Former Ukraine envoy Volker to resign as head of McCain Institute

Kurt Volker, the former State Department special envoy for Ukraine who stepped down last week amid the rising controversy over the Trump administration’s dealings with Kiev, will also resign Friday from his position as the executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership.  

Leadership at the institute, a Washington, D.C.-area research group affiliated with Arizona State University, had been privately discontented with Volker’s dual role in their organization and in the State Department, The New York Times reported on Friday.

{mosads}Volker was planning to leave later this year, a source familiar with Volker told the newspaper, but he decided to resign this week amid House Democrats’ impeachment push against President Trump.

Volker sent a note to the McCain Institute’s board of trustees last week explaining that lawmakers called him to testify Thursday, but he said “Despite this news, after two years of great team work and dedication, Ukraine is stronger and closer to seeing its sovereignty and territorial integrity restored than before, and that’s what’s important!” AZCentral reported.

Volker answered questions during a marathon 10-hour deposition before lawmakers Thursday regarding Trump’s interactions with Kiev. Democratic representatives sought to validate claims from a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, as he tied up billions in military aid to the country.

“We saw further evidence that there was a shadow shakedown going on,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), an Intelligence Committee member, told reporters after the deposition.

However, Republicans said Volker’s testimony exonerated the president of any wrongdoing and raised new evidence against Hunter Biden.

“The administration is in an even stronger place today than they were this morning as a product of Ambassador Volker coming to testify,” Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), said Thursday.

Volker also released text messages to lawmakers involving several Trump administration officials, as well as Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, discussing the administration’s apparent efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.

The Hill has reached out to the McCain Institute for comment.