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Doing the right thing isn鈥檛 always easy, but Alexander Vindman said the strong moral convictions on which he鈥檚 lived his entire life wouldn鈥檛 have allowed him to have done听otherwise.
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The retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel has no regrets about the damning听congressional testimony he gave in 2019 as part of the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. A career officer who served America with great distinction, Vindman was working with the National Security Council when he testified that Trump tried to听pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky听during a 2019 phone call听to investigate the family of听former听Vice President Joe Biden, who was running for president.听
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Vindman, who had spent more than 21 years听in the听military,听was aware that听there would be immediate retaliation from the president and his supporters, but听he听knew what听had to be done.听
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鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would change a thing,鈥 he said recently. 鈥淭o me, it was a relatively simple decision to do my duty and fulfill my obligations. I swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.鈥澨
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Vindman will speak with听Mason听students about the decision that ultimately led to his dismissal from the NSC and retirement from the Army, as well as about ethical dilemmas, professional values and his own personal faith during a virtual evening of reflection at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, on Zoom. Those who wish to attend 鈥淒oing the Right Thing: Facing Ethical Dilemmas in Public Service鈥 may register on Zoom. The virtual discussion is organized by Mason鈥檚 Judaic Studies Council.听
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Vindman will be introduced by Mason President听, and the discussion will be moderated by听, the director of the John Mitchell Jr. Program, and听, the dean of the听.听
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Ardis welcomed the opportunity for students to hear from Vindman.听
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鈥淸This event]听features the important role the humanities play in helping our students deepen their understanding of complex moral and ethical questions, so they can鈥痬ake extraordinary contributions to their communities as engaged citizens,"听she听said.听
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Born in Kiev to a Jewish family, Vindman came to the United States with his two brothers, his father and his maternal grandmother following his mother鈥檚 death. He burst onto the national spotlight in 2019 when he testified during the first impeachment trial.听
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He joined the National Security Council in 2018, where he helped implement the Trump administration鈥檚 Ukraine policy. In this role, he was one of a number of people on the controversial July 25, 2019, phone call in which Trump is alleged to have asked a foreign government to investigate an American citizen for personal political gain.听
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His testimony during the impeachment trial resulted in retaliation from Trump, who fired him from the NSC and also ousted his twin brother, who was also an Army officer serving at the NSC but not involved in the impeachment proceedings.听
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But compromising his values was never a thought for Vindman.听
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鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to recognize that over a lifetime of public service, you鈥檙e exposed to and internalize a set of values,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey become very important to you. It鈥檚 something you try to emulate and train your subordinates to and to live those values.鈥澨
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He was warned of the consequences if he testified before Congress, but went through with it.听听
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鈥淚 could have been intimidated and cowed into retracting my perspective or I could have followed through on my convictions,鈥 Vindman said. 鈥淚t was pretty straight forward.鈥澨
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The听virtual听event will听closely examine the听many听ethical decisions Vindman faced,听said听, the director of Mason Hillel and one of the event鈥檚 organizers.听
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The role that faith can play in commitment to ethical public service will also be a topic of discussion at the event.听听
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鈥淭his event showcases听Mason鈥檚 commitment听to the ideal of public service,鈥 said听, a professor of听听at Mason who also helped organize the event.
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Among the event鈥檚 sponsors are the听, the听, the听, the听听(CHSS),听,听,听, the听, the听, and the听.听
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During the event, the role of Jewish values and philosophy in particular will be expanded upon by听Susannah Heschel,听who is the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College.听
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