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 Mr. Yermak’s assistant that I was supposed to join the meeting as the Embassy’s representative and strongly urged her to let me in, but she told me that Ambassador Sondland and Mr. Yermak had insisted that the meeting be one on one with no note taker.”688 Mr. Holmes “then waited in the anteroom until the meeting ended, along with a member of Ambassador Sondland’s staff and a member of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv staff.”689

Ambassador Sondland’s meeting with Mr. Yermak lasted approximately 30 minutes.690 When it ended, Ambassador Sondland did not provide Mr. Holmes an explanation of what they discussed.691 Ambassador Sondland later testified that he did not “recall the specifics” of his conversation with Mr. Yermak, but he believed “the issue of investigations was probably a part of that agenda or meeting.”692

After a busy morning of meetings with Ukrainian officials on July 26, Ambassador Sondland indicated that he wanted to get lunch. Mr. Holmes interjected that he would “be happy to join” Ambassador Sondland and two other State Department colleagues accompanying him “if he wanted to brief me out on his meeting with Mr. Yermak or discuss other issues.”693 Ambassador Sondland accepted the offer. The diplomats proceeded “to a nearby restaurant and sat on an outdoor terrace.”694 Mr. Holmes “sat directly across from Ambassador Sondland,” close enough that they could “share an appetizer.”695

Mr. Holmes recounted that “at first, the lunch was largely social. Ambassador Sondland selected a bottle of wine that he shared among the four of us, and we discussed topics such as marketing strategies for his hotel business.”696 Later during the meal, Ambassador Sondland “said that he was going to call President Trump to give him an update.”697 Ambassador Sondland then placed a call on his unsecure mobile phone. Mr. Holmes was taken aback. He told the Committee, “it was, like, a really extraordinary thing, it doesn’t happen very often”a U.S. Ambassador picking up his mobile phone at an outdoor cafe and dialing the President of the United States.698

Mr. Holmes, who was sitting directly opposite from Ambassador Sondland, said he “heard him announce himself several times, along the lines of, ‘Gordon Sondland, holding for the President.’ It appeared that he was being transferred through several layers of switchboards and assistants, and I then noticed Ambassador Sondland’s demeanor changed and understood that he had been connected to President Trump.”699

Mr. Holmes stated he was able to hear the first part of Ambassador Sondland’s conversation with President Trump because it was “quite loud” and “quite distinctive” when the President began speaking. When President Trump started speaking, Ambassador Sondland “sort of winced and held the phone away from his ear,” and “did that for the first couple exchanges.”700

Recounting the conversation that followed, Mr. Holmes testified: