Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union who has become a central figure in the congressional impeachment inquiry, will testify he did not know whether President Donald Trump was telling him the truth when he said there was no quid pro quo in a conversation with the Ukrainian president, reports Fox News.
Sondland is poised to testify under subpoena before House investigators this week.
He will reportedly say he "relied on the president's assurances in good faith and passed these along" when he texted Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor there was no quid pro quo with Ukraine, per a source who spoke with NBC.
Sondland on Sept. 9 told Taylor that Trump had been "crystal clear" there was no quid pro quo.
"I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign," Taylor said in a text.
Sondland responded, after speaking with Trump, there were "no quid pro quo's of any kind." But he also is expected to say that he does not know whether the president was telling him the truth when he made the statement.
Quid pro quo is a Latin term meaning a favor for a favor.
The impeachment inquiry focuses on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter.
Democrats have accused Trump of pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on a domestic rival after withholding $391 million in U.S. security aid intended to help combat Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine. Zelenskiy agreed to investigate. Trump eventually released the aid.