to investigate Biden and his son.

Cooper is one of at least five officials who have been summoned to testify next week.

● Impeachment inquiry shows Trump at the center of Ukraine efforts against rivals.

● After saying Trump held back aid to pressure Ukraine, Mulvaney tries to back away from his comments.

● Mulvaney’s twin admissions put Trump at the center of emoluments and Ukraine controversies.

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7:30 p.m.: In his opening testimony, George Kent expressed dismay on treatment of ousted ambassador Marie Yovanovitch

George Kent, a career State Department official overseeing Ukraine policy, told congressional investigators this week he was perturbed by a claim from former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who said she was abruptly removed from her position in May based on “unfounded and false claims by people with clearlyUkrainian energy company but was turned away by a Biden staffer, according to three people familiar with the testimony.

George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, testified Tuesday that he worried that Hunter Biden’s position at the firm Burisma Holdings would complicate efforts by U.S. diplomats to convey to Ukrainian officials the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality rules surrounding the deposition.

Kent said he had concerns that Ukrainian officials would view Hunter Biden as a conduit for obtaining influence with his father, the people said. But when Kent raised the issue with Biden’s office, he was told the then-vice president did not have the “bandwidth” to deal with the issue involving his son as his