyist Robert Livingston regarding ousting Marie Yovanovitch. Livingston previously served as the Republican congressman from Louisiana. He reportedly described Yovanovitch as an Obama holdover and claimed she was associated with George Soros while urging Croft to fire her.

Croft reportedly wrote, “It was not clear to me at the time or now, at whose direction or at whose expense Livingston was looking the removal of Ambassador Yovanovitch”. The former U.S State Department official went on to note that she reported the interactions with Livingston to Fiona Hill, who previously served as the former top Russia adviser to the White House and has already testified to the House committees leading the impeachment probe. Croft said, “It is my hope that even as this Committee’s process plays out, we do not lose sight of what is happening in Ukraine”.

Christopher Anderson is also a former State Department official. He was also giving evidence on Capitol Hill regarding the president’s dealings surrounding Ukraine. On Wednesday, Anderson reportedly mentioned the president’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani as an obstacle in U.S-Ukraine relations during his opening remarks. John Bolton is the former national security adviser. He informed Anderson that Giuliani was a key voice with the president on Ukraine which could be an obstacle to increased White House engagement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump removed Yovanovitch after continued attacks against the diplomat from his personal attorney.