A key element of the impeachment push against President Trump is the assertion that he withheld nearly $400 million in US military aid to Ukraine before ‘pressuring’ President Volodomyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
While Trump says he stalled the aid to investigate whether the new administration was just as corrupt as the last one, Democrats and their MSM lapdogs have been making the case that the aid and the request to investigate Biden are linked.
Not true, according to the New York Times’ Kenneth Vogel in a Wednesday tweet that went virtually unnoticed (but not by the WSJ‘s indefatigable Kim Strassel).
Responding to a tweet by MSNBC‘s Rick Tyler in which he questions why the $400 million wasn’t “the top priority of the call,” Vogel explains: “The Ukrainians weren’t made aware that the assistance was being delayed/reviewed until more than one month after the call.”
The Ukrainians weren't made aware that the assistance was being delayed/reviewed until more than one month after the call. https://t.co/qDJ3FT261a
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) September 25, 2019
To recap - in 2018, former Vice President Joe Biden openly bragged about getting Ukraine’s top prosecutor, Victor Shokin, fired by threatening to withhold $1 billion in US loan guarantees. According to Shokin, “I was forced out because I was leading a wide-range corruption probe into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm active in Ukraine, and Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, was a member of the board of directors.”
Then, Ukrainian actor Volodymyr Zelensky won the country’s 2019 election, assuming office on May 20 - and promising to fight corruption.
On July 25, Trump and Zelensky conducted a phone call at the center of a CIA operative’s ‘whistleblower’ complaint based on second and third-hand information, alleging that Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate the Bidens in a quid pro quo arrangement. Under pressure, Trump released both a transcript of the call which revealed no such thing.
According to Trump, his administration withheld the nearly $400 million in aid ($250 million in Pentagon aid and $141 million in State Department funds for an actual total of $391 million) while they reviewed the programs. In May, the Pentagon officially certified that it had seen enough anti-corruption progress in Ukraine to justify releasing the Congressionally approved aid, according to the Associated Press.
In a May 23 letter to Congress, defense undersecretary for policy, John Rood, said that the Pentagon had made a thorough assessment of Ukraine’s anti-corruption policies and other reforms - writing “On behalf of the secretary of defense, and in coordination with the secretary of state, I have certified that the government of Ukraine has taken substantial actions to make defense institutional reforms for the purpose of decreasing corruption” (via the Washington Post).
Still, the funds weren’t released by the Trump White House until September.
On Wednesday, Zelensky and Trump held a press conference at the United Nations where the Ukrainian president said “Nobody pushed me.”
“I don’t want to be involved in the democratic elections of the U.S.A.”
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy responded to allegations of coercion, while Trump said there was “no pressure” on him to investigate Biden #UNGA pic.twitter.com/3WYyIpyyzK
— Bloomberg TicToc (@tictoc) September 25, 2019
So while House Democrats have launched an official impeachment inquiry based around a quid pro quo and the withholding of funds, the truth of the matter - per the Times‘ Kenneth Vogel, is that Ukraine had no idea the funding was an issue until weeks after the phone call in question.
via zerohedge
Russian hoax 2.0
Everything talk is about President Trump impeachment. But no one is talking about IMPEACHING UNCLE JOE, OR SHOULD I SAY PRO QUO JOE?
Pro Quo Joe should be should be impeached as soon as possible along with his son Hunter Biden. Then, and only then we may end up knowing the real true on corruption.
I like that Pro Quo Joe. Can I use it?
Why not impeach the Congressmen who asked the Ukraine to find dirt on the President, or Obama for wire taping the President, even before he was elected President. Those are both way more serious than anything they claim this President has done. Then there is Biden who actually did what President Trump is being unfairly accused of. It seems there really is no justice for people who try to do what is right for this Country and the American people.
The Democratic administrations are corrupt and fraudulent ..
Quid-pro-quo-Joe Lying Biden and his son are indeed being investigated. That came out in a Judicial Watch report last week; as a separate Justice Department investigation in the Ukraine vote-meddling purchased by Hitlery and the DNC. It will also include the 3 demonrats who were actually stupid enough to write an actual letter to the Ukrainian leaders; threatening to cut off funds a few months ago, and their requesting dirt on Trump (the media isn’t talking about THAT).
Ukraine signed a treaty with the U.S. in the 1950’s, which requires cooperation in matters of corruption and crime. That treaty will be part of what saves President Trump from the demonrat hoards trying to impeach him over his ‘conversation’ with the new Ukrainian President.
The U.S. has been regularly sending money for Ukraine’s defense ever since the Russian’s annexation of Crimea. Why did Trump stop the money without warning anyone involved including the Pentagon and the Statement Department? Can someone explain that?
The true quid pro quo falls on Joe Biden. I heard and seen him with my own two ears and eyes. Hunter Biden hasn’t any expertise at anything other than maybe drugs and he’s being paid by a company in Ukraine $50,000. You have got too be kidding me. We have got some serious problems in this Country and it’s not our President. Bring Los Angeles’s sidewalks to your community, Vote Democrat.
Republicans get off your asses and defend our president. You want socialism, communism then sit on your asses otherwise it is time for you to defend your seats and defend our president or you will get what the miserable Dems are pushing and you will have lost your political career. Now is the time to stand up and do something time to fight like the Dems are fighting. Except we must win.
But, as Trump explained, the money was not being withheld because of any deficiency on behalf of Ukraine, but to prompt the cheapskate, or should I tactfully say parsimonious, Germans into paying their fair NATO share. After all, it is Germany who far more benefits from a strong Ukraine than does the U.S.
Trump’s delay in releasing the funds was consonant with his prior statements that some nations, such as Germany, are not contributing their fair share for the maintenance of NATO defenses. Indeed, once Germany ponied up the money, the aid was released to Ukraine. In fact, Ukraine may have put the arm on Germany.
Of course, if Trump had been like Obama, he would have waited until Russia invaded Ukraine again and then sent MRE’s and blankies with embroidered Teddy bears on them. Folks, that is called flexibility or, in some impolite corners, grabbing your own ankles
How about the TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND UKRAINE ON MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS SIGNED AT KIEV ON JULY 22, 1998. Article 2 provides for the establishment of Central Authorities and defines Central Authorities for purposes of the
Treaty. For the United States, the Central Authority shall be the Attorney General or a person designated by the Attorney General. For Ukraine, the Central Authority shall be the
Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Prosecutor General. The article provides that the Central Authorities shall communicate directly with one another for the purposes of the
Treaty. That is why President Trump has Attorney General Barr involved!
Seems that the Democrats ASSUME that everyone THINK like a Democrat (CORRUPT, CORRUPT!). Not True, obviously. They put that political noose around their OWN neck. Are they “swinging in the breeze” yet? I think I hear Joe Biden “squealing” . . . Team Trump and his allies 2020 - KAGA (KEEP America Great Again).
Democrats have so much hate and that has consumed them!! They aren’t speaking for anyone but themselves!!!
Biden went on television boasting about the removal of their prosecutor!!! There was quid pro quo and it was done under Obama administration, by the then Vice President Biden!!!! Sometimes when you’re a dirty old man, and your child is better than the stupid voters who elected such a administration!!!
Democrats are walking into a public display of humiliation and hypocrisy!!! Obama administration done it, trump didn’t do it, yet announced impeachment proceedings!!! You are a disgrace to Benjamin Franklin, which the speaker spoke of!!! Nancy should never put good ppl names in her mouth!! Schumer, schiff, polosi, AOC, rashida, Omar is in desperate need of removal, followed by Cummings, booker, waters and the rest should be terminated followed by quite a few spineless republicans that should see the corruption and have some guts!!!