berg80
Diamond Member
- Oct 28, 2017
- 16,173
- 13,562
- 2,320
1. Trump empowered Giuliani to employ the help of various members of the US diplomatic contingent to Ukraine, and some who were not part of that contingent, to put pressure on Ukraine to announce an investigation in to Joe Biden. A campaign that began in the spring of 2019. Trump directed Ukraine pressure, US diplomat says
2. Leverage was used, at Trump's direction, as a means to get Ukraine to acquiesce to Trump's requests in the form of the withholding of military aid authorized by Congress.
"Clear direction from POTUS to continue hold."
https://www.justsecurity.org/67863/...ts-reveal-extent-of-pentagons-legal-concerns/
3. Resulting from the WB complaint, a summary of the transcript of the Zelensky call was released revealing Trump speaking to Zelensky about the investigations he wanted Ukraine to announce. A transcript WH officials tried to hide from other members of the government and the public by placing it in a code level secret server typically used for keeping national security matters secret. AP FACT CHECK: Trump's flawed 'read the transcript' defense
4. Trump and Sondland were overheard discussing the efforts to get Ukraine to announce an investigation in to Biden.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/21/imp...ow-he-overheard-trump-call-with-sondland.html
5. Officials in the admin and the Pentagon expressed concern the hold was illegal.
https://publicintegrity.org/nationa...rried-ukraine-aid-halt-violated-spending-law/
A GAO analysis of the laws pertaining to the hold found it was, in their opinion, illegal.
6. Ukrainian officials asked about the aid on the day Trump called Zelensky when he said, "I need you to do us a favor though," prior to asking Ukraine to investigate Biden (and the server).
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/20/ukr...ump-zelenskiy-call-impeachment-testimony.html
7. Part time, acting Chief-of-Staff Mick Mulvaney publicly acknowledged the quid pro quo.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/poli...d-pro-quo-donald-trump-ukraine-aid/index.html
So did EU ambassador Sondland.
Sondland acknowledges Ukraine quid pro quo, implicates Trump, Pence, Pompeo and others
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...741e3c-0b92-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
8. US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was relieved of her post by Trump as a result of a smear campaign launched against her by Giuliani because she posed on obstacle to carrying out the scheme to extort Ukraine. Defiant Yovanovitch says she was ‘kneecapped’ amid Trump 'smear campaign'
Lev Parnas recently stated her removal was directed as a payoff to get a Ukrainian official to produce dirt on Biden. https://slate.com/news-and-politics...risma-biden-dirt-fire-ukraine-ambassador.html
9. All of the 17 witnesses who testified during the House inquiry corroborate 1-8.
10. If any of the witnesses or documentary evidence Trump has blocked as part of his obstruction of the investigation can offer a refutation of the evidence above it is his prerogative to present it.
11. The solicitation of help in a US election from a foreign person or government is illegal.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campai...s-illegality-of-soliciting-campaign-help-from
The evidence Trump is guilty of the charges contained in the AoI is compelling. To date, the only defense he has offered is, "I did nothing wrong." Clearly that assertion is a lie, even if you believe he didn't break the law. Compromising national security by delaying the dispersal of military aid to an ally under siege from Russia is no small matter. Using the office of the President for personal, political gain is no small matter. Obstructing a congressional investigation is no small matter. Lying to the American public is no small matter (though it has become routine during the error....sorry......era of Trumpery).
2. Leverage was used, at Trump's direction, as a means to get Ukraine to acquiesce to Trump's requests in the form of the withholding of military aid authorized by Congress.
"Clear direction from POTUS to continue hold."
https://www.justsecurity.org/67863/...ts-reveal-extent-of-pentagons-legal-concerns/
3. Resulting from the WB complaint, a summary of the transcript of the Zelensky call was released revealing Trump speaking to Zelensky about the investigations he wanted Ukraine to announce. A transcript WH officials tried to hide from other members of the government and the public by placing it in a code level secret server typically used for keeping national security matters secret. AP FACT CHECK: Trump's flawed 'read the transcript' defense
4. Trump and Sondland were overheard discussing the efforts to get Ukraine to announce an investigation in to Biden.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/21/imp...ow-he-overheard-trump-call-with-sondland.html
5. Officials in the admin and the Pentagon expressed concern the hold was illegal.
https://publicintegrity.org/nationa...rried-ukraine-aid-halt-violated-spending-law/
A GAO analysis of the laws pertaining to the hold found it was, in their opinion, illegal.
6. Ukrainian officials asked about the aid on the day Trump called Zelensky when he said, "I need you to do us a favor though," prior to asking Ukraine to investigate Biden (and the server).
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/20/ukr...ump-zelenskiy-call-impeachment-testimony.html
7. Part time, acting Chief-of-Staff Mick Mulvaney publicly acknowledged the quid pro quo.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/poli...d-pro-quo-donald-trump-ukraine-aid/index.html
So did EU ambassador Sondland.
Sondland acknowledges Ukraine quid pro quo, implicates Trump, Pence, Pompeo and others
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...741e3c-0b92-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
8. US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was relieved of her post by Trump as a result of a smear campaign launched against her by Giuliani because she posed on obstacle to carrying out the scheme to extort Ukraine. Defiant Yovanovitch says she was ‘kneecapped’ amid Trump 'smear campaign'
Lev Parnas recently stated her removal was directed as a payoff to get a Ukrainian official to produce dirt on Biden. https://slate.com/news-and-politics...risma-biden-dirt-fire-ukraine-ambassador.html
9. All of the 17 witnesses who testified during the House inquiry corroborate 1-8.
10. If any of the witnesses or documentary evidence Trump has blocked as part of his obstruction of the investigation can offer a refutation of the evidence above it is his prerogative to present it.
11. The solicitation of help in a US election from a foreign person or government is illegal.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campai...s-illegality-of-soliciting-campaign-help-from
The evidence Trump is guilty of the charges contained in the AoI is compelling. To date, the only defense he has offered is, "I did nothing wrong." Clearly that assertion is a lie, even if you believe he didn't break the law. Compromising national security by delaying the dispersal of military aid to an ally under siege from Russia is no small matter. Using the office of the President for personal, political gain is no small matter. Obstructing a congressional investigation is no small matter. Lying to the American public is no small matter (though it has become routine during the error....sorry......era of Trumpery).