White House admits Trump's Ukraine phone call record was moved to secret server

The White House has admitted moving details of a telephone call between Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart to a classified server, according to CNN.

The admission appears to back up one of the claims made by a whistleblower about efforts to conceal evidence of the controversial call, which has led to an impeachment investigation against the president.

In a statement to CNN, a White House official said staff had been directed by National Security Council lawyers to move records of the call to a server usually used to store classified information. They said: “NSC lawyers directed that the classified document be handled appropriately.”

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White House officials say that the call was classified, meaning there was nothing wrong in moving it to that server.

Mr Trump is accused of abusing his position by pressing his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to dig up dirt on his potential 2020 election rival Joe Biden.

Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 27 September 2019 The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, on day five of the royal tour of Africa PA 2/50 26 September 2019 A policeman stands on a blocked road in Le Petit-Quevilly as smoke billows from a Lubrizol factory classified SEVESO high-threshold site. 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Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade EPA 48/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong AFP/Getty 49/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia AP 50/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall AFP/Getty 1/50 27 September 2019 The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, on day five of the royal tour of Africa PA 2/50 26 September 2019 A policeman stands on a blocked road in Le Petit-Quevilly as smoke billows from a Lubrizol factory classified SEVESO high-threshold site. Residents of twelve towns including Rouen have been asked to stay at home after a fire broke out according to the prefect of Normandy AFP/Getty 3/50 25 September 2019 Participants dressed in traditional attire pose for pictures during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, in preparations for the upcoming Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga, in Ahmedabad, India Reuters 4/50 24 September 2019 A protester fires at riot police during university students' protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta Reuters 5/50 23 September 2019 Russia's Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri AP 6/50 22 September 2019 An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong Reuters 7/50 21 September 2019 New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals AFP/Getty 8/50 20 September 2019 Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York Getty 9/50 19 September 2019 A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament AFP/Getty 10/50 18 September 2019 Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany EPA 11/50 17 September 2019 Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark EPA 12/50 16 September 2019 A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti AP 13/50 15 September 2019 People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus Reuters 14/50 14 September 2019 Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe's late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis AFP/Getty 15/50 13 September 2019 Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain Reuters 16/50 12 September 2019 Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe's body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters 17/50 11 September 2019 A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks AP 18/50 10 September 2019 Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq Reuters 19/50 9 September 2019 A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland EPA 20/50 8 September 2019 Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north Getty 21/50 7 September 2019 An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow AFP/Getty 22/50 6 September 2019 Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died AP 23/50 5 September 2019 Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing EPA 24/50 4 September 2019 A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria Reuters 25/50 3 September 2019 A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city AP 26/50 2 September 2019 A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip EPA 27/50 1 September 2019 Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school AP 28/50 31 August 2019 A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China EPA 29/50 30 August 2019 A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco AFP/Getty 30/50 A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits EPA 31/50 28 August 2019 Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved AP 32/50 27 August 2019 Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight AFP/Getty 33/50 26 August 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France The Canadian Press via AP 34/50 25 August 2019 A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil EPA 35/50 24 August 2019 A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay AFP/Getty 36/50 23 August 2019 Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there AFP/Getty 37/50 22 August 2019 A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai Getty 38/50 21 August 2019 A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican Reuters 39/50 20 August 2019 A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal Reuters 40/50 19 August 2019 Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence AFP/Getty 41/50 18 August 2019 People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall EPA 42/50 17 August 2019 A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule AP 43/50 16 August 2019 Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland AFP/Getty 44/50 15 August 2019 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan Reuters 45/50 14 August 2019 A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan Reuters 46/50 13 August 2019 The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual." Martin Reitze/SWNS 47/50 12 August 2019 People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade EPA 48/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong AFP/Getty 49/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia AP 50/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall AFP/Getty

A whistleblower, thought to be a CIA agent who had been assigned to the White House, had also alleged in a formal complaint that aides had tried to hide evidence of the call by moving the record of it to a server reserved for information of “an especially sensitive nature”.

Earlier, Mr Trump had tried to undermine the whistleblower, accusing them of only having “second-hand information” because they said they had gathered details from about half a dozen White House staff.

The president tweeted: “Sounding more and more like the so-called Whistleblower isn’t a Whistleblower at all. In addition, all second hand information that proved to be so inaccurate that there may not have even been somebody else, a leaker or spy, feeding it to him or her? A partisan operative?”

However, Democrats will be reassured that the whistleblower is reliable because a partial transcript of their report tallies closely with the White House admission about the call record being moved to a different server, as does the description of the call itself.

In what could be another blow to Mr Trump’s position, a former Ukrainian prime minister has told the BBC there is no evidence for the claim that Mr Biden helped force out a prosecutor for investigating his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine.

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Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed, without offering any evidence, that the former US vice president insisted that Viktor Shokin be fired before the US delivered aid to Ukraine, in order to halt an inquiry.

But Pavlo Klimkin, prime minister of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019, told the BBC that Mr Shokin was fired for corruption, and because of pressure from the international community, not just Mr Biden or the US.

Meanwhile the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi – who formally started the impeachment process this week – accused the attorney-general William Barr of having “gone rogue” in order to protect the president.

She told MSNBC’s Morning Joe: “I think where they’re going is a cover-up of the cover-up. To have a Justice Department to go so rogue - well they have been for a while and it just makes matters worse.”

Ms Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in the House, said she felt she had no choice but to press ahead with impeachment, which could see Mr Trump removed from his job.

She said: ”The clarity of the president’s actions is compelling and gave us no choice but to move forward.”

Mr Trump again defended his actions, tweeting: “If that perfect phone call with the President of Ukraine Isn’t considered appropriate, then no future President can EVER again speak to another foreign leader!”

Nearly 300 former US national security and foreign policy officials have signed a statement in support of an impeachment inquiry, warning that Mr Trump’s actions are a “profound national security concern”.