Pompeo claims he was unaware of any surveillance on Yovanovitch

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claims he was unaware of any efforts to surveil then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, at least, to the best of his recollection. Pompeo made the comments in an interview with conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt. 

The surveillance efforts were disclosed in texts the House Intelligence Committee released this week from indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, who insists President Trump knew everything that was happening in Ukraine. A lawyer for Yovanovitch called for an investigation after texts released suggested Yovanovitch was under surveillance before she was swiftly rushed out of Ukraine in late April 2019, although she had initially been asked to stay on as ambassador through July. Ukraine has opened an investigation into the matter. 

“Yeah I’d never heard about this at all, Hugh. Until this story broke, the best of my recollection, I’d never heard of this at all,” Pompeo said. 

Pompeo was not specifically asked to condemn any such surveillance efforts, but did not express concern or address the adequacy of any of the State Department’s safety measures for protecting U.S. personnel abroad. 

Pompeo also told Hewitt he has never met Parnas, who has been hitting the cable news circuit to tell his side of the story. 

“Never met him,” Pompeo told Hewitt. 

Parnas has admitted he was involved in the efforts to discredit Yovanovitch and to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. 

The White House and the president himself also insist the president does not know Parnas. The two have been photographed together on a few occasions.

The new claims from Parnas came just before the Senate formally opened the impeachment trial this week. The trial kicks off in earnest on Tuesday.