Key impeachment witness quits army. Is Trump's bullying the reason?

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who provided damning impeachment evidence against United States President Donald Trump, retired from the army on Wednesday. His attorney said he was subjected to a campaign of "bullying, intimidation and retaliation."

Vindman was up for promotion to full colonel. He was fired from his position on the National Security Council at the White House in February, two days after Trump was acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate.

LTC Vindman's patriotism has cost him his career, the attorney said.

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"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. Between honoring his oath or protecting his career. These are choices that no one in the United States should confront, especially one who has dedicated his life to serving it," he added.

Vindman was present during the July 25, 2019 phone call during which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into Biden.

Subpoenaed by Congress to testify at the House impeachment hearings, the Ukrainian-born Vindman, who received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in Iraq, said Trump's actions were "improper."

That testimony helped build the case leading to Trump becoming only the third president ever impeached by Congress.

John Bolton, who served as Trump's National Security Advisor when Vindman was at the White House, told MSNBC television that his performance had been "exceptional."

Vindman's twin brother, a lawyer on the National Security Council, was not called to publically testify but was also forced out of his White House position in February.