1 I 2 J 4 5 6 PERMANENT SELECT CONMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, 7 j oi 8 COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORT'] 9 and the nt wi th the l0 CO1TlITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ll U.S. t2 WASHINGTON, D.C. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, l3 t4 15 l6 INTERV]EW OF: KURT VOLKER t7 l8 l9 20 2t Thursday, 0ctober 3, 2019 Washington, D.C. 22 23 24 25 The interview in the above matter was held in Room 2 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 l0 ll t2 l3 t4 l5 r6 17 l8 t9 20 2l 22 23 24 25 HVC-304, Capi to1 Vi si Present: tor Center, commenci Representati ves Sch'i ff, ng at 9:40 Spei er, a. m. Swalwell , Nunes, and Turner. Also Present: Representat'ives Connelly, Raskin, Jordan, Meadows, Perry, and Zeld'in. 3 I Appea rances: 2 J 4 For the PERMANENT SELECT C0l4t4ITTEE 0N INTELLIGENCE: 5 6 7 8 9 l0 ll t2 l3 t4 l5 l6 t7 l8 t9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 FoT the COMMiTTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM 4 I FoT the COI4MITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 For 9 I'4ARGARET KURT VOLKER: E. DAUM, l0 PARTN 1l SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS LLP t2 2550 M STREET, NW l3 WASHINGTON, DC 20037 14 l5 t6 t7 18 l9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 E R , 5 1 2 J 4 5 THE CHAIRMAN: Good morning. The intervjew wilt come to order. I just want to make a few brief remarks before we get started. This is the first witness interview as part of the 7 ry. It i s bei ng conducted by the House Intelligence Committee w1th the participation of the 8 Oversi 6 9 impeachment i nqui ght and Forei gn Af f a'i rs Commi ttees. This will be a staff-led interview. to a reasonable size. We have tried l0 keep the room ll to be professional, that you'11 be treated civil1y. much appreciate your coming in today. t2 13 Once my colleague makes some We to expect the questions We very prefatory remarks you'11 be like to t4 given as much time as you'd l5 statement. Then we'11 begi n the questi oni ng, and my l6 colleague will set out the time t7 your being here today. make an opening limits. But we appreciate l8 MR. V0LKER: Thank you. t9 MR. G0LDMAN: Good morning, Ambassador Volker. 20 This is a transcribed interview that is conducted by the 22 InteIligence, pursuant to the impeachment inquiry announced by the Speaker of the House 23 on September 241h. 2t 24 25 House Permanent 5e1ect Committee on if you could just ptease state fu11 name and spell your last name for the record. Before we begin, your 6 MR. V0LKER: My name I 2 'is Kurt Volker, and that i s a MR. G0LDMAN: Thank you. 4 Along with the other proceedings 6 7 8 9 10 ll t2 l3 t4 l5 16 t7 l8 t9 20 2l 22 25 in furtherance of the ry, thi s i ntervi ew i s bei ng 1ed by the Inte11 i gence Comm'ittee i n exerci se of i ts oversi ght and legi slati ve j uri sdi cti on and i n coordi nat'ion wi th the Comm'ittees on Forei gn Af f ai rs and 0vers'ight and Ref orm. In the room today are two majority staff members and two minority staff members from both the Foreign Affairs Commi ttee and the Oversi ght Commi ttee, as well as maj ori ty and mi nori ty staff from HPSCI. My name is Daniel Goldman. I'm the director of jnvestigations for the HPSCI majority staff, and I want to thank you for coming in today. To my left here is Daniel Nob1e. He's a senior counsel for the majority staff, and he wi11 be conducting the maj ori ty of the questi ons today. Before we begin, I would just fike to ask that we go around the room and that the staff members all introduce themselves and announce themselves for the record so that the court reporter knows who everybody is. I'11 begin to my i nqui right. 24 r-t V-o-1-k-e- r. J 5 K-u- 7 I 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 l0 ll t2 t3 t4 l5 l6 t7 l8 l9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 MR. G0LDMAN: Thank you 8 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 s i ntervi ew w'i11 be conducted enti rely at the the i ntervi ew i s unclassi fi ed leve1 . However, because the bei ng conducted here i n the Intell i gence Commi ttee's secure spaces and in the presence of staff who all have appropriate securi ty clearances. It is the committee's expectation that neither the questions asked of you, the witness, nor answers by you or your counsel would requ'i re d'iscussion of any informat'ion that i s currently or at any po'int could be properly classi f i ed Thi l0 under executive order L3525. ll that, quote, "Io no case sha11 i nformati on be classi fi ed, conti nue to be mai ntai ned as classified, or fail to be declassified, " unquote, for the purpose of concealing any violations of law or preventing embarrassment of any person or entity. Today' s 'intervi ew i s not bei ng taken i n executi ve SeSsion, but because of the SenSitive and confidential nature of some of the topics and materials that w'i11 be discussed, access to the transcri pt wi 11 be t'imi ted to the three committees in attendance, the Intelligence Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Committee on Oversight and Reform. In advance of today's interview you voluntarily produced certain documents to the committees, which you have marked aS t2 l3 t4 l5 t6 t7 t8 t9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 Moreover, E0 13525 states confidential, and they have Bates numbers KVL through We may refer to some of those documents today. KV65. 9 Mr. Volker, can you please confi rm the documents I you 6 to the committees were generated on unclassified systems and that it is your understanding that the documents are today and were at all times unclass'ified? MR. V0LKER: Yes, that is my understanding. I'lR. GOLDMAN: Now, i f any of our questions can only be 7 answered 2 J 4 5 8 9 l0 ll t2 l3 t4 l5 l6 t7 produced with class'if ied information, please inform us of that before you answer the question, and we will reserve time at the end for a classifjed portion of the interview. Now, 1et me go over the ground rules for the interview. First, the structure of this transcribed interview' The i ntervi ew wi 11 proceed as fol1ows. The maj ori ty wi 11 be given L hour to ask questions, then the minority will be given L hour to ask questions. Thereafter, we w'i11 alternate back and forth between majority and minority in 45-minute rounds until the questioning is complete. We wilt take periodic breaks as needed, and if you need a break at any 20 time, please 1et us know. Under the committee rules you are allowed to have an attorney present during this interview, and that I see you 2t have brought one. l8 t9 At thi s time, 'if counsel could state her 22 23 the record. MS. DAUM: Margaret Daum, Squire Patton Boggs, counsel 24 25 appearance f or for Ambassador Volker. 10 5 is a stenographer to your left taking down everything that I say and everything that you say to make a written record of the interview. For the record to be c1ear, please wait until each question is asked before you answer, and we wi 11 wai t unti 1 you fi ni sh your response 6 before asking you the next question. I 2 a J 4 \4R. G0LDI4AN: There The stenographer cannot record nonverbal answers, such 7 l3 it is'important that you answer each questi on wi th an audi ble, verbal answer. We ask that you give complete.replies to questions based on your best recollection. if a quest'ion i s unclear or you are uncertain in your response, please let us know. And 1f you do not know the answer to a question or cannot remember, t4 s 8 9 l0 ll t2 as shat