The top US diplomat in Ukraine complained in a Sept. 9 text, “I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” according to a trove of communications released late Thursday by the three Democratic leaders of the House impeachment inquiry.

The text, which condemns a perceived cash-for-political dirt quid-pro-quo, was sent by US Charges d’Affaires William “Bill” Taylor to Gordon Sondland, US Ambassador to the European Union — who four hours later pushes back with a firm, precisely-worded response.

“Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions,” Sondland, a Republican megadonor, responds.

“The President has been crystal clear no quid pro quo’s of any kind,” Sondland states.

“The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky promised during his campaign,” he adds before asking the conversation be taken offline: “I suggest we stop the back and forth by text.”

The tense text exchange is part of the “first production of materials” in the inquiry, and was released following testimony by former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker.

It was highlighted among the 23 pages of text and email excerpts released Thursday night by Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel and Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings.

“These text messages reflect serious concerns raised by a State Department official,” meaning Taylor, the three Dems said in a joint letter prefacing the communications excerpts.

Taylor’s concerns included “that this critical military assistance and the meeting between the two presidents were being withheld in order to place additional pressure on Ukraine to deliver on the President’s demand for Ukraine to launch politically motivated investigations,” the three said.

Also among the communications is a text Volker sent to Zelensky aide Andriy Yermak on the morning of July 25, just before  Trump’s controversial call to the Ukrainian president.

The text read, “Heard from White House — assuming President Z convinces trump he will investigate/’get to the bottom of what happened’ in 2016, we will nail down date for visit to Washington.”

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