'Castor lies': GOP counsel busted for peddling Ukraine falsehood in impeachment testimony

Republican counsel Stephen Castor lied during his impeachment defense of President Donald Trump.

The GOP attorney testified that Ukrainian officials "did not learn (military aid) was paused until the pause was reported publicly in the U.S. media on Aug. 28," but Just Security editor-in-chief Ryan Goodman said that claim was false.

In fact, according to testimony from deputy assistant secretary of defense Laura Cooper, officials at the Ukrainian embassy were asking questions about U.S. aid as early as July 25 -- the same day Trump pressed Ukraine's president to investigate Joe Biden and his son.

The New York Times has reported that word of the freeze had gotten to high-level Ukrainian officials by the first week in August, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified that Ukraine raised concerns about the aid with the National Security Council in mid-August.

Rudy Giuliani's indicted associate Lev Parnas also told representatives of the new Ukrainian government in May that the U.S. would freeze aid unless a Biden investigation was announced.