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Civil Servants

1. What was Lt Colonol Alexander Vindman's job in the bureaucracy?
He was director of European affairs at the National Security Council. He was detailed to the Defense Department after Trump's revenge.
2. What did Vindman testify during the impeachment investigation?
Since Vindman listened to the phone call with Ukraine, he was able to testify that the contents of the call were inappropriate for the President.
3. What did the White House do to Vindman and his brother?
Vindman was reassigned to Defense and his brother who was an NSC lawyer, was also reassigned.
4. How is the White House justifying this action?
They are justifying the reassignments as shrinkage of the NSC staff.
5. Why does the author argue that this creates a danger for other civil servants?
Now, officials will be less likely to speak out against Donald Trump due to his actions against Vindman after his acquittal.


6. What was Gordon Sondland's job in the Trump Administration? 
Sondland was the ambassador to the EU and was also Trump's donor.
7. What did Ambassador Sondland testify during the impeachment investigation?
He laid out that the quid pro quo was orchestrated with complete agreement between the President and other higher-ups in the government, not only with the aid of Giuliani.
8. What was Sondland's background before becoming the ambassador?
According to Wikipedia, he was also the owner of Provenance hotels and was in the hotel business up to his ambassadorship.
9. Who else might the Trump Administration take action against, according to this article?
George Kent, who also testified against Trump. Laura Cooper, who revealed that the White House directed the freeze on military aid to Kyiv.

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