Republicans thought Sondland could vindicate Trump -- but he blocked the testimony anyway

Some House Republicans had hoped that Ambassador to European Union Gordon Sondland would testify before Congress as scheduled on Tuesday as they had hoped he could vindicate President Donald Trump.

The administration announced after midnight that they blocked Sondland from his scheduled testimony.

"The decision to block Mr. Sondland’s testimony frustrated some House Republicans," The New York Timesreported Tuesday evening. "A group of them visited the president earlier Tuesday and explained why they hoped to hear from Mr. Sondland, a person briefed on the meeting said, in part because he has already denied any quid pro quo."

Read the full report.