WATCH: Yovanovitch said authoritarians use smear campaigns similar to what was used against her

Published on Nov 15, 2019
In response to questioning from Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said that authoritarian leaders let corruption interests “hijack” foreign policy and use similar smear tactics against their opponents, as was used against her. Krishnamoorthi’s line of questioning appeared to be aimed at comparing President Donald Trump to authoritarian regimes. Yovanovitch has testified that she was ousted after Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, engineered a smear campaign against her. Yovanovitch testified Nov. 15 as part of the impeachment probe that centers around a July phone call in which Trump asked the president of Ukraine to investigate former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.