Ambassador Gordon Sondland blamed inconsistencies in his previous testimony saying repeatedly that the State Department and the White House didn’t allow him access to the things he needed to provide accurate previous testimony.
Said Sondland: “I have not had access to all of my phone records, State Department emails and other State Department documents. And I was told I could not work with my EU Staff to pull together the relevant files.”
He added that he has never been a “note-taker,” meaning the absence of this information made his recollections even more difficult.
More: “My lawyers and I have made multiple requests to the State Department and the White House for these materials. Yet, these materials were not provided to me. They have also refused to share these materials with this Committee. These documents are not classified and, in fairness, should have been made available. In the absence of these materials, my memory has not been perfect. And I have no doubt that a more fair, open, and orderly process of allowing me to read the State Department records would have made this process more transparent.”