A dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal

A dozen House Democrats are calling on Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland to resign amid the developing Ukraine controversy.

Twelve representatives responded to an NBC News survey for Democratic House members by saying Sondland should resign, while others said they would wait until after he testifies on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to make a decision.

The Democratic representatives calling for his resignation are Reps. Tim Ryan (Ohio), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Gerry Connolly (Va.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Denny Heck (Wash.), Filemon Vela (Texas), David Price (N.C.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Anthony Brown (Md.), Dwight Evans (Pa.), Julia Brownley (Calif.) and Gwen Moore (Wis.) 

{mosads}“These text messages are deeply troubling. Mr. Sondland has lost credibility and must resign,” Connolly said to NBC News. 

Others such as Reps. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Yvette Clarke (N.Y.) and Diana DeGette (Colo.) said the ambassador should resign if the allegations are true, NBC News reported.

“If these allegations are true, anyone complicit in the president’s alleged attempts to pressure a foreign leader into interfering with our election should be removed from office immediately,” DeGette said to NBC News.

Sondland is set to appear for a scheduled House deposition Tuesday. 

The whistleblower report that launched an impeachment inquiry in the House mentioned that Sondland, who was appointed by the president, tried to help urge Ukraine to investigate the president’s political opponents.

The report details Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president asking him to “look into” former Vice President Joe Biden and Biden’s son. 

Text messages between Sondland and top Ukrainian embassy official William Taylor made public last week show that top U.S. diplomats worked to carry out Trump’s desire for the Ukrainian government to investigate the Bidens.