Ex-Ukraine prosecutor said he was told to back off probe of Biden-linked firm

[NightHawkeye]

Ex-Ukraine prosecutor said he was told to back off probe of Biden-linked firm, files show

Giuliani said the details were gathered before Biden announced his presidential run and the allegations were brought to him.

"I explored them as part of my duty as an attorney to show that the crimes committed, were not by my client, but by Democrats. I was not seeking to investigate Joe Biden. I was not investigating Joe Biden," Giuliani said.
...
“There were requests for information on Hunter Biden to which nothing was received,” Shokin said, according to the notes. “It is believed that Hunter Biden receives a salary, commission plus one million dollars. There were no documents or information on Hunter Biden, and Mr. Shokin stated he was warned to stop by Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt.”

The notes add that “President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko told Mr. Shokin not to investigate Burisma as it was not in the interest of Joe and/or Hunter Biden. Mr. Shokin was called into Mr. Poroshenko’s office and told that the investigation into Burisma and the Managing Director where Hunter Biden is on the board, has caused Joe Biden to hold up one billion dollars in U.S. aid to Ukraine.”

Shokin then told Giuliani, according to the notes, that “in or around April of 2016” Poroshenko “told him he had to be fired as the aid to the Ukraine was being withheld by Joe Biden.”

Biden reportedly threatened to withhold $1 billion in critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.

Shokin also claimed, according to the notes, that Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch denied him visa travel to the U.S., and claimed it was because “she is close to Mr. Biden.”​

 

[Mountainmanbob]

Biden even admitted to it.
His run for 2020 is about done.
Elizabeth Warren-- O have mercy on us.

M-Bob

 

[cow451]

Ex-Ukraine prosecutor said he was told to back off probe of Biden-linked firm, files show

Giuliani said the details were gathered before Biden announced his presidential run and the allegations were brought to him.

"I explored them as part of my duty as an attorney to show that the crimes committed, were not by my client, but by Democrats. I was not seeking to investigate Joe Biden. I was not investigating Joe Biden," Giuliani said.
...
“There were requests for information on Hunter Biden to which nothing was received,” Shokin said, according to the notes. “It is believed that Hunter Biden receives a salary, commission plus one million dollars. There were no documents or information on Hunter Biden, and Mr. Shokin stated he was warned to stop by Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt.”

The notes add that “President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko told Mr. Shokin not to investigate Burisma as it was not in the interest of Joe and/or Hunter Biden. Mr. Shokin was called into Mr. Poroshenko’s office and told that the investigation into Burisma and the Managing Director where Hunter Biden is on the board, has caused Joe Biden to hold up one billion dollars in U.S. aid to Ukraine.”

Shokin then told Giuliani, according to the notes, that “in or around April of 2016” Poroshenko “told him he had to be fired as the aid to the Ukraine was being withheld by Joe Biden.”

Biden reportedly threatened to withhold $1 billion in critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.

Shokin also claimed, according to the notes, that Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch denied him visa travel to the U.S., and claimed it was because “she is close to Mr. Biden.”​

Trump “attorney” says Democrats are bad. I’m shocked.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Trump “attorney” says Democrats are bad.

A man commits corruption. His fellow Democrats circle the wagons to protect him. The President gets accused by Democrats of Biden's crimes when he suggests investigating it. The Trump attorney has two eyes, two ears and a brain, so I don't know what else you could possibly expect.

 

[whatbogsends]

Biden even admitted to it.

Why do Trump supporters keep repeating that lie?

 

[NightHawkeye]

Why do Trump supporters keep repeating that lie?

What part of Biden's own words about extorting Ukraine to fire the prosecutor seem unclear to you?

 

[whatbogsends]

What part of Biden's own words about extorting Ukraine to fire the prosecutor seem unclear to you?

That isn't what MountainmanBob is claiming he admitted to. He admitted (bragged) about pressuring Ukraine to fire their corrupt prosecutor. He did not say (as Bob is claiming here) that Biden admitted to pressuring Ukraine to back off the investigation of Burisma.

Feel free to show evidence that Biden admitted pressuring Ukraine to kill the investigation into Burisma. I'll be waiting patiently.

 

[NightHawkeye]

That isn't what MountainmanBob is claiming he admitted to. He admitted (bragged) about pressuring Ukraine to fire their corrupt prosecutor. He did not say (as Bob is claiming here) that Biden admitted to pressuring Ukraine to back off the investigation of Burisma.

Really bad optics ... especially since the prosecutor was investigating Hunter Biden's company.

 

[whatbogsends]

Really bad optics ... especially since the prosecutor was investigating Hunter Biden's company.

Optics or not, what Trump supporters keep repeating - that Biden admitted to pressuring Ukraine to stop the investigation into his sons company - is blatantly false.

Yet they continue to repeat the lie again and again.

 

[cow451]

A man commits corruption. His fellow Democrats circle the wagons to protect him. The President gets accused by Democrats of Biden's crimes when he suggests investigating it. The Trump attorney has two eyes, two ears and a brain, so I don't know what else you could possibly expect.

Trump attorney deflects attention by moving goal posts. Let’s put Biden and Trump in same cell block.

 

[FreeinChrist]

what......

from the article:

The fired prosecutor at the center of the Ukraine controversy said during a private interview with President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani earlier this year that he was told to back off an investigation involving a natural gas firm that was linked to Joe Biden’s son, according to details of that interview that were handed over to Congress by the State Department’s inspector general Wednesday.

The interview purportedly conducted by Giuliani took place on Jan. 23, 2019 at an office on Park Avenue in New York City. Shokin was interviewed over the phone, and interpreters were used — one in Ukraine and one in New York, according to the notes obtained by Fox News.
​

Oh give me a break! Like Guiliani didn't work the interview to Trump's benefit? What was Shokin paid?

None of this changes the fact that Trump broke the law in holding up the military aide, and in a call with Zelensky, when Zelensky said they were about ready to buy javelins, Trump said, "I would like you to do us a favor, though...." and it was about investigating Biden, his political opponent.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Oh give me a break! Like Guiliani didn't work the interview to Trump's benefit?

LOL, Giuliani is Trump's lawyer.

What was Shokin paid?

That's quite a conclusion to jump to, don't you think?

How can you impugn Shokin's motives ... but defend Biden ... though Biden had visible and compelling motive behind his apparent corruption. In contrast, Shokin has no apparent motive to lie.


As always, feel free to offer PROOF of your assertions, FreeinChrist.

None of this changes the fact that Trump broke the law in holding up the military aide, and in a call with Zelensky, when Zelensky said they were about ready to buy javelins, Trump said, "I would like you to do us a favor, though...." and it was about investigating Biden, his political opponent.

Again, you're making quite a jump, assuming motives and all here.

Goose, gander, ya know?

 

[lasthero]

Why do Trump supporters keep repeating that lie?

Because it's convenient.

 

[Albion]

He didn't. If you can show where he did so I would be grateful. He did admit to pressuring the Ukranian government to fire the prosecutor, but he did so as part of official US foreign policy, and at the suggestion of the Ambassador.

So Hunter Biden, whose credentials other than as the son of the VP amount to 1) having been dismissed from military service for drug use and 2) having no experience whatsoever with the business conducted by the board of control that he was appointed to...

was "part of official US foreign policy?"

Could you explain that for us in some additional detail?? and include the $600,000 a year stipend that Hunter Biden got for this "US foreign policy" initiative?

 

[Arcangl86]

So Hunter Biden, whose credentials other than as the son of the VP amount to 1) having been dismissed from military service for drug use and 2) having no experience whatsoever with the business conducted by the board of control that he was appointed to...

was "part of official US foreign policy?"

Could you explain that for us in some additional detail??

NOT get $600,000 a year for being appointed to a board dealing with a bus9ijnehaqt he had no9 experience with?

No, pressuring Ukraine to do more to fight government corruption. The same thing would have happened even if Hunter Biden wasn't involved. The idea to pressure the government by withholding the loan guarantees came from the US Ambassador to Ukraine, and President Obama approved it.

 

[Albion]

No, pressuring Ukraine to do more to fight government corruption. The same thing would have happened even if Hunter Biden wasn't involved.

But he was involved, and there would have been no conversation about corruption if there had been no corruption.

IOW, not an answer.

 

[DaisyDay]

Why do Trump supporters keep repeating that lie?

It's either their tactic - repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it - or the WH's tactic has worked on them and they believe it (despite their "lying eyes").

 

[Belk]

A man commits corruption. His fellow Democrats circle the wagons to protect him. The President gets accused by Democrats of Biden's crimes when he suggests investigating it. The Trump attorney has two eyes, two ears and a brain, so I don't know what else you could possibly expect.

Unless your claim is that the entire Obama administration along with the rest of the international community conspired with Biden to oust a prosecutor and then created an elaborate investigation to exonerate itself Trumps attorneys brain is irrelevant.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Unless your claim is that the entire Obama administration along with the rest of the international community conspired with Biden to oust a prosecutor ...

Obama put Biden in charge. Biden said: "Fire the prosecutor ... or you don't get the Billion dollars". Just FACTS. It's not complicated.

 

[FreeinChrist]

LOL, Giuliani is Trump's lawyer.

Yes, so the interview was manipulated for Trump's benefit.

That's quite a conclusion to jump to, don't you think?

I would like it investigated.

How can you impugn Shokin's motives ... but defend Biden ... though Biden had visible and compelling motive behind his apparent corruption. In contrast, Shokin has no apparent motive to lie.


As always, feel free to offer PROOF of your assertions, FreeinChrist.

Again, you're making quite a jump, assuming motives and all here.

Goose, gander, ya know?

Because Biden was not acting on his own in insisting Shokin be fired. He represented the Obama administration, and the IMF was for it, Ukrainans were for it (many protested to have him fired), the EU was for it and Republicans were for it:

This 2016 letter proves that GOP attacks on Biden over Ukraine are nonsense

Yet the conspiracy theory persists and has been repeated by Trump’s Republican allies on Fox News and in Congress. But it turns out Republicans have failed to mention one important thing: At least three GOP senators at the time also wanted that Ukrainian prosecutor fired.

CNN uncovered a letter dated February 12, 2016, in which Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with several Democratic senators, called for Ukraine’s then-president to “press ahead with urgent reforms to the Prosecutor General’s office and judiciary.” Four days later, Shokin resigned (although he didn’t officially leave until the following month when Ukraine’s Parliament voted him out).

In other words, both Republicans and Democrats in the US — and many European nations — wanted Shokin gone for failing to clamp down on graft.​

No Republicans complained at the time.


Explainer: Biden, allies pushed out Ukrainian prosecutor because he didn't pursue corruption cases

But sources ranging from former Obama administration officials to an anti-corruption advocate in Ukraine say the official, Viktor Shokin, was ousted for the opposite reason Trump and his allies claim.

It wasn't because Shokin was investigating a natural gas company tied to Biden's son; it was because Shokin wasn't pursuing corruption among the country's politicians, according to a Ukrainian official and four former American officials who specialized in Ukraine and Europe......

Without pressure from Joe Biden, European diplomats, the International Monetary Fund and other international organizations, Shokin would not have been fired, said Daria Kaleniuk, co-founder and executive director of the Anti Corruption Action Centre in Kiev.

"Civil society organizations in Ukraine were pressing for his resignation," Kaleniuk said, "but no one would have cared if there had not been voices from outside this country calling on him to go."

​

Shokin, who is elderly now, can try and defend himself. With Guiliani involved, one has to wonder what benefit Shokin got from the interview. Thus the question, what was he paid?


And none of this changes the fact that Trump held up military aide approved by congress to a nation defending itself from an invader, whose citizens were being killed by that invader, and in a call with Zelensky who mentioned buying javelins, said, " I would like you do to a favor for us, though...." and wanted dirt on Biden. That is a crime.
Even Taylor texted that aide was held up for a political purpose.