Text messages show U.S. diplomats believed U.S. aid was linked to Trump's demand for Biden probe
WASHINGTON – At the behest of President Trump and his personal lawyer, U.S. diplomats engaged in a frenetic, months-long effort to push Ukraine's newly elected president to publicly promise he would order an investigation into Joe Biden's son and also probe a conspiracy theory about Ukraine's alleged role in the 2016 U.S. election.
"Assuming President Z convinces trump he will investigate/"get to the bottom of what happened" in 2016, we will nail down a date for visit to Washington. Good luck!," Volker told his Ukrainian counterpart. Story continuesRepublicans characterized the proceedings as a sham that did little to provide Democrats any ammunition to impeach Trump.
Bursima's owner had come under scrutiny by Ukraine's top prosecutor, but there were no charges brought and Ukrainian officials have said there's no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden or his father. Zelensky's aide, Yermak, seemed to agree in August that the new president would publicly announce an investigation into Bursima, once the White House had set a date for a Zelensky-Trump meeting in Washington.
"The Russians love it," Taylor texted on Sept. 8. The next day, he texted again that the U.S. had already"shaken faith in us" and warned Sondland:"Counting on you to be right about this." Zelensky never made a public commitment to launch any U.S.-related investigations. Trump eventually released the military aid after a bipartisan backlash from from U.S. lawmakers in both parties.
A second Democrat, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, said Volker's testimony demonstrated that Trump held out the prospect of a White House meeting with Zelensky on the condition that Ukraine investigate Biden – as well as Ukraine’s alleged involvement in interference with the 2016 U.S. election. The American intelligence community has concluded that Russia tried to sway the 2016 election in Trump's favor, a fact that has clouded Trump’s presidency.
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