Alva Review-Courier -

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department's third-ranking official testified Wednesday for more than six hours in the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry as they investigate President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

David Hale had been expected to tell lawmakers that political considerations were behind the agency's refusal to deliver a robust defense of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

People familiar with the matter said Hale, the highest-ranking career diplomat in the foreign service, planned to say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other senior officials determined that publicly...