So the Republicans who defended Trump by saying there was no quid pro quo because Ukraine didn't know about the quo were lying.
Surprise, surprise, surprise. The Trump defense is a lie.
These Trump apologists are going down in history like the unpatriotic, self-serving liars that they are. Their progeny will be ashamed of them.
12
Just imagine this: Churchill calls FDR asking for weaponry to fight Hitler. FDR says sure but before he does he needs Churchill to announce that the UK has begun an investigation of Wendell Willkie. Trump's extortion of Zelensky was as heartless as it gets.
11
Very interesting that a senior Ukrainian official has resigned her post in protest of Prime Minister Zelensky's soft peddling of the Trump shakedown. This does qualify as another "shoe dropping" since it undermines the Republican talking point that the Ukrainians didn't know the military aid was on hold, so there couldn't be any pressure.
The Russians are working very hard to muddy the waters about Russian interference in 2016 election. The counter-narrative that Ukraine did the interfering doesn't ever have to be proved, it only needs to stand as a talking point for the Republican Senators and House reps.
Just the other day I found a propaganda documentary on the Ukrainian struggle on Amazon and Oliver Stone is the interviewer. He is acting as a shill for Mr. Putin, amazingly. Mr. Putin is featured saying Ukrainian right-wing provocateurs in the Ukraine government hired Georgian assassins to kill over 100 protestors in the horrible Maidan massacre.
How are we to know what to believe with all these competing stories?
Fortunately, Politico reported recently on this and did a good job of making sense of the role Ukraine has played and is playing in the Trump presidency.
Check it out: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/02/senate-panel-ukraine-election-interference-074796
3
So it was ok for Joe and Barack to not give military assistance to Ukraine, threaten to withhold a billion dollars of aid to Ukraine, if they didn’t fire a prosecutor, investigating Bidens criminal activity. But somehow Trump is the bad one?
@bob : Perhaps that's the take on Fox or Breitbart, but as is well known, both the EU and US wanted the then corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor terminated before aid was released; this had nothing to do with Burisma or the Bidens. Burisma was not even under investigation then. Shifting gears, I would suggest the Republicans change one of their visual aids to read "7 Days Since Devin Nunes Last Spoke with Lev Parnas". Much more appropriate.
6
@Fritz Basset actually old sport that is the take on the facts.
I'd like to see the Dems initiate a discussion that parses the definition of "though."
The context in which Trump used "though,"––"I'd like you to do us a favor, though,"––gives "though" the meaning of "notwithstanding," "despite," "however," "albeit."
The quid pro quo is inarguable.
10
This is literally painful to read. Zelensky's government is in a no-win situation and is trying to be as quiet as possible - never mind me, I am just standing here, please do not hurt me. Ms. Zerkal is right to come out and tell the truth but no Ukrainian government official will confirm as the power differential between the their country and the US, and Russia standing right above Ukraine with a threat is not a game they can win. Mr. Schiff and his legal team should tell all they learned, without expecting the poor Ukrainians to confirm or deny, they can't!
9
As with Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, it tacitly serves Donald Trump, who gladly takes the help, but this really serves Vladimir Putin. If Trump hadn’t won in 2016, he would still be undermining H. Clinton’s presidency, claiming the election was rigged.
Even if Zelensky never produces an investigation of the Bidens, Trump has irreparably undermined US support for Ukraine, which strengthens Russia’s work to annex Ukraine. Not long ago, the question was whether Ukraine would be admitted to NATO. Now the question is whether Ukraine will even remain independent of Russia.
Trump is a Russian asset.
8
It would seem prudent that she now, as a private citizen, be asked to come before congress for sworn deposition/testimony. One can already hear the GOP Smear Machine grinding its gears.
2
Doesn't matter what, Trump will be impeached by Democrats. If they wanted it based on evidence, they would have at least tried to interview people with direct knowledge of Trump's actions. Democrats say Trump asked a foreign country to interfere in the 2020 election by investigating his opposing candidate to benefit personally and pressured by withholding the aid. This is an alleged crime based on various assumptions and overstretched interpretations which the public, certainly Republicans, are not going to buy. Nowhere Trump asked Ukraine to interfere in the election. What he asked was to look in to Biden's suspicious behavior and corruption in Ukraine. The immediate beneficiaries are Biden's democratic primary challengers. There is no justification for impeaching Trump for asking for investigation of corruption that benefits Biden's Democratic opponents.
1
@Alex E , If you payed any attention to the hearings, you would know that the impeachment *will* be based on evidence. All you had to do was listen. As for interviewing more people with direct knowledge of Trump's actions, that would have happened had Trump not stonewalled the process and prevented people from testifying. What does he have hide? And for the umpteenth time, there was and is no evidence whatsoever that Biden was involved in corruption. Everything you posit as fact is false; and everything you posit as false has been demonstrated to be true. How anyone can misjudge things so poorly is incredible.
13
@Alex E The Congressional Impeachment committee did try to get direct knowledge from first hand people but they refuse to testify due to Trump blocked their testimonies claiming “constitutional immunity.” Why do you suppose he's doing that? Can't figure it out? WE can!
4
@Alex E So Ukraine is simultaneously a corrupt country that shouldn't get aid but one that should be trusted to investigate American citizens?
Shouldn't that go through the DOJ? Why didn't it?
4
Everyday another layer is uncovered. I think once Trump is out of power, the next administration will be able to look into what really happened and all the facts will come out. Trump might be doing things with China in these trade talks we don’t know about. If Trump would do this to Ukraine, then what is he doing to other countries?
10
It is not makes no difference whether Zelensky knew of the hold a few weeks before or a few weeks after the "I like you to do me a favor, though" phone call. The "quid pro quo" is still there (even if Zelensky didn't get it until days after the call.
9
Of course the Ukranians knew. What stuns me is Zenlensky's assertion that there was no "quid pro quo" (otherwise known as extortion on the part of American operatives).
@Wiltontraveler
Zeiensky is over a barrel. If he says yes there was extortion, implied or otherwise, trump ends the support and leaves Ukraine to be picked apart by Russia. And trump is very likely in a position to do just that for the next five years. Zelensky really has no choice in the matter; lie to save the country.
4
It is obvious he and his administration cannot afford to anger the thin skinned Trump.
4
Unfortunately, the truth no longer matters. It is clear that no Republicans will stand up for what is right and it is equally clear that Trump is going to be reelected. And then he will complete the destruction of anything and everything rational, legal, fair, and moral. The Trump era is like living in a Bruegel painting.
9
Zelensky and Ukraine are truly in a "pickle", then as well as now. In July they did not dare allow the fact that they knew about the hold on the aid: If it were made public Russia would recognize their vulnerability; If Zelensky allowed the Trump administration to know that he (Zelensky) was aware of the hold it would give Trump an even more powerful hold over Ukraine. THE WORST OF THE SITUATION IS THAT UKRAINE CANNOT EVER AGAIN TRUST THE U.S. Ms. Zerkal claims she quit her post for this reason also because Ukraine is in talks with Russia. What are they contemplating, are plans so grievous to Ukraine that she had to quit? This appears to be a cooked up deal between Trump and Putin with the plan to put Zelensky in an untenable situation forcing Ukraine to negotiate with Russia and if "the call" had remained secret Trump would have what he wanted.
There are so many angles to the hold on Ukraine aid and it just gets worse every day.
6
If we agree that Ukraine is a country deeply steeped in the Soviet era legacy of corruption, it's ludicrous to suppose that that the Ukrainians did not know from the start exactly what Trump was up to. Of all people, they're the ones to know a solicitation of a bribe when they see one, even to see it before it comes. They are also the people to know the perils of admitting to the fact of being solicited for a bribe. Where there's no good way out, keep it quiet.
5
To date more pieces about what and when Ukrainians knew about funding will not shake the foundation of DJT's defenders in the House, Senate, or create even a flicker of doubt in DJT's public.
Given Republican Senators, open disregard for the oath they are required to affirm before the Senate trial the sequel to DJT's presidency rests on the 2020 election.
4
Zelenskyy is trying to play neither side here and failing, because he knows that one side is already playing dirty. He has succumbed to that pressure just by claiming falsely that he's not succumbing.
5
Unfortunately, we all know by now that the true facts about Ukraine exist only to be misused and abused by senior Trump Administration officials and other G.O.P. (Good On Putin) supporters.
6
The Sun rises on another day, and the needle drops on the same old record we've been hearing for years: Deny District Discredit.
We've passed through Amusing, passed through Irritating, and now passed through and left behind the City limits of Tiresome a long time ago.
Vote. Vote. Vote. -C
2
Notice how every person with so called damaging information on the Presidents phone call are disgruntled ex officials or disgruntled democrats found by the found by the disgruntled msm.
Hard to take any of this seriously.
Get over it Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton and he will beat the next democratic contender.
Sit back, relax and enjoy America being Great Again.
@John Gilday
Would you care to elaborate on exactly how the US is "greater" than it was three years ago? Seriously, we would be interested in listening.
2
@John Gilday
The foreign service officers were not disgruntled. It is Trump who is disgruntled about his whole life.
3
And another Republican talking point goes out the window. Kind of a shame the Democrats are moving so quickly on this, more and more information seems to be coming out daily.
It'll be fun to see if the conservatives try to depict the impeachment proceedings as a nothingburger today. Anyone care to speak on how brilliant the stable genius was to release the call memo? Anyone?
Yep, no more denying the facts. Trump did it, he got caught. If this was Obama the right would be furious.
6
Time to move the goalposts again!
7
In the end we will need to look inward as a country to fix this. All of this information points to one thing. We are at the mercy of a dictator wanna be who is abusing his power in ways that will end our Democracy. Anyone who continues to support this corrupt and dangerous man is kidding themselves that this will not cause everyone on the planet harm. He must be impeached and he must be voted out of the R's keep him in power..
I have never been more afraid for my children's future than now.
6
the comedian is clearly motivated to prevaricate to save face (and his own bacon) which benefits Trump and excuses the extortion. revisionist falsehoods being floated by the comedian that Trump will use to confuse America as part of his disinformation campaign strategy. a head fake.
1
"My boss gave me this $4,000 to fix your car (to get to dialysis, or you'll die. I know that.) Here's the check, but, first, do us a favor though...". That's extortion, attempted bribery, a crime. A high crime, in fact.
5
Since Americans have already made up their minds about Trump’s guilt or righteousness in the Ukrainian shakedown, I hope the intelligence committee’s report is not another Mueller-style yawner for those too lazy to read committee-speak. Pictures are worth many thousands of words, especially to eyeballs, so the report should include great charts and exhibits, using the NYT’s vaunted visualization team if necessary. Suggestions include:
- Key events since 2018 leading up to the Ukrainian shakedown, arrayed against a timeline;
- Visualization of Russia’s false talking points re Ukrainian, being echoed by GOP and the wing-nut media, as an illustration of continuing Russian influence on our national psyche;
- Continuous shift of the GOP’s defense arrayed against time, to its current position of, “he was interested in cleaning up Ukrainian corruption” (which of course deserves a supplementary chart illustrating Trump’s own corruption and nepotism in mind-blowing brazenness);
- A Venn diagram or encroaching bubbles of the myriad obstructive efforts to thwart both Mueller and all current efforts to uncover the truth.
The dems may want to hire a great storyboard illustrator if they want to move the needle politically.
3
Wait... Didn't Jim Jordan already disprove this by hollering at witnesses?
3
Very interesting that a senior Ukrainian official has resigned her post in protest of Prime Minister Zelensky's soft peddling of the Trump shakedown. This does qualify as another "shoe dropping" since it undermines the Republican talking point that the Ukrainians didn't know the military aid was on hold, so there couldn't be any pressure.
The Russians are working very hard to muddy the waters about Russian interference in 2016 election. The counter-narrative that Ukraine did the interfering doesn't ever have to be proved, it only needs to stand as a talking point for the Republican Senators and House reps.
How are we to know what to believe with all these competing stories?
Fortunately, Politico reported recently on this and did a good job reviewing the claim the DNC tried to undermine the Trump campaign.
Check it out: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/02/senate-panel-ukraine-election-interference-074796
3
Sometimes you have to believe what's in front of your face.
The summary of the July 25 phone call is as clear as can be especially given the time line we see here.
Zelensky knows the aid is frozen. (Trump assertion he didn't know is laughable - he DIDN'T KNOW that $400 million in aid was not received? Gimme a break!)
He says to Trump:
"We are almost ready to buy more Javelin from the United States for defense purposes."
He says "almost" meaning when you unfreeze the funds so we can buy them.
Trump's VERY NEXT WORDS:
"I would like you to do us a favor though."
Still don't get it?
"Dad reminder…I need that $500 dollars that I'm shy for my rent or else my family will be on the street."
Dad:
"I would like you to do me a favor though."
And then Dad proceeds to ask his daughter to spread dirt about his estranged wife, the daughter's mother.
The daughter hates this request because the dirt is all in the father's mind but she knows he benefits from ruining the mother's reputation in their ongoing financial tussle.
So, daughter is left with a bad choice.
Get in the middle of that tussle or no help with the rent and becoming homeless with her kids.
The father has EXTORTED HER.
He has used LEVERAGE in an immoral way that benefits him while callously disregarding her needs.
Callous disregard.
That's Trump's entire life.
Ask all his wives he's cheated on.
Ask the 6000 people he scammed with his fraudulent Trump University.
This is a dirty man.
Dirty Donald.
89
Just one more fact (as in piece of the truth) that demolishes another one of the phony defenses put up by Trump and his Republican sycophants. And both will treat it as if it simply never happened. Their willful ignorance and irresponsibility is matched only by that of their "ignorance is bliss" supporters in Maga land.
38
Of course, Ukraine knew Trump was withholding the aid. Of course, the public servants told the truth. And, of course, Trump and his Republicans like Pompeo and Pence are lying.
53
So Zelensky is just as corrupt as his predecessors—effectively lying and cozying up to our own corrupt “President” instead of telling the truth in hopes of staying in power.
It is ironic that the Trump administration is so under the Russian/Putin thumb at the same time Ukraine is fighting a hot war against Russians (and hoping for aid from the US??!!).
5
@Kathy
Zelensky is corrupt? The only corrupt individual in this soap opera that is the life of Trump. Trump and the Russian loving GOP , Trump enablers.
Trump stepped on the CONSTITUTION Trump broke the law and made a mockery of the people who fought in the revolutionary war and every war after. He has laughed and lied to the American people.
Zelensky is attempting to save his country. Zelensky loves his fellow citizens, he is trying to win a war against Russia. Trump doesn't love anyone not America but himself and the dollar bill.
There are corrupt people in this tragic play, follow the money paid to Rudi and we will all know everything there is about this massive White House cover up.
3
@Kathy
Let's keep on message here and not be too hard on Zelensky. There are few worse choices in life than having to be a supplicant, because you don't have the money. Zelensky is the guy standing at the door in all those Depression Era-movies, turning the brim of his hat over and over in his hands nervously as he waits for a handout.
The pathos of this touches me, especially as the supplicant is well-aware that he is 1. being extorted, and 2. fighting for his country's survival. -- thegamesmenplay.com
3
@Kathy , there's nothing to support your assertion that Zelensky was being, or is, corrupt. He's been in an inferior, even desperate, position and Trump was trying to take advantage of him and do some arm-twisting. But corrupt? That's just a baseless assertion.
2
I'm not jealous of the tightrope Zelensky has to walk…
29
What an impossible position Zelensky has been put in by this administration's actions!
The young and idealistic Ukrainian government must be appalled and disheartened by this blatant evidence of U.S. corruption, Just when they had won their election based on an anti-corruption pledge.
Trump's Administration must be thrown out of office as soon as possible.
88
All of Trumps defenses in this matter are ephemeral, and this one, like all the rest, will crumble and blow into the wind. Too bad too many in this country cannot see Trump for the con man and fraud that he is. Impeach and remove.
34
@Kjensen
Many can see, many choose to be willfully ignorant.
2
The issue of when Ukraine knew that the military aid was on hold is a red herring and serves Trumps purpose of distracting from the core issue which is: utilizing the threat of wiltholding military for the purpose of requiring Ukraine to publicly announce to the American public that Ukraine had sufficient evidence of political wrongdoing on the part of Biden and the Democratic Party that Ukraine was opening an investigation on these matters.
Trump and his sycophants to would then publicize this to persuade voters that there was actually illicit dealings. Trumps ambassador clearly stated that it was the announcement that trump was after, not an actual investigation.
Until Ukraine has the military aid in hand they must believe that the aid can be terminated on a moments notice and behave accordingly.
14
Trump merely asking Zelensky to investigate Biden was an impeachable offense, even without withholding the aid, and even if nobody in Ukraine knew the aid was withheld. So this news merely confirms something pretty obvious yet awful: the more information that comes out, the worse Trump and his crew turn out to be.
72
Yet another courageous staff member. I understand why politicians don't like them; they tell the truth. Thank you, Ms. Zerkal.
34
At this point, Trump could rob the First National Bank of Pittsburgh in broad daylight and the Republicans would say he did nothing wrong. The issue is, why? What is going on in the Repub Party that's makes them avert their eyes to Trump's criminal activity?
29
@Bubba Lew "The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just round the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power."
2
@Bubba Lew - The Republican base basically has the entire Republican party in thrall. The party knows that even the smallest hint of dissension from whatever spew is put out by this administration will cost the dissenter any future in the party. It doesn't matter what Donald Trump does. It doesn't matter how illegal, immoral, unethical or ignorant he is or how blatant the lie, Trump's supporters will simply never turn on him and neither will the Republican party. VOTE!!!
2
@Bubba Lew Hopefully a large number of the GOP In both the Senate and House will be voted out next year. In my mind most of them betrayed their oath to the country by being apologists and serial liars in their efforts to defend Trump's illegal behavior.
2
Duh! When someone has money coming to them and it doesn’t hit their bank account - of course they knew about the hold. Can we get over this question and focus in them whether laws and trust were broken.
11
I can be prosecuted if I offer a bribe to someone, even if they did not accept it.
I can be prosecuted for soliciting a bribe, even if they don’t pay the bribe.
I can be prosecuted for making a threat in order to extort something, even if they do not give me what I wanted.
If the Chief Executive of this nation does any of the above, then what makes that ok to all these so called "conservatives?"
Does RULE OF LAW mean anything in the USA any more?
41
It is clear at this point (and for some time) to anyone paying attention that Trump is guilty. That much is no longer up for debate. What remains unknown is whether his Swamp full of GOP lackeys will allow him to get away with it and subvert the will of the people.
18
Sadly, the impeachment of Donald Trump will never be based on pesky facts, because the Republicans do not have a factual leg to stand on.
Instead, they will argue that he did nothing wrong, that all presidents do it, and that it is not impeachable. In the process, they will be forced to argue, at minimum by inference, that asking for foreign assistance in an American election is a-okay with them. And that they, too, would do so if given a chance.
This will be the outcome of this process. And Republicans should be haunted by their argument until such a corrupt party is completely voted from power.
24
Every one Trump touches get soiled. So much for Zelensky staying above the fray. He may be an amateur politician but unless he is dumb as a rock, he knows Trump just sees him as domestic cannon fodder. And thus he becomes Ukrainian domestic cannon fodder.
38
@VisaVixen yep!
4
This only confirms previous reporting about how the Ukrainian advisors to President Zelensky were fully aware of the hold on military aid and the impossible demand by Trump that Zelensky publicly announce that Ukraine was going to investigate the Bidens. By the end of August the consensus among the advisors was that they needed to "appease" Trump by doing what he wanted, and they had gone so far as to set up the interview on CNN to do just that. They "lucked out" when, two days prior to the scheduled CNN interview, the hold on military aid was lifted because the scandal had broken out in Washington, and they didn't have to do Trump's bidding after all. Bottom line: impeachment of Trump is fully justified, beyond any doubt.
141
@C.L.S.
It also backs up Sondland's "remembering" in his second round of testimony. He stated that"everyone was in the loop". Zerkel just made that very clear. I
wish they would slow down the Impeachment process so that the Republicans will run out of fuel and lies.
7
It saddens me greatly that I find the facts stated by a foreign government official exceedingly more believable than the “facts” published by the top level of the current administration and the minority party’s leadership in the House of Representatives. Ms. Zerkal’s testimony is far more realistic than Trump’s statements.
The GOP defense has included the idea that since the deal wasn’t consummated, nothing could be wrong. That defense actually undercuts their other arguments. I can be prosecuted if I offer a bribe to someone, even if they did not accept it. I can be prosecuted for soliciting a bribe, even if they don’t pay the bribe. I can be prosecuted for making a threat in order to extort something, even if they do not give me what I wanted.
Finally, there was nothing in either phone call that mentioned a general level of corruption that Trump wanted to investigate (a Republican talking point that it was not specifically Biden they wanted to investigate). He wanted an announcement of an investigation in order to damage a political opponent. In fact, the administration had certified that Ukraine had no corruption that would justify withholding the aid only a few months before the July 25 call. (According to testimony given by a knowledgeable witness that was testifying because the Republicans requested he appear.)
76
Well it was almost certain that Ukraine knew of the freeze, but did not want to advertise its vulnerability. But to have a high Ukrainian official verify that they knew of the freeze before that infamous July 25th phone call confirms the pressure Ukraine felt and the trap Trump had set for them in exchange for their cooperation. Trump is a mobster through and through and unless you think having a mobster for a president is good he needs to be impeached now.
126
@just Robert she actually verified that they knew about it on July 30, 5 days later. That doesn't mean they didn't know on or before the 25th, but that's not what she said to the Times.
I agree with you that Trump is a monster and must go, but I just want to be careful on the facts of the article.
4
Zelensky was put in an impossible situation by Trump. He needs US aid and cannot afford to do anything that jeopardizes it. To say he took sides on US politics by keeping quiet about Trump pressure is ignoring the fact that he withstood it as long as he could by not announcing an investigation on Burisma and the Bidens. He was quite aware that doing this would get Democrats angry at him, while saying anything about pressure from Trump will get Trump angry who is the one who truly controls aid at this time.Given he is a novice at politics he managed this problem as well as it could be managed.
55
And Ukraine REMAINS in an impossible situation.
10
@Serban And on the other side of Mr. Trump is Mr. Putin; Zelensky, though elected by a massive 70% of the popular vote, knows he is expendable. (Remember the prime minister who got poisoned with acid thrown in his face?); and remember the mass shooting of protesters in the run up to Yanukovych fleeing to Russia?
Zelensky wants to keep Ukraine intact (recover the Donbass region and Crimea), but he won't make any progress with Mr. Putin if he sides with the House Democrats running the impeachment investigation.
Prime Minister Zelensky was thrown onto a knifes edge, and he is balancing somewhat precariously; that he would tell a lie and say he didn't feel pressure nor acknowledge the military aid freeze from July or even before, shows how scared he is. And now with Ms. Zerkal's resignation as a protest against Mr. Zelensky's government, we see a point of division among the ranks of the new government.
Perhaps Ms. Zerkal is now free to testify to the Intelligence Committee about the time frame for knowing about the freeze.
8
I just finished reading Cass Sunstein’s book “Impeachment: A Citizen’s Guide”. I highly recommend it as the case for Impeachment is not so easy to make and I am beginning to have doubts that the threshold has been met here. Dispicable behavior is not necessarily impeachable behavior. What you’re looking for is egregious abuse of power. Finding out about today about the witholding of military aid to Lebanon over the same time period seems to be a parallel action with motives that may, or may not, create impeachable actions. Perhaps treason is the better argument when you consider that both decisions primarily benefit Russia.
17
@Ann I respectfully disagree. The threshold has been met many times. This is just one time that can be more easily confirmed.
58
@Ann
How about the simple fact that even ASKING for assistance related to any election from a foreign national (Zelensky) is a violation of 52 USC 30121(A)(2)?
Trump plainly violated us election law just by ASKING.
52 USC §30121. Contributions and donations by foreign nationals
(a) Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for-
(1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make-
(A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election;
(B) a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or
(C) an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 30104(f)(3) of this title); or
(2) a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national.
(b) "Foreign national" defined
As used in this section, the term "foreign national" means-
... (2) an individual who is not a citizen of the United States or a national of the United States (as defined in section 1101(a)(22) of title 8) and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined by section 1101(a)(20) of title 8.
66
I read the same book, which I strongly recommend. Sunstein is very fair and thoughtful. My takeaway was that this is exactly the kind of misuse of power that impeachment was designed for.
45
So, it appears President Zelensky knew about security aid being withheld as early as July 30. No surprise there. It is ironic that Ukraine wants to avoid being seen as interfering in U.S. politics, but withholding detailed information about Trump and Guliani is doing just that by fueling Trump's impeachment defense.
47
@Good Things
I cannot blame Zelensky for not wanting to get involved in this impeachment process. He would be damaged if he released all information he had about this and drew Trump's ire. The impeachment will fail in the Senate (99.9% guaranteed) and Trump may be re-elected (51% guaranteed). Zelensky cannot afford to have so powerful and vengeful an enemy as Trump will be in his second term.
1
Kudos to those who are brave enough to share what they know is the truth... without them democracy suffers.
98
We cannot normalize this Administration's behavior towards Ukraine as "politics as usual" when it involves bribery.
68
Democrats chasing their own tail on the July 25th phone call because GOP does not want Democrats and public looking at the real illegal quid pro quo when Trump blocked Mueller's investigation and got Ukraine to drop its investigation of Manafort and his Russian associates in exchange for US aid. Mueller with Ukrainian assistance could have gotten to the real collusion with Russia. That was handiwork of Giuliani and his boys when Trump was surrounded by honest public officials like Sessions. Kelly and Tillerson.
The mobsters are now running the show with Giuliani, Pompeo, Mulvaney and Barr covering up all the illegal stuff to protect the Russian asset who is our President.
"All roads lead to Putin"
98
@LVG Excellent Point! Two books: "House of Putin House of Trump," by Craig Unger and "Proof of Collusion," by Seth Abramson address the mob history and events in violation of the Logan Act, respectively.
Amazingly, the Intelligence Committee has not opened any inquiry into either of these aspects of the case against Mr. Trump.
Certainly Mr. Schiff knows more than he can let on due to the classified nature of the counter-intelligence operation of Russian interference in 2016 election.
Perhaps Schiff et al are waiting for the Supreme Court to allow Trump's tax returns to see the light of day as the trigger for introducing the Russian mob influence piece of the Trump impeachment puzzle.
15
All this “strategy” from people is how corruption takes hold! Just tell the truth , that’s all we want.
21
Is this more than a 'smoking gun?'
Could be.
14