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.
Vindman and his twin brother were escorted from the White House in February.
Trump has repeatedly complained about Vindman’s testimony and called him insubordinate.
“Through a campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation, the president of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: between adhering to the law or pleasing a president,” the statement from Vindman’s lawyer said.
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By retiring, Vindman defuses what could have become a contentious political battle between Senate Democrats – who were eager to shield his promotion from political interference – and Trump’s Republicans that could have dragged the military into a battle with the White House.
Last week, Democratic US Senator Tammy Duckworth, herself a veteran, said she would put a hold on the confirmation of over 1,000 military promotions until Defence Secretary Mark Esper provided assurances on not blocking the promotion of Vindman.
In the letter, Vindman’s lawyer also alleged that Trump was forcing him to choose between “protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers”.
“These are choices that no one in the United States should confront, especially one who has dedicated his life to serving it,” the letter said.
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Esper said in November that Vindman should not fear retaliation over his testimony. At the time, Esper said he had reinforced the “no retaliation” message in a conversation with the secretary of the Army.
A defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Esper had approved Vindman for promotion to colonel on Monday as part of a list of promotions due to be sent to the White House.
Risa Brooks, a professor at Marquette University with a focus on civil-military relations, said Vindman’s departure forestalled a potential clash between the White House and Pentagon.
“Clearly he’s just taking this sort of proactive position of trying to avoid a confrontation,” Brooks said.
“He did what he did before, a patriotic thing, which is to say, ‘OK, I’ll just take myself out of the equation,’” she added.
Bolton says Trump concerned only about his re-election
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, who did not testify before the House but later published a scathing book about Trump, told MSNBC television that Vindman’s decision to retire was a “loss for the country”.
Vindman, in his testimony before the House impeachment inquiry, at one point addressed his father, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, telling him not to fear for him and commending his decision to come to the United States in search of a better life.
“Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth,” he said in his testimony.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Trump last year. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump in early February.
