Ex-Trump Russia expert told lawmakers she’s gotten death threats

A former top Russia analyst for the White House told House lawmakers that she received death threats ahead of her testimony as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

Fiona Hill, who served on Trump’s National Security Council before leaving the post voluntarily over the summer, testified in a closed-door hearing that she and other officials were the target of threats and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, according to a transcript of her Oct. 14 testimony that was released Friday.

{mosads}”My entire first year of my tenure at the National Security Council was filled with hateful calls, conspiracy theories, which has started again, frankly, as it’s been announced that I’ve been giving this deposition,” Hill said.

“I received, I just have to tell you, death threats, calls at my home,” she added. Hill described her neighbors hearing someone hammering on her door, as well as someone calling her home to deride her with obscenities.

Hill said she and former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, another key witness in the impeachment inquiry, were the target of anti-Semitic conspiracies attempting to tie them to billionaire financier George Soros.

“Now, I’m not easily intimidated, but that made me mad,” Hill testified. “And when I saw this happening to Ambassador Yovanovitch again, I was furious, because this is, again, just this whipping up of what is frankly an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory about George Soros to basically target nonpartisan career officials, and also some political appointees as well, because I just want to say this: This is not indiscriminate in its attacks.”

Hill was one of several witnesses to testify before House lawmakers in recent weeks as part of the ongoing probe into whether Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate a domestic political rival. The transcript of her testimony was released at the same time as the transcript of testimony from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who raised concerns about Trump’s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president.

Hill’s description of the threats and intimidation tactics she and other officials have faced come as Trump and his allies seek to undermine some of the key witnesses in the impeachment inquiry.

Trump has not singled out Hill by name, but he has repeatedly referred to the witnesses as “Never Trumpers” and accused Democrats of seeking out testimony from those who oppose him.

“The testimony has all been fine,” Trump said Friday morning. “I mean, for the most part I’ve never even heard of these people. There are some very fine people. You have some Never Trumpers.”