#Lt. Col. Vindman, who testified about Trump’s Ukraine call, to retire

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified before a House committee investigating President Trump’s call to Ukraine, is ending his 21-year career with the US Army, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Vindman has been the target of “bullying, intimidation, and retaliation” by the president and his allies after he testified before the House Intelligence Committee last November, his attorney David Pressman said in a statement to CNN.

Pressman claimed Trump forced Vindman to make a choice: “Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President. Between honoring his oath or protecting his career. Between protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers.”

Pressman, in the statement, said no one should be faced with those choices, “especially one who has dedicated his life to serving it,” he added, noting that Vindman “did what the law compelled him to do; and for that he was bullied by the President and his proxies.”

Vindman, who was awarded the Purple Heart while serving in Iraq, testified that he listened to Trump’s July phone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as part of his role as the Ukraine expert on the National Security Council.

Trump asked Zelensky to launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter over their dealings in Ukraine.

Vindman said he found Trump’s comments on the call “inappropriate” and was bound by a “sense of duty” to report them up the chain of command.

Trump fired Vindman from his White House post in February.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who is reportedly on the short-list of Biden running mates, said last week that she would block Senate confirmation of military promotions until she is assured by Defense Secretary Mark Esper that Vindman’s promotion to full colonel will not be blocked.