House impeachment investigators released the transcripts of three more depositions on Monday, offering critical new details surrounding President Donald Trump’s order to freeze military aid to Ukraine. Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia and Ukraine, told investigators that Trump’s abrupt hold on the critical security assistance sent all corners of the administration into a frenzy to get it released — and to understand what motivated Trump’s decision. Cooper’s testimony — halted for hours when Republicans stormed the Intelligence Committee’s hearing room in protest — provided a window into the urgent questions that high-level officials raced to answer about Trump’s move, including whether it violated any laws about distributing congressionally mandated appropriations.
