The White House release a memorandum "summarizing" a phone conversation between US president and Ukraine President in which a "favor" was requested of the foreign leader to investigate the US president's political rival. This call was on the heels of the US president's suspension of an aid package to the Ukraine. It is no surprise that the summary memo of the phone call with
Ukraine President Zelensky points directly to PUTHOP pressuring Zelensky to “look
into” and “get to the bottom of” old and debunked conspiracy complaints against
Biden. Those conspiracy allegations have been thoroughly investigated, reported
and found to be groundless and illogical. However, such abuse of office by
PUTHOP is in keeping with his other arrogant behavior. Neither is it a surprise
that PUTHOP would claim he did nothing for which he should be held to account.
He has consistently maintained that his conduct is above the rule of law, so
why should pressuring a foreign government to interfere with US electoral
politics be challenged?
As for the Biden allegations, Biden was only one of a group
of leaders of countries demanding ouster of Shokin. Moreover, Shokin was criticized for
failing to conduct a rigorous investigation of the energy company with which
Biden’s son was connected [as a Board member]. If Shokin was replaced by
someone who would conduct a serious investigation, it would hurt, not help,
Biden’s interests. The conspiracy allegations were unsubstantiated illogical nonsense involving no potential benefit to Biden.
Some argue that “conclusions” of corruption based upon
PUTHOP pressuring Zelensky to investigate PUTHOP’s political enemy are “subjective,”
and I disagree. They are logical outcomes of analysis of assembled facts. Ukraine
is a country in need of military and financial aid to stabilize government and
resist Russian aggression (annexation of its sovereign territory, sending
troops into Eastern Ukraine, etc.). Congress approved an aid package of $400
million, which PUTHOP “temporarily” suspended because of alleged US concerns
about investigations of “corruption.” Within days of the suspension, PUTHOP
calls Zelensky and repeatedly asks him to investigate the Biden conspiracy
allegations about Biden. NO OTHER corruption issue was mentioned in the call
summary [which was provided by sources under control and biased toward
PUTHOP]. During the call, PUTHOP tells Zelensky to talk to Attorney General
Barr and PUTHOP’s personal attorney Giuliani who had been trying to gain
access to Zelensky. A contact with the Attorney General could plausibly be
explained if there were an ongoing formal investigation of Biden (there was
none), but there is no plausible justification for involving Giuliani other
than PUTHOP seeking personal political gain from the requested “favor” of
investigating Biden.
Suppose you were sick and needed life sustaining medicine,
and the major supplier of that medicine “temporarily” cuts off your access. The
CEO of that supplier then calls you up and asks you repeatedly for a “favor” of
taking action against one of his personal enemies. Could anyone logically or
reasonably argue it is “speculation” you were being pressured to take such
action in exchange for favorable treatment with respect to the suspension of badly
needed medicine? Similarly, Zelensky was in dire need of US aid, conditionally suspended,
when PUTHOP insistently requested the “favor” and told Zelensky to meet with
Giuliani and Barr to “work something out.” No honest and reasoning person could
conclude otherwise than a quid pro quo mob style exchange was proposed.
The combination and timing of these factually established occurrences admit of
no other conclusion. Logic, not speculation.
PUTHOP calls the inquiry a “witch hunt” and that is a typical
response. He also called the Mueller Investigation that found at least eight
separate events that could be deemed obstruction of justice a “with hunt.” Mueller
declined to issue an indictment, based upon a DOJ memorandum prohibiting it,
but said his findings did not exonerate PUTHOP. Yet the underlying facts
and events were substantiated. So, a “witch hunt” inquiry is as likely as not to
yield credible evidence of wrongdoing. And remember that this single act of
pressuring a foreign leader to interfere with domestic electoral processes is
just one more instance among the many examples of abuse of power,
violation of the Constitution and malfeasance by PUTHOP.
