What Was Mick Mulvaney's Role In Ukraine Scandal? White House Chief Of Staff Says Politics Always A Part Of Foreign Policy

Acting White House chief of staff Mike Mulvaney on Thursday undercut President Trump’s statements that military Ukraine was not tied to his desire for dirt on a political opponent, telling reporters Trump linked the request to address corruption in the former Russian republic.

The House is investigating whether Trump abused the power of his office in a July 25 call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during which he asked Zelensky for a “favor,” requesting he investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. The call was made just days after Trump froze nearly $400 million in military aid to the former Soviet republic that has been fighting Russia-backed separates in its eastern provinces.

“We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney responded when asked whether linking military aide to an investigation constituted a quid pro quo. He also cited the administration’s decision to withhold aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to force changes in their immigration policies.

"I have news for everybody: Get over it. There's going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said. "That is going to happen. Elections have consequences, and foreign policy is going to change from the Obama administration to the Trump administration."

Mulvaney took responsibility for relations with Ukraine away from veteran State Department diplomats and put it in the hands of special envoy Carl Volker, U.S. EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland and Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

Mulvaney said during the press briefing Trump also wanted Ukraine to investigate unfounded allegations it was involved in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee server ahead of the 2016 election.

"Did he also mention to me in [the] past the corruption related to the DNC server? Absolutely," Mulvaney said. "No question about that. But that's it, and that's why we held up the money."

Mulvaney also confirmed Trump asked Perry to work with Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on efforts to reach an energy deal with Ukraine. Mulvaney denied, however, that Giuliani was running a “shadow foreign policy.”

Mulvaney said Trump’s instruction to Perry was valid because Sondland was in the room at the time.

Perry has said he was trying to foster links with the Ukraine energy industry. Giuliani was seeking changes in leadership at the Ukraine government-owned gas company, Naftogaz, to make the board friendlier to certain U.S. businessmen.