Infamous Trump-Sondland call about investigations was on an open line, and the President knew it

The US Ambassador to the European Union says he pressured Ukraine to investigate the Bidens at President Trump's "express direction."

Infamous Trump-Sondland call about investigations was on an open line, and the President knew it
Gordon Sondland

US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland said his July 26 call with President Trump was on an open, unsecured line. CNN previously reported that several former officials said there is a high probability that intelligence agencies from numerous foreign countries, including Russia, were listening in on the conversation.

That phone call was revealed by top US diplomat in Ukraine Bill Taylor in his testimony before the House Intelligence committee last week. Taylor said one of his aides overheard the call between Trump and Sondland in which Trump asked about “investigations" at a restaurant.

Democrats' lawyer Daniel Goldman asked Sondland about the call. Here's their exchange:

 

Goldman: "And you called President Trump from your cell phone from the restaurant. Is that right?"
Sondland: "That's right."
Goldman: "And this was not a secure line, was it?"
Sondland: "No, it was an open line."
Goldman: "Did you worry that a foreign government may be listening to your phone call with the President of the United States?"
Sondland: "Well, I have unclassified conversations all the time from land lines that are unsecured and cell phones. If the topic is not classified — and it's up to the President to decide what's classified and what's not classified — and we were having, he was aware that it was an open line as well."