- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click here to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
Lev Parnas delivers more materials to the Democrats 3:19
(CNN) - Secretary of the State Department, Mike Pompeo, publicly pledged on Friday to investigate the possible surveillance of the former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, more than 48 hours after evidence of a possible monitoring was known. the former official and 24 hours after Ukraine announced its own inquiry into the matter.
"We will do everything necessary to assess whether something happened there," Pompeo told conservative radio host Tony Katz.
“I suspect that in the end it will be verified that much of what has been reported is wrong, but but our obligation, my obligation as secretary of state, is to make sure to evaluate, investigate. Every time someone argues that there may be a risk for one of our officials, obviously we will do that, ”Pompeo added.
- LOOK: Yovanovitch: Trump is very intimidating
Pompeo's comments on Friday are the first public admission about an investigation into the possible surveillance of Yovanoviitch while working in Kiev, although a senior State Department official told CNN that the investigation officially began at the Diplomatic Security Office of the State Department on the night of this Tuesday.
- Lev Parnas delivers more text messages and audios of the plot of Ukraine to the Democrats
"Never, as far as I can remember, had I heard of this"
In a different interview this Friday, Pompeo said he was not aware of the possible surveillance against Yovanovitch.
"Before this story was known, never, as far as I can remember, had heard of this," the secretary told Hugh Hewitt.
Earlier this week, Democrats in the House of Representatives published a series of documents - delivered by Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani's partner accused of campaign finance charges - showing Republican congressional candidate for Connecticut Robert Hyde rebuking Yovanovitch Text messages also suggest that he was watching her while she was in Kiev and that Hyde transmitted the movements of the then ambassador to Parnas. Hyde declined to comment for CNN when asked if he had watched Yovanovitch, who was a key witness in the political trial investigation against President Donald Trump.
- READ: Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani's partner, implicates Trump in the plot of Ukraine
Pompeo said on both radio shows that he didn't think he had met Parnas.
“I have not met this man, Lev Parnas, as far as I know. I've never met, I've never contacted him, ”he assured Tony Katz.
"We do our best to make sure no one is damaged"
The secretary of state did not offer any word of support to Yovanovitch personally, but said that “always in the State Department we do everything we can to ensure that our officials, not only our ambassadors but our entire team, have the appropriate level of security "
“We do everything possible to ensure that no one suffers damage, whether it is what was happening at our embassy in Baghdad last week or the work that was done in Kiev until the spring of last year, when Ambassador Yovanovitch I was there, and at our embassy in Kiev even today, ”he told Tony Katz.
When asked if the political trial affects US interests abroad, the chief US diplomat. He replied that his team is "very focused" and again referred to the issue as "noise."
- LOOK: Democrats publish report detailing Trump's alleged scheme on Ukraine and discusses a precedent for the political trial
"I have done my best to make sure everyone here knows that we have an ongoing mission, and to make sure that we also tell our partners and friends around the world," he told Hewitt. "We do our best to get everyone to focus on the things that really matter," he added.
The new evidence of the possible surveillance of the former ambassador was made public on Tuesday night. Parnas, who delivered the documents, told Anderson Cooper of CNN that he did not take Hyde's insinuations seriously that he was monitoring Yovanovitch and said that if he had believed the alleged threats were real he would have contacted the authorities.
In the texts sent to Parnas, Hyde wrote in a message: "That pe ***". In another communication, the next day, he said: “Wow. I can't believe that Trumo (sic) has not fired this pe ***. I will be correct in that. ”
In one more, he told Parnas: “Wake up, Yankee man. She has spoken with three people. Your phone is off. Your computer is turned off. It is next to the embassy, not at the embassy. Private security. He has been there since Thursday. ”
"They are willing to help if we or you like a price," he said in another message. Hyde responded to CNN on Tuesday that "there was no way" that he had offered to hurt Yovanovitch.
CNN's Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.
Lev ParnasMike PompeoUkraine
