Impeachment News: Rick Perry Says There Was No Ukraine Quid Pro Quo

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who is leaving his post at the end of the year, said the administration did nothing improper in its dealings with Ukraine and denied his impending departure had anything to do with the burgeoning impeachment investigation.

Perry, whose resignation was formally announced Thursday, told Fox News “there was no quid pro quo” involved in Ukraine policy. The remarks contradicted those of acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney who first said there was a quid pro quo during a press briefing before he tried to walk back the statement.

House impeachment investigators are looking into a July 25 phone call President Trump made to his Ukranian counterpart just days after freezing nearly $400 million in military aid. During the call, Trump asked Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as a “favor.” Perry was among a group known as the “three amigos,” who were working on Ukraine relations.

“There was no quid pro quo in the sense of what those folks out there would like for it to be: We’re [not] going to give you this money unless you go investigate Joe Biden and his son,” said Perry, who last week admitted he encouraged Trump to call Zelensky. “I never heard that said anywhere, anytime in any conversation.”

"Never heard the Bidens name at one time," he added. "Not with anyone."

Perry said he didn’t know if he would cooperate with House investigators, saying he was awaiting direction from the general counsel. There was a Friday deadline for documents subpoenaed by impeachment investigators.

Perry also said he wasn’t put off by Trump’s directive that he work with Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine matters, saying he often worked with outside experts while he was governor of Texas.

“I respect the State Department, but I happen to know people in the energy industry that are smarter than the State Department folks,” Perry said.

Perry said he pushed Trump to contact Zelensky because he was convinced Ukraine was trying to sever its ties with Russian natural gas suppliers, and he wanted to forge a closer relationship.

Perry said his relationship with Trump is good and denied he’s leaving the administration because of the impeachment investigation.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with Ukraine,” Perry said, adding that he had been thinking about it for eight or nine months.