Early on as this story (Ukraine-gate?) was breaking it was reported that, in an unusual move, the transcript of the July 25th call was moved to a highly classified server with restricted access. When people are stating we have seen the transcript is that precisely true or is what we have seen something akin to a synopsis provided by the White House?
This question has been pretty extensively answered during the hearings. Here’s my understanding.
The calls are not recorded. But a fair amount of people listen in, aides and secretaries and assistants to high level WH and State Dept officials.
Those people make written transcriptions of what they hear, and a preliminary read-out, kind of a draft transcript, is produced. Then there is a back and forth process where the other listeners compare the read-out to their own notes and note any discrepancies.
Usually this leads to a fairly accurate transcription. During the recent hearings, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman testified that their were a few sections of the call readout where his notes did not match the final version of the official version. In that version, there were a few sentences that trailed off into ellipses ( dot dot dot), indicating inaudible mumbling. Vindman thought it was audible and filled in those “blanks” during his testimony. What he heard was not favorable to President Trump, but it was still fairly minor in the scheme of things. I think he said Trump was mumbling about someone having recordings, which seems to be a frequent obsession of his. (Trump that is, not Vindman)
There is very little dispute over the content of the transcript, though. There is general agreement as to the words that were said during the call. The greater argument is over whether the things said on the call were appropriate or an abuse of power.
The call was between two government representatives. One side (the USA) has a particular way of recording its contents with transcriptions made by hand, memory and notes taken ad hoc, but nobody seems to mention what the other side does. Can we exclude that a recording of the call exists and that it is in Ukranian hands?
when leaders meet in person and don’t speak the same language each side has a translator that translates what the other leader says. So Trump would have his translator repeat in English what the other guy said. I assume it’s the same for a phone call. That’s another person in the loop but the translators are never supposed to reveal what is said.
So what is on the secure server?
As far as we know, the summary/minutes of the call (or “transcript” but it really isn’t) that has since been declassified and made public.
It is the same document, you can see the original classification markings at the top.
Here is a link to the white house press release, including a link to the transcript document: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-81/
~Max
It would seem that the powers that be would not like the country to know. It’s interesting that the transcripts of the ‘perfect’ call (can he be more of a Junior High school kid?).
There should be NO reason for that transcript to be on that server in the first place. Why they didn’t just lose it is interesting to me. Instead, they moved it. Why was it put there? It was a ‘perfect’ call. Hmmm. There is MUCH more to this than meets the eye IMHO. Someone may have moved it to CYA.
Not trying to create a CT. There is plenty to commit Trump without any more info.
Colonel Vindman’s testimony is available online. Here is a link to the Oversight Committee’s highlights of his testimony. Information about the memorandum and server are on page ten. Colonel Vindman was listening in on the call and testified as to the inaccuracies and inaccuracies of the transcript. Here (large PDF) is a link to the referenced testimony.
~Max