WASHINGTON — Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment, will retire after more than 21 years in the U.S. military amid concerns that his future will “forever be limited” in the Army as a result of his testimony against the commander in chief, his lawyer said.
“Through a campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation, the President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President,” David Pressman, Vindman’s counsel at Jenner & Block LLP, said in a statement Wednesday. “Between honoring his oath or protecting his career. Between protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers. These are choices that no one in the United States should confront, especially one who has dedicated his life to serving it.”
A top National Security Council official at the time, Vindman’s testimony to the House during the impeachment saga — given in full-dress uniform — was among the most damaging to Trump, pitting the president’s claims of a “hoax” against the word of a decorated military veteran.
