It’s been a huge day into the investigation of Resident Donald Trump and the Republican Reich over their attempt to coerce a foreign leader to fabricate evidence to assist Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and to hide Russia’s role in the Republican election theft of 2016. The proof of that attempt has become so damning in the last 24 hours, that Trump is now asking for multiple countries to investigate Joe Biden in public! The idea is to bluff that it must be OK if he does it blatantly.
On Thursday night, Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives released a set of text messages they have received in their investigation of the State Department and its involvement in the Ukraine scandal…
…Here are 7 key details from the texts:
1. Ukraine feared it would be used as an “instrument” in American “domestic, reelection politics.”
Top U.S. diplomat Bill Taylor comes out the cleanest from the texts of the State employees, showing the most consistent concern for the wellbeing of Ukraine. In one exchange, he wrote on July 21 to United States Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland — a top donor to Trump — that Ukrainian “President Zelenskyy is sensitive about Ukraine being taken seriously, not merely as an instrument in Washington domestic, reelection politics.”…
Sondland replies “Absolutely,” but quickly pivots back to getting a conversation started between Trump and Zelensky. This shows that even before Trump’s infamous July 25 call with Ukraine, the country’s government feared it would be used for the president’s reelection campaign. This is exactly what Democrats accuse Trump of doing when he told Zelensky to open an investigation into Joe Biden, a potential 2020 opponent. It’s the whole reason the House’s impeachment inquiry has been reinvigorated.
But it gets worse.
… 2. An explicit quid pro quo
Former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker — who recently resigned after his involvement in the scandal was revealed — sends one of the most jaw-dropping single messages in the bunch. He lays out an explicit quid pro quo in a text to Ukrainian official Andrey Yermak on July 25, the same day as Trump’s call:
Kurt Volker: Good lunch – thanks. Heard from the White House—assuming President Z convinces trump he will investigate / “get to the bottom of what happened” in 2016, we will nail down date for visit to Washington. Good luck! See you tomorrow- kurt
This is a bombshell. It shows the White House set up a clear offer of an official U.S. government action — a visit to the White House — in exchange for Ukraine’s delivering investigations of the president’s political rivals. (In addition to the investigation of Biden and his son Hunter’s company Burisma, Trump has asked Zelensky to investigate conspiracy theories about the 2016 election and collusion between Ukraine and Hillary Clinton…
Inserted from <Alternet>
I shared two of seven. Click through for the other five. I recommend it in the strongest possible terms.
Here is a complete transcript of the Ukraine texts.
Lawrence O’Donnell did an amazing job covering this last night, and he devoted three segments of his show to it.
Lawrence: The Smoking Guns Keep Coming On President Donald Trump And Ukraine
I hope that all those strikes mean he’s out!
Rpt: Top U.S. Diplomat In Ukraine Texted It Would Be “Crazy” To Withhold Aid
That’s enough witnesses’ with damning evidence against the Tangerine Traitor for the House Intelligence Committee, that Shifty had better Shift into high gear to put Trump in a cell.
Texts Between Diplomats On Ukraine Situation Released
I doubt that Bill Taylor will have his job for long, if he still has it now. He should be rehired, when possible, and deserves our thanks for his integrity.
I trust this is only the beginning of this story.
RESIST!!
16 Responses to “Ukraine Probe Sizzles”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
There was a meme of Mueller looking very tired and frustrated with the caption (paraphrased) “If he would only stop committing new crimes for JUST ONE SECOND so I could wrap this thing up.” Someone could make a new one of Adam Schiff – it would become quite popular. Actually their could be one for any committee chair, with laments tailored to their investigations.
Most Republican voters are unable to see (or smell) the smoke from the smoking gun. They are conditioned only t see the smoke of conspiracy made by Republican criminals rubbing two dry sticks together. I say “most.” There seem to be a few who are starting to at least question the regime.
There is, I believe, a legal principle that “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” IANAL, but I would think that would apply.
My response when someone wants to do business by phone, especially ONLY by phone, is that they are dishonest. U personally prefer to do business ONLY by email. Or fax, although that’s less needed now that one can send/upload scanned signed or otherwise original documents.
“A high school musical about evil and wrong-doers.” “The gang that couldn’t shoot straight.” Both excellent descriptions, but as Lawrence points out, the truth is deadly serious.
Yes, that’s the one. Thanks.
MSNBC: O’Donnell: Notice how Drumpf can not state what the bad things are that he wants 2 foreign countries to investigate; only that whatever happened in China was at least as bad as what happened in Ukraine (not even The Ukraine). So, from what deep pool of cess does this claim that the Ukraine helped Hillary? From whose fevered un-mind? “If you are accused of something, accuse the accuser of the same thing!” Wow, right out of the GOPIGGIE playbook!
MSNBC#2: So……not even Lindsey the clown would go on camera to protect his god??? Wadd’ya make of this? “…innocent, or crazy?” Make me thing of the N.Y.mob boss who used to go around dressed in his PJ’s in order to look crazy, and possibly harmless. Drumpfy is playing every instrument he can find, but they are all out of tune. “Professional criminal?” Who, Mr. Orange Grifter?
“Corroborated entirely!” More smoking guns coming…one after another, after another. Rudy is cooked!
Agent Orange knows that he’s f###ed – and that he did his own f###ing. He sat on the stove and turned all the burners to Hi, then blames others for burning his ass.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at Mr. Volker’s 9 HOUR testimony behind closed doors…
All sorts of discussions going on there. WOW.
Shame it’s not a High School Musical, this is on going crimes every day.
Thanks for the videos, Tom. No exclamation points…lol
With the text messages and Volker testimony, I personally think we now have a solid, compelling “Quid Pro Quo”.
BUT it does NOT matter if we do or not – The Asking Is The Crime!
Just as in solicitation, asking someone to engage in an illegal activity does NOT require them to agree. Nor does it require completion, because THE ASKING IS THE CRIME.
PS – Similar to you, I think Trump realized (or was told) he had painted himself into a corner. So he decided (or was told) to bluster by doubling down with adding China, hoping that we have become so inured to his corruption, malfeasance and crimes that we wouldn’t even notice these two.
WRONG!
He has cooked his own goose!
Great minds fall in the same ditch!
See today’s Open Thread.
Thanks for the award Mug Tomcat,it’s great.🤗❣️
Your welcome, Luv! ☕️
May we have a pic?
The stack of smoking guns is getting so high we’re no longer able to look over it. I so long for that cannonball that blows it, and the whole Trump administration and GOP goons to smithereens before that stack will get even higher and anyone trying to touch it, is smothered in its avalanche.
I have NO doubt that “cannonball” is on its way!
NONE whatsoever!
He is going to continue to try to scream his way out of this whole deal.
But hate to tell him, it’s over for him.
Thanks, pooped hugs, and Amen to all!
A nest of vipers . . . the whole bunch of them! I hope the smoking guns hit the entire nest right between the eyes!!! . . . and elsewhere if that helps the country. And in that nest of vipers, let us not forget the Republican Reich that remains silent while Trump screws the country! Although it is only an urban legend that Nero fiddled while Rome burned in 64 CE, the image is still apropos to the US today.