Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine who publicly testified for the House’s impeachment inquiry last month, will leave his post at the end of the year, NBC News reported.
Both a current and a former U.S. official confirmed the news with the outlet. Taylor, who was serving as acting ambassador and was never officially nominated, is planning to depart from Kyiv on Jan. 2, one said.
Taylor has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after he testified to House lawmakers in October that President Donald Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine until it agreed to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden ― the issue at the center of the impeachment inquiry.
Taylor publicly testified before the House the following month. His appearance infuriated Trump, who bashed him as “Never Trumper Diplomat Bill Taylor (who I don’t know).”
The impeachment is expected to come up for a full House vote on Wednesday, following the Judiciary Committee’s approval of two articles of impeachment accusing the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Taylor’s departure is expected to come around the same time as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Ukraine.
“Pompeo is not going to want to be in a photo with Taylor,” a congressional aide told NBC News.
The State Department did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment on the matter.
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