Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman retiring from army, blaming ‘bullying and retaliation’ by president
- Ukraine expert had been removed from White House post after testifying that Trump’s request for foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden and son was improper
- Vindman’s retirement defuses potential conflict between military and White House over whether his promotion will be blocked
Former White House aide Alexander Vindman, a key figure in the impeachment of President Donald Trump, said on Wednesday he was retiring from the US Army after suffering what his lawyer described as campaign of “bullying, intimidation, and retaliation” by the president.
Vindman, an Army lieutenant colonel who had been due for a promotion, provided some of the most damaging testimony during an investigation by the US House of Representatives into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
Vindman confirmed his decision to retire instead of becoming a colonel and wrote on Twitter that he and his family “look forward to the next chapter of our lives”.
“After more than 21 years of military service, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman is retiring today after it has been made clear that his future within the institution he has dutifully served will forever be limited,” according to a statement from his lawyer.
Vindman, then the White House National Security Council’s top Ukraine expert, testified that Trump’s request for an investigation into former vice-president Joe Biden and his son Hunter during a July phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was improper.
