DAMAGE CONTROL

National Security Official Tim Morrison Feared Leaks of Trump’s Call to Ukraine President Would Be Damaging

“I recommended to them that we restrict access to the package,” Morrison said, according to a transcript of his Oct. 31 testimony.

National Security Council official Timothy Morrison believed leaks of President Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be damaging and recommended restricting access, according to his sworn deposition to House investigators released on Saturday. Morrison said he had voiced his concern to NCS lawyers that a leak would be damaging after the July 25th call in which Trump allegedly pressured Zelensky to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter. He said he then suggested to lawyers that “we restrict access to the package” — in reference to information about the call— because he was worried it would wind up “politicizing Ukraine.”

“I recommended to them that we restrict access to the package,” Morrison said, later adding: “I was concerned about how the Ukrainians would internalize that.” Morrison testified on Oct. 31 as part of the impeachment investigation into Trump. A transcript of Morrison’s remarks was released on Saturday, along with that of Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence.