Nov 20, 2019

Read Laura Cooper's opening statement in the impeachment hearing

Laura Cooper

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Defense Department official Laura Cooper is testifying Wednesday in the second impeachment hearing of the day.

The big picture: In her opening statement, Cooper testified that she became aware President Trump had ordered a hold on security assistance to Ukraine in July due to his concerns about corruption. She stated that she advocated for a meeting with the president to explain why the aid should go forward, and that she was never offered a reason for why the hold was lifted.

Read Cooper's full opening statement

Go deeper: Live updates from Cooper and David Hale's impeachment hearing

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