Home Politics Fireworks Erupt As Schiff Shields Questions Over Biden And Burisma

Fireworks Erupt As Schiff Shields Questions Over Biden And Burisma

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Update 03:30 p.m.

Update 02:20 p.m.

Today’s largely boring testimony included a few fireworks - notably when House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) prevented Republicans from recognizing Rep. Elise Stefanik to ask Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch questions about Hunter Biden and Ukrainian gas company Burisma.

And when Stefanik was allowed to question Yovanovitch, she pointed out that the Obama State Department prepared her to answer questions about perceived conflicts of interest regarding the unusual Biden arrangement.

***

In part two of Democrats’ impeachment hearing drama, the public will hear from former American Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was removed from her post in the spring. Yovanovitch was removed from her post in the spring by the administration, and has been cast by Democrats as an honorable public servant sacked for tying to do the right thing.

As BBG reminds us, Yovanovitch testified in private on Oct. 11 that she felt she was recalled following a “concerted campaign” by President Trump and Rudy Giuliani. Because she left Ukraine in May, she clearly doesn’t have any direct knowledge of Trump’s efforts to elicit a quid pro quo - or as the Dems are now calling it, a bribe.

Yovanovitch testified that she felt “threatened” by the way Trump spoke about her on the July 25 call, which is at the center of the impeachment issue. Trump called her “bad news” and said “she’s going to go through some things.”

Watch her testimony live below (it’s set to begin at 9 am ET):

Later, the committee will enter a closed-door session to hear from David Holmes, a staffer at the US embassy in Kyiv, about this week’s revelation that Trump allegedly asked envoy Gordon Sondland on July 26 about the status of certain “investigations” he sought from Ukraine into the Bidens.

We’re still waiting on President Trump to release a transcript of an April congratulatory call with Zelensky, something he promised to do, but has yet to follow through on.

Fortunately, so far, the hearings have been a disaster for the Dems, with even the NYT criticizing them as dull and boring. In response, the Dems tried to spice things up ahead of toady’s hearing by talking up the possibility of a bribery charge against Trump.

* * *

After two years of reporting on Ukraine issues, the Hill’s John Solomon said that Yovanovitch could still be an important fact witness, and that if he had his druthers, he would ask her these fifteen questions.

1. Ambassador Yovanovitch, at any time while you served in Ukraine did any officials in Kiev ever express concern to you that President Trump might be withholding foreign aid assistance to get political investigations started? Did President Trump ever ask you as America’s top representative in Kiev to pressure Ukrainians to start an investigation about Burisma Holdings or the Bidens?

2. What was the Ukrainians’ perception of President Trump after he allowed lethal aid to go to Ukraine in 2018?

3. In the spring and summer of 2019, did you ever become aware of any U.S. intelligence or U.S. treasury concerns raised about incoming Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his affiliation or proximity to certain oligarchs? Did any of those concerns involve what the IMF might do if a certain oligarch who supported Zelensky returned to power and regained influence over Ukraine’s national bank?

4. Back in May 2018, then-House Rules Committee chairman Pete Sessions wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggesting you might have made comments unflattering or unsupportive of the president and should be recalled. Setting aside that Sessions is a Republican and might even have donors interested in Ukraine policy, were you ever questioned about his concerns? At any time have you or your embassy staff made comments that could be viewed as unsupportive or critical of President Trump and his policies?

5. John Solomon reported at The Hill and your colleagues have since confirmed in testimony that the State Department helped fund a nonprofit called the Anti-Corruption Action Centre of Ukraine that also was funded by George Soros’ main charity. That nonprofit, also known as AnTac, was identified in a 2014 Soros foundation strategy document as critical to reshaping Ukraine to Mr. Soros’ vision. Can you explain what role your embassy played in funding this group and why State funds would flow to it? And did any one consider the perception of mingling tax dollars with those donated by Soros, a liberal ideologue who spent millions in 2016 trying to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump?

6. In March 2019, Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko gave an on-the-record, videotaped interview to The Hill alleging that during a 2016 meeting you discussed a list of names of Ukrainian nationals and groups you did not want to see Ukrainian prosecutors target. Your supporters have since suggested he recanted that story. Did you or your staff ever do anything to confirm he had recanted or changed his story, such as talk to him, or did you just rely on press reports?

7. Now that both the New York Times and The Hill have confirmed that Lutsenko stands by his account and has not recanted, how do you respond to his concerns? And setting aide the use of the word “list,” is it possible that during that 2016 meeting with Mr. Lutsenko you discussed the names of certain Ukrainians you did not want to see prosecuted, investigated or harassed?

8. Your colleagues, in particular Mr. George Kent, have confirmed to the House Intelligence Committee that the U.S. embassy in Kiev did, in fact, exert pressure on the Ukrainian prosecutors office not to prosecute certain Ukrainian activists and officials. These efforts included a letter Mr. Kent signed urging Ukrainian prosecutors to back off an investigation of the aforementioned group AnTac as well as engaged in conversations about certain Ukrainians like Parliamentary member Sergey Leschenko, journalist Vitali Shabunin and NABU director Artem Sytnyk. Why was the US. Embassy involved in exerting such pressure and did any of these actions run afoul of the Geneva Convention’s requirement that foreign diplomats avoid becoming involved in the internal affairs of their host country?

9. On March 5 of this year, you gave a speech in which you called for the replacement of Ukraine’s top anti-corruption prosecutor. That speech occurred in the middle of the Ukrainian presidential election and obviously raised concerns among some Ukrainians of internal interference prohibited by the Geneva Convention. In fact, one of your bosses, Under Secretary David Hale, got questioned about those concerns when he arrived in country a few days later. Why did you think it was appropriate to give advice to Ukrainians on an internal personnel matter and did you consider then or now the potential concerns your comments might raise about meddling in the Ukrainian election or the country’s internal affairs?

10. If the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States suddenly urged us to fire Attorney General Bill Bar or our FBI director, would you think that was appropriate?

11. At any time since December 2015, did you or your embassy ever have any contact with Vice President Joe Biden, his office or his son Hunter Biden concerning Burisma Holdings or an investigation into its owner Mykola Zlochevsky?

12. At any time since you were appointed ambassador to Ukraine, did you or your embassy have any contact with the following Burisma figures: Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, lawyer John Buretta, Blue Star strategies representatives Sally Painter and Karen Tramontano, or former Ukrainian embassy official Andrii Telizhenko?

13. John Solomon obtained documents showing Burisma representatives were pressuring the State Department in February 2016 to help end the corruption allegations against the company and were invoking Hunter Biden’s name as part of their effort. Did you ever subsequently learn of these contacts and did any one at State — including but not limited to Secretary Kerry, Undersecretary Novelli, Deputy Secretary Blinken or Assistant Secretary Nuland — ever raise Burisma with you?

14. What was your embassy’s assessment of the corruption allegations around Burisma and why the company may have hired Hunter Biden as a board member in 2014?

15. In spring 2019 your embassy reportedly began monitoring briefly the social media communications of certain people viewed as supportive of President Trump and gathering analytics about them. Who were those people? Why was this done? Why did it stop? And did anyone in the State Department chain of command ever suggest targeting Americans with State resources might be improper or illegal?

via zerohedge

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41 COMMENTS

  1. Republicans and the voters of this country I pray are paying attention to what is going with the Bozo Schiff show, for this is the beginning of the end Of America if well allow our rights to be trampled

  2. I saw and heard the entire second part of this impeachment inquiry. All I heard from the Democrats was their praise towards the ex ambassador. And the Republican did the same, the difference was Republicans did not get the answers they wanted from her. She did not have the answers because she was not there and had no knowledge of the July 25 call.

    • She enabled the biden burisma relationship as she was cowed by killiary to stand down bc biden needed to be placed in a position where he received compensation so he could not, eventually, testify against killiary for uranium 1 which yovanovitch is also aware of as uranium 1 was also proxies through Russians with businesses and residency in ukraine that are loyal to putin. It would not surprise me if yovanovich does not also have a substantial bank account in a swiss bank or the bank of england under a shell name that she is the benefactor of. If she didn’t take the bribes, she would be replaced and placed on the arkancide list . The definition of a swamp critter.

  3. Schiffty is a traitor to our country. How can any real American vote for such an evil disgusting Anti America, Anti God, Anti Freedom person to any office. He & You are committing treason by supporting the Progressive Socialist Communist Fascist Racist Democrat Party. This evil party is exactly what the Nazi party did in Germany. Remove God, everything is ok to do, no accountability, mankind does not answer to anyone because they are the highest life form. Sadly this is the beginning of the 4th Reich only God will end this evil insane world where everything is acceptable. The New Hitler will be a Progressive Socialist Communist Fascist Racist person and Will succeed where Hitler failed in developing a one world Government. That is until The One True God has enough and That day is getting closer. Read Hitler’s Cross and the Comparison between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Reich and the Progressive Socialist Communist Fascist Racist Democrat Party. People in Many countries already have conformed to this type of Government. People are willing to give up their freedom and their souls for survival and freebies. The world including America is fast on track for the next Hitler to form the 4th Reich. The Republican Party is the only roadblock but if our President is not re-elected it will be the beginning of the end.

    • The demonRats full name is: ” Adam Bull Schiff ” Farmer’s wouldn’t spread his Adam Bull Schiff on their farmland. He is a lyin’ unethical, lawyer who should be impeached as well as disbarred! Nothing less is appropriate.

  5. I am absolutely outraged at this entire fiasco. President Trump had been judged and found guilty and was RFSconvicted before the hearing even started. WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP!!!

  6. This whole thing is comic show. Schiff is a man show, he makes the rules, you can only ask questions to people he says you can, you can only ask questions that he allows, This is how the Nazi,s ran a country. There are no rights here just Hitlers rule. Schiff Hitler Look out America, Democrats are going to take us down. They want to RULE the country.

  7. Schiff is a enemy of the United States. He is a child that tells lies and secrets so he can pay himself on the back. He should be investigated to see if he has committed any felonies or offenses against the United States.

  8. Perhaps it’s time to press charges against those who are committed to violations of our Constitutional law. While they try to oppress Trump, have them indicted for the laws they are/have actually broken.

  9. Schiff needs to be immediately brought up on charges of treason for trying to overthrow the US Government. READ THE DEFININITION OF TREASON AND PENALTIES FOR SUCH ACTS IN US LAW. DOJ NEEDS TO ACT IMMEDIATELY OR THE US IS FINISHED. DOJ QUIT DRAGGING YOUR FEET AND ACT NOW.

  11. If the Republicans do not like what Schiff is doing why haven’t they counter-attacked? Schiff is actively trying to remove a sitting president from office. This is an act of treason as far as I am concerned. Trump should send the FBI into the next hearing and arrest him. This BS must end and the Demoncraps must pay for what they have put this country through for the past 3 years!

  12. These “hearings” are a perfect example of what Socialism will do to our country. Kangaroo courts, destruction of individual rights, and dictator methods will become the laws of the land. Every AMERICAN has to stand up to this assault on our civil liberties. If these people can do this to the president, imagine what they could do to you and your family. I don’t care what your party affiliation is, allowing this travesty will destroy our way of life. Imagine this country being ruled by the likes of Sanders, Warren and Cortez. Everything will be free except citizens. All of us must contact our elected representatives and demand that they stop this nonsense. The future of America is at stake. Stop wasting our hard earned tax dollars on this crap and start to work to make our country better for all Americans.

  13. Do you have any proof that President Trump did anything to cause him to be impeached?
    NO! It’s over and done with! Why was she on the witness stand? She is not pertinent to the investigation and the schitty fake procedure was on full display!!!

  14. Adam Schiff is PROTECTING Joe and Hunter Biden in there CRIMINAL ACTIVITY with BURISMA in UKRAINE. Schiff will not ALLOW Republican Members of HOUSE QUESTION Ambassador Yovanovitch he CONSTANTLY CUTS OFF Republican HOUSE MEMBERS from QUESTIONING the Former Diplomat. Adam Schiff is a DEEP STATE OPERATIVE who has COMMITTED TREASON SEDITION AND HIGH CRIMES.

  17. Schiff, nadler, pelosi, schumer and Swallows well are the original INSANE CLOWN POSSE !! This is what the future will look like if they get into power. No rule of law, no constitutional rights, make the rules as they go along. And remember the jackass who said that hearsay was sometimes better than facts! The burden of proof is on the state. Pelosi says the president should prove his innocence. They must have all graduated from the insane clown law university. This is what a tyrannical government looks like.

  18. What the Democrats are doing is very disturbing. President Trump had every right to dismiss the ambassador. Bidens were the ones that broke the law. Hopefully the truth will prevail.

  19. “We’re still waiting on President Trump to release a transcript of an April congratulatory call with Zelensky, something he promised to do, but has yet to follow through on.”

    He did release the 1st call. It was read last night on several news programs. It may or may not be available in print yet . . .

    I watched the first couple hours yesterday, and couldn’t take it any more. The woman had no evidence of treason. Her feelings were hurt that she lost her lucrative post in the crime-ridden Ukraine. She even admitted the POTUS can remove her at will, and she only served at the pleasure of the President. What a LOOSER! The whole thing was fine evidence of what one could expect if Socialism takes over.

    I hope all these communist socialist non-American elected boobs go to prison for sedition. Some should go to prison for treason, because they HAVE accepted bribes. If they can say Trump did it, then they can be called on it too. It does appear that there are no innocent demonrats. Every time you turn around, someone is pointing out some demonrat’s criminality and connections to criminality, or dipping their hands in the election tills, or misusing campaign funds, or abusing a spouse, or cheating on a spouse, and lying, and lying, and lying . . . Now the demonrats have altered law to accommodate Schiffty’s joke of an impeachment ‘inquiry’.

    Trump respects John Solomon and does take notes on what he uncovers. That’s where the real evidence is and has been since this three-year farce began. The constant demonrat obstructionism and do-nothingism the taxpayers are paying for. The demonrat constituency do not care that they are paying for nothing. You see their stupid responses on TV when they are asked by pollsters. “I think he should be impeached”. “Well, I don’t like him”. “I think he’s un-presidential”. “I think he’s vulgar”.
    They don’t care for prosperity because their masters’ take care of them with all the freebies they need, or they are just as criminally-minded.

    • She is capitulating bc she knows this circus will implicate many and she is hoping for leniency. Unfortunately, her standards from being in a politically corrupt country does not address the rule of law- saddling up on the winning horse du jour does not absolve an individual from the penalties associated with the crimes they purported nor the negligence conducted by sticking your head in the sand.

  22. Time to execute Schiff, Pelosi and ALL OTHER communist demoncrats for their treason, secition, lying, and attempted overthrow of President Trump!!

  23. Nunes WAS recognized by the Chair. He gave the remainder of his allotted time to Stefanik which he is allowed to do, and Schiff silenced her, which is highly irregular and outside the rules.

    This is an election coming up in 2020 that will decide the future of our country. Will we continue to be a Constitutional Republic or will we be a fascist communist dictatorship?

  24. Republicans are letting the deep state play their cards bc the demonorats continue to drag their bought & paid for swamp critters into the mix which further exposes their hand and members of their mafia which can and will be used in a court of law under miranda rights Due process to arrive at justice based upon elecuted work products requires 100% vetting of all events, transcripts, evidence, testimony, individuals involved, etc. Especially at this level of importance which is wht why Watergate proceedings and Clinton’s impeachment took the time it did. With this, the demonorats are simply contributing to their own demise as this impeachment is DOA when it gets to the Senate. Let them swallow their own heads and dig their own grave

  25. This is not about Trump vs the Democrats. This is about preserving the Democratic Republic vs becoming a socialist third world dictatorship.

  26. Did Ambassador Yovanovitch have any part in the Biden shake-down of Ukraine? How much did she get paid under the table? There should be a criminal investigation of Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch.

  28. If anybody thinks that President Trump runs our Country,are wrong. It’s just one lowlife, who control the U.S.government behind the scenes is that piece of sh.t SOROS. Somebody have to get rid of that communist, evil,sorry exuse for a man or we are doomed.He is filthy rich and he use his billions against our Country.

  29. Hey Bret on Fox instead of flipping your mouth on trump quit eating so much you are starting to look and sound like that fat slob punk on CNN
    Who is your choice of the bunch of deplorable democrats Harris
    URAPOC
    Shiffy must be your favorite

  31. Adam Schiff is a confirmed liar no dout about it.
    He has lied about Trump repeatedly over the past three years. For him to preside over any thing concerning Trump
    Is miscarriage of justice, a kangaroo court. If any thing Schiff should be tried for treason found guilty and hung.

  33. Ms. Yovanovitch is portrayed as being pure as the driven snow and simply working het butt off to well represent the US in Ukraine. There is way more to this story. When Joe Biden went to Ukraine and threatened the president to either fire the prosecutor who was investigating Burisma (where Hunter Biden was becoming rich) or lose the billion dollars in aide, he got his wishes for the prosecutor to be fired but he also riled up some other Ukrainians. We know that Ukraine dug dirt on Trump for Hillary, as requested by Alexandra Chulupa and Eric Ciaramella, during the 2016 and we know that Biden got the prosecutor fired. When these riled up Ukrainians tried to bring evidence of both crimes to give to the US Attorney General, Yovanovitch would not issue them a VISA, so they were denied entry to the US. Ciaramella is assumed to be the famous whistleblower and both he and Yovanovitch are part of the conspiracy to unseat our president. When the government starts jailing or “stringing up” the conspirators, these two should be prominently featured.

  34. The FBI is under the democrats thumb! That is one of the reasons they are so bold in their actions when saying who can ask questions and who cannot. They think, and know, they have the power right now, and I am afraid the republicans have waited too long and allowed too much aleady.

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