3:28
- ABC News
- November 19, 2019
Who is WH official Alexander Vindman?
He earned a Purple Heart in Iraq, and his brother works in the White House, too.
3:28
\"For over twenty years as an active duty United States military officer and diplomat, I have served this country in a nonpartisan manner, and have done so with the utmost respect and professionalism for both Republican and Democratic administrations,\" Vindman was to testify.
“For many years, life was quite difficult,” said Vindman, now in his early 40s.
According to the New York Times, Vindman and his father Semyon immigrated to the States with his twin brother Yevgeny, older brother Leonid and maternal grandmother. His mother died in Kyiv before they left.
Vindman and Yevgeny followed in the footsteps of Leonid, earning commissions in the Army.
\"For more than two decades, it has been my honor to serve as an officer in the United States Army. As an infantry officer, I served multiple overseas tours, including South Korea and Germany, and a deployment to Iraq for combat operations. In Iraq, I was wounded in an IED attack and awarded a Purple Heart,\" he wrote matter-of-factly.
Then, as a Foreign Area Officer, a role that deals with political-military affairs, Vindman served in the U.S. embassies in Kyiv and Moscow. His last post in that role was in Washington, D.C., serving as a Eurasian specialist before being tapped to be a part of the National Security Council in 2018.
Vindman’s twin brother Yevgeny is also an Army lieutenant colonel rank who works in the White House as part of the National Security Council, according to the Times. He is a lawyer handling ethics issues, and his office is across from Vindman’s.
Carol Kitman, a photographer who’s online portfolio appears to document the lives of the Vindmans, wrote in a caption on her website, “The situation of their lives resonated because my mother also was brought here by family - a very small girl who had lost her mother in the old country.”
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/alexander-vindman4-sh-ml-191029_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Leading up to Tuesday’s testimony, Vindman’s detractors assailed his background-- questioning where his loyalties lie.
“It seems very clear that he is incredibly concerned about Ukrainian defense,” former GOP Rep. Sean Duffy said on CNN. “I don’t know that he’s concerned about American policy, but his main mission was to make sure that the Ukraine got those weapons.”
“He has an affinity for the Ukraine, he speaks Ukrainian, and he came from the country, and he wants to make sure they’re safe and free. I understand that,” Duffy added.
John Yoo, a former Department of Justice official in the Bush administration, said on Fox News Channel that it was “astounding” that Vindman, who is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, reportedly communicated in English with Ukrainian officials about how to handle Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
“You know, some people might call that espionage,” Yoo said.
Other Republican's said questioning Vindman's patriotism was \"shameful.\"
Vindman, in his remarks, said he was proud to be an immigrant serving at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
\"It has been a great honor to serve the American people and a privilege to work in the White House and on the National Security Council. I hope to continue to serve and advance America’s national security interests,\" he concluded.
But Alexander Vindman's story is not over.
ABC News' Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
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