Ukraine President says " no Trump blackmail"

[Veritas]

Great, the 'I didn't do nuffin guv' defence. Always so convincing.

You seem disappointed.

 

[Veritas]

Plus it does not matter if there was quid pro quo or not. Just the fact that Trump asked is a crime.

Really? Source?

 

[FreeinChrist]

Really? Source?

Yes, President Trump Violated Campaign Finance Law by Asking Ukraine for a “Favor”

President Trump pressed the newly elected Ukrainian president to open an investigation into a candidate challenging Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This is a stunning abuse of power; it also violates campaign finance law.

A now-public whistleblower complaint details reports “from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign county in the 2020 U.S. election.” The complaint describes a July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky during which Trump pressured the Ukranian president to investigate one of Trump’s political rivals......

By directly requesting or suggesting that President Zelensky use Ukraine’s resources to help his reelection efforts, Trump violated campaign finance law.

(More technically, Trump asked Ukraine to make an “expenditure” by spending resources for the purpose of the influencing the 2020 election. An “expenditure” that is coordinated with a candidate is a campaign contribution; “coordinated” means made at the “request or suggestion” of a candidate. So Trump requesting that Ukraine make an expenditure means that he solicited a contribution.)

​

'Is This Thing On?': FEC Chair Forced to Remind Trump (Again) That It Is 'Illegal' to Solicit Election Help From Foreign Governments

Ellen Weintraub, the chair of the Federal Election Commission, took to Twitter Thursday afternoon to muse over whether or not President Donald Trump understands that soliciting or accepting foreign assistance during an election is against the law.

"Is this thing on?" Weintraub wondered, linking to a tweet she made in June drawing attention to the fact that it is illegal for any American—a political candidate, a regular citizen, or even the U.S. president—to solicit or accept "anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election."
​

11 CFR § 110.20 | eRegulations

​

 

[evoeth]

Ukraine president says 'no blackmail' in phone call with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters Thursday his controversial July call with President Trump involved no bribe, blackmail or quid pro quo, as impeachment-minded Democrats claim.

You're right. Ukraine isn't being blackmailed. It's being extorted.

 

[JohnAshton]

Really? Source?

The law has been posted several times, the latest above in #24, so, no, not just once more. Never again.

You can solicit favors from a foreign power to aid in a political campaign.

And now resisting Congress is prima facie evidence of OOJ.

 

[Tom 1]

You seem disappointed.

As a defence, it is rather disappointing.

 

[childeye 2]

The thing is, Trump has already publicly stated that he was withholding the security aid because of corruption in the Ukraine. He has also stated that the investigations asked for in the partial transcript was not about politics but about corruption, which correlates the withholding of aid to to the issue of investigating Joe Biden and Trump's trying to exonerate Russia for their interference in the elections of 2016. So there it is.

 

[Devil Anse]

Who would know more?
M-Bob

Probably the President before him (Poroshenko) the one that is probably going to jail for corruption

 

[Belk]

Ukraine president says 'no blackmail' in phone call with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters Thursday his controversial July call with President Trump involved no bribe, blackmail or quid pro quo, as impeachment-minded Democrats claim.

So the guy who is still reliant on Trumps good will in order to protect his country publicly states things that ensure the continuation of Trumps good will? How convincing.

 

[The_Barmecide]

Ukraine president says 'no blackmail' in phone call with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters Thursday his controversial July call with President Trump involved no bribe, blackmail or quid pro quo, as impeachment-minded Democrats claim.

Well, that's good enough for me!

The Ukrainians are a strong and proud people who just happen to be under attack by one of the largest militaries in Eurasia and the only thing that stands between them and being re-absorbed into Putin's reformulated Russian Empire is a few million dollars of aid from the US. That basically says to me that there's absolutely no reason for the Ukranian President to say only nice things about the guy who holds the purse strings on that money. None whatsoever.

I'm sure if Mr. Zelensky felt he was being strong armed by Trump he would have said "Mr. Trump! That is RIDICULOUSLY inappropriate! I will NOT take your money, no matter what! I will not dirty my hands with such filthy lucre!"

 

[JohnAshton]

I am sure Zelensky would have said no such thing.

 

[Fantine]

Poor man. Russia poised to take Ukraine over, he's hanging to a cliff by his fingernails.

And the one person who can save Ukraine is making unconscionable demands.

Of course he will.say anything to get that aid...

 

[Freodin]

The thing is, Trump has already publicly stated that he was withholding the security aid because of corruption in the Ukraine. He has also stated that the investigations asked for in the partial transcript was not about politics but about corruption, which correlates the withholding of aid to to the issue of investigating Joe Biden and Trump's trying to exonerate Russia for their interference in the elections of 2016. So there it is.

If you were worried about corruption, especially in relation to money you were going to spend... wouldn't it be more useful to investigate existing corruption than one specific incidence that happened three years ago... and one that totally coincidentially involves your main political opponent?

 

[childeye 2]

If you were worried about corruption, especially in relation to money you were going to spend... wouldn't it be more useful to investigate existing corruption than one specific incidence that happened three years ago... and one that totally coincidentially involves your main political opponent?

That is an excellent point. Brilliant deduction.

 

[cow451]

wouldn't it be and one that totally coincidentially involves your main political opponent?

Total coincidence, Comrades. Presidential Trump only concerned about purity of Ukraine laundry efforts to clean up corrupt illegal money.

 

[inquiring mind]

If you were worried about corruption, especially in relation to money you were going to spend... wouldn't it be more useful to investigate existing corruption than one specific incidence that happened three years ago... and one that totally coincidentially involves your main political opponent?

Total coincidence, Comrades. Presidential Trump only concerned about purity of Ukraine laundry efforts to clean up corrupt illegal money.

I wonder if the Biden's stuff was all they found? You'd think so by all the dust its raised.

 

[JohnAshton]

You Trumpers better wake up. You think he cares about you?

 

[evoeth]

You Trumpers better wake up. You think he cares about you?

Literally everyone knows this. As I've heard stated a dozen different ways, all the people working with Trump know this and they have a manilla envelope filled with dirt on Trump ready to go in case things look bad.

Why do you think there have been so many crazy revelations the last few weeks from administration leaks?

 

[inquiring mind]

It sure sounds as though Biden would like to get back to handling things!