Gordon Sondland just opened the floodgates against Donald Trump
When U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland decided to revise his impeachment testimony on Tuesday and essentially flip on Donald Trump, he set a number of things in motion. For instance, based on how Sondland’s testimony has directly incriminated Rick Perry, for instance, it’ll be very difficult for Perry not to follow Sondland’s lead and flip on Trump as well. But there’s a broader picture here as to why the floodgates just opened against Trump.
Gordon Sondland may have proven himself to be a political idiot, but he’s no fool. He’s a successful businessman. He’s independently wealthy. He’s not a stooge. So when Sondland realized this week that he was going to have to either keep protecting Donald Trump and bet his own future on a pardon, or start cooperating with the House impeachment inquiry, he wisely chose the latter. Sure, the House could still ring him up for perjury once Trump is gone. But the reality is that his cooperation has probably bought him a get out of jail free pass.
Right now, a whole lot of other people in Donald Trump’s orbit are facing a similar decision about their own fates. For instance, White House lawyer John Eisenberg stands accused of having buried Trump’s quid pro quo evidence on a secret server. Plenty of Trump’s people are going to prison after this is over, and they know it, unless they sell Trump out soon enough to save themselves.
Gordon Sondland was the test case. All eyes were surely on him, not just on the outside, but also on the inside of the White House. Donald Trump’s other henchmen just saw Sondland decide to jump ship and save himself. That’ll instruct many of them to do the same. The floodgates are open now.
