Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

/u/PoppinKREAM breaks down the quid pro quo in an easily digestible, understandable manner. Even our resident retards could get it if they're willing to click on the link and run their eyeballs over the words.

https://np.reddit.com/r/politics/commen ... d/f1jflat/

- Doc

[_Chap]

Thanks DrC. This is indeed succinct and accurate, with sources for all important statements made. The original has live links

A breakdown of the significance of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky

In a phone call on July 25 2019 with newly elected Ukrainian President Zelensky, President Trump attempted to solicit the support of a foreign government and may be in violation of Federal Campaign Finance Laws.[1] In a mafiaso style shakedown following President Zelensky asking about military aid to combat Russia Trump segued the conversation into requesting an investigation on trumped up charges against one of his political opponents. President Trump repeatedly made requests including opening up an investigation into former Vice-Pesident Joe Biden and his role in the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor that Trump claims was supposedly unfairly shut down by Biden because he supposedly feared his son was being investigated.

This is a complete mischaracterization of events. Following Ukraine's revolution and the annexation of Crimea Ukrainian President Poroshenko was dealing with corruption by the elite. Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was a discredited individual who was leading an investigation into corruption. The corruption was staggering, for example following assistance from the International Monetary Fund a $1.8 billion loan to help the Ukrainian banking system disappeared offshore in accounts owned by a Ukrainian Oligach.[2] At one point Shokin fired prosecutors who were working on corruption cases against corrupt officials.[3] Following pressure from Western Allies and the Obama administration the Ukrainian parliament overwhelmingly voted to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. The decision was celebrated by Western Allies that were providing financial support to Ukraine including the European Union to defend themselves from Russia.[4] Moreover, in his most recent interview former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko debunked President Trump's conspiracy that Biden forced the firing for Shokin to protect his son, Hunter Biden, who had been working in Ukraine. Prosecutor General Lutsenko stated that "“[f]rom the perspective of Ukrainian legislation, he did not violate anything,” and added “Hunter Biden cannot be responsible for violations of the management of Burisma that took place two years before his arrival.”[5]

Days before his conversation with Ukrainian leader Zelensky the Trump administration suddenly froze aid allocated to Ukraine.[6]

The White House has attempted to mislead the public by claiming that aid was frozen due to corruption, however NPR obtained a letter from the Pentagon that certified Ukraine had taken action to decrease corruption 2 months before President Trump blocked aid.[7] A month before this phone call in June the Pentagon announced plans to provide $250 million to Ukraine in security cooperation funds for things such as training and equipment in an attempt to build the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.[8] The State Department announced plans to provide $141 million in aid.[9]

So why are the United States and Western Allies sending aid to Ukraine? In 1994 former Soviet Union member states including Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum. It was a diplomatic memorandum under which Ukraine removed all Soviet-era nuclear weapons and signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. In return for these concessions the former Soviet state consecrated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as an independent state by applying the principles in a Cold War era treaty signed by 35 states including the Soviet Union. Russia violated this agreement in 2014 when they invaded Ukraine.[10] It should also be noted that President Trump has repeatedly lied that Europe is not providing Ukraine with aid.[11] In fact since 2014 the EU and European institutions have mobilized more than $6 billion to help Ukraine.[12]
Following the phone call a whistleblower from DNI filed a complaint that stated President Trump was "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the US 2020 election," characterizing the conduct as a "serious or flagrant problem, abuse, or violation of law". President Trump has been attempting to cover all of this up.[13]


1) Washington Post - How Trump’s Ukraine call could violate campaign finance laws
2) Reuters - Corruption in Ukraine is so bad, a Nigerian prince would be embarrassed
3) Kyiv Post - Demonstrators protest Shokin’s firing of anti-corruption prosecutors
4) New York Times - Ukraine Ousts Viktor Shokin, Top Prosecutor, and Political Stability Hangs in the Balance
5) Washington Post - Former Ukraine prosecutor says Hunter Biden 'did not violate anything’
6) Wall Street Journal - Trump Put Hold on Military Aid Ahead of Phone Call With Ukraine’s President
7) The Hill - Pentagon letter certified Ukraine had taken action to decrease corruption before White House blocked aid
8) Military Times - Russia’s conflict with Ukraine: An explainer
9) Defense News - Here’s what you need to know about the US aid package to Ukraine that Trump delayed
10) Radio Free Europe: Radio Liberty - Explainer: The Budapest Memorandum And Its Relevance To Crimea
11) Politifact - Donald Trump said European nations have not put money into Ukraine. They have put in a lot
12) Associated Press - AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s thin rationale on Ukraine aid
13) BBC - White House 'tried to cover up details of Trump-Ukraine call'

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

by the way, Trump had 48 tweets and retweets on the 29th and so far another 20 today. Read into that what you will.

- Doc

[_DarkHelmet]

by the way, Trump had 48 tweets and retweets on the 29th and so far another 20 today. Read into that what you will.

- Doc

Nice to see the White House Communications team is doing their job.

[_subgenius]

Read an interesting opinion on how things could play out with "impeachment".
1. Democrat house impeaches and it goes to Senate for trial.
2. Senate trial legally allows for Trump lawyers to subpoena people.
3. Who do you think will get subpoenas? (spoiler alert: Comey, Clinton, Holder, Lynch, Brazille, etc.)
4. How do you think that testimony will go? What will be the questions and answers....
5. Senate trial airs everything out in open.
6. Repub Senate and a few Democrats vote to NOT convict Trump.

So yeah...keep on keeping on.

....
I think that the odds are better ....

So apart from your lack of understanding for how the impeachment process works, how did you understand McConnell's statement about "there will be a trial"?
And do you think Trump lawyers will just subpoena Rachel Maddow and Kevin Graham?
Thankfully for you, Pelosi is not as stupid as those two.

[_Some Schmo]

by the way, Trump had 48 tweets and retweets on the 29th and so far another 20 today. Read into that what you will.

- Doc

Nice to see the White House Communications team is doing their job.

You've got to pass the time somehow while waiting for the walls to close in.

[_canpakes]

So apart from your lack of understanding for how the impeachment process works, how did you understand McConnell's statement about "there will be a trial"?

I understand that you don’t seem to be able to read and comprehend English. That answers your question. Go back and reread that post ... as slowly as you need to.

And, when are you going to list all of the excellent questions that will be asked of “Comey, Clinton, Holder, Lynch, Brazille, etc.” that regard Trump’s behavior, or this whistleblower incident specifically?