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House Impeachment Inquiry

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So maybe a Republican supporter can explain the issue here....

In February 2014 the new Ukrainian Government came to power and was convinced by Western Nations to start investigations into corruption by former leaders. One of those people was the ex-environment minister, Mykola Zlochevsky, who in 2002 had founded one of the largest natural gas companies in Ukraine, Burisma Holdings, registering it in Cyprus.

Any issues yet?

Part of this was the U.K. freezing $23 million in London bank accounts that they said were linked to Zlochevsky and they also sought help from the Ukraine to build a money-laundering case against him. In response, the Ukraine opened investigations into Zlochevsky and Burisma with Viktor Shokin handling parts of the investigation as first a deputy prosecutor and then later on as the prosecutor general.

Zlochevsky and Burisma both denied doing anything wrong, but in May they started hiring overseas claiming it was an attempt to clean up their image and be more transparent. As part of that they hired Hunter Biden and Devon Archer onto the Board , paying them via the Rosemont Seneca Bohai LLC, about $225,000 a year for the position (according to the Boston Globe, a Board Member on a large Oil and Gas Company can expect to be paid up to about $258,000 a year.)

Any issues yet?

In December of 2014, the US sent the Ukrainian Government a letter saying that the Prosecutor was not helping the UK case, and according to the new Deputy Prosecutor, Vitaliy Kasko, Shokin had allowed the case to languish uninvestigated. The case in the UK ended up collapsing, and according to the US Ambassador of the time, this was because the Ukrainian Prosecutorial Office had subverted the UK probe through their inaction.

Any issues with this so far?

Once the UK investigations fell through the US Embassy sent through to the State Department that Shokin was failing to investigate corruption charges, and that pressure needed to be applied to force a change. This was backed up by the IMF and also public protests in the Ukraine itself where the general public were calling for change because Shokin wasn't doing his job (according to everyone but Shokin himself.)

At this point the US sent Joe Binden to the Ukraine with the message of, "Get rid of Shokin and get the corruption investigations moving, or you lose a $1 billion loan guarantee." He did this, telling them “If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money." Following this, Shokin was fired in March of 2016, and the loan guarantee came through. Yuriy Lutsenko was appointed the new Prosecutor and it appears that the Investigation into Zlochevsky and Burisma was quickly restarted, because in a little over 6 months later, January of 2017, Burisma issued a statement saying that all legal proceedings and criminal allegations against them and Zlochevsky were closed and they agreed to paid any taxes they were found to owe.

So all parties, with the exception Shokin, agree that Shokin was failing to do his job and was allowing that corruption investigation to languish, resulting in the collapse of the UK Investigation, and that the only way to complete the investigation was to remove him and put in place someone willing to actually do the job.

Yuriy Lutsenko has subsequently passed to US Authorities all payment information from Burisma to US Citizens, including Hunter Biden, for US to make sure that Taxes were paid correctly, and the IRD has never started any proceedings into those payments.

So... Biden, following the State Department, forced the removal of a Prosecutor, who according to everyone but himself, was failing to investigate corruption charges which resulted in the failure of an impeding case. Hunter was brought onto the company's board after that case was started and was paid a fair wage and seems to have paid the correct taxes on that wage. The new prosecutor restarted the case and found no evidence of corruption by the company or its founder. Hunter was never suspected or investigated for corruption in his dealing with the company or its board, nor was the company during his time as a member of the board.

So please, can you explain where the issue is here?
 
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Right now the Republican response seems to be "what's the big deal?" As if withholding aid to pressure a foreign government to go after political opponent is not a big deal. Its amazing that so many are trying to do that with a straight face.

According to a recent poll, 26% of voters don't see it as a problem, with another nearly 20% not sure if it is or not. Just 56% thought it was an impeachable offence.
 
Right now the Republican response seems to be "what's the big deal?" As if withholding aid to pressure a foreign government to go after political opponent is not a big deal. Its amazing that so many are trying to do that with a straight face.

Trump doesn't actually care about curtailing corruption abroad except when it might involve a political opponent. Especially when it's one he's terrified of. Especially one who in every poll beats him handily.

If people can't see this, they are
1.not paying attention
2. Stupid as a post
Or
3. So biased they cannot bring themselves to be intellectually honest.
These things roll like a snowball down hill. They grow.
 
So maybe a Republican supporter can explain the issue here....[snip]

So please, can you explain where the issue is here?
A link or two would be nice just to see who your sources are.


For anyone else, does anyone have any info on what qualified Hunter Biden to join this company's board and how he was connected to them in the first place?
 
According to a recent poll, 26% of voters don't see it as a problem, with another nearly 20% not sure if it is or not. Just 56% thought it was an impeachable offence.

Here's the thing about polls. And I know polling well. Having worked for a pollster for a few years. It's damn hard to do well. Getting a representative sample is tough to do and it's even harder today with fewer and fewer people having a land line. Then a lot depends on how you phrase the question.

But frankly, those numbers are horrible for Trump. 56 to 26 and even if all the clueless people break his way (highly unlikely) he still gets beat in the election by 10 points.
 
Trump will be acquitted on all charges due to the legal principles of: "he isn't like other politicians, therefore we can't judge him by any 'convential standards'."
 
Have you read the opinion piece we're talking about? It really is amazingly condescending. Reading it in context does nothing to rehabilitate it.

The reporter was talking to people who betrayed their country. It's okay to be condescending to them. They earned their derision.
 
Yesterday I heard a report that, upon learning that there were additional phone transcripts squirrelled away in that secure computer system, House Intel issued an order for the preservation of evidence. If any scrubbing were to be found out, new crimes would be committed.

What if they use Bleachbit?
 
For anyone else, does anyone have any info on what qualified Hunter Biden to join this company's board and how he was connected to them in the first place?


It was mentioned earlier here or in another thread, but putting an unqualified person on a board of directors based on their name or image, and having them not actually do anything is SOP for corporations around the world.
For example, Shaquille O'Neal joined the board of directors of Papa John's Pizza earlier this year. His main function appears to be making commercials in which he talks about being a board member.
 
It was mentioned earlier here or in another thread, but putting an unqualified person on a board of directors based on their name or image, and having them not actually do anything is SOP for corporations around the world.
For example, Shaquille O'Neal joined the board of directors of Papa John's Pizza earlier this year. His main function appears to be making commercials in which he talks about being a board member.
True. That said, Bush2 appointed Hunter Biden to the board of Amtrak. Presumably that happened because Biden was perceived as capable.
 
"Jobs for the Boys" is something that is next to impossible to avoid:
Do we think that Justin Kennedy, son of Anthony Kennedy, got a big job at Deutsche Bank just because he was so qualified?
What about the revolving door between Banking/Defense and Politics? What about Internships on the Hill?

Whatever Hunter Biden did is something that mundane that you will find tens of thousands of cases if you want to make any effort to look. Doesn't make it right, but doesn't make it a scandal,either.
 
A link or two would be nice just to see who your sources are.

most of it can be found here... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...we-know-about-joe-and-hunter-biden-in-ukraine with loads of links for their sources.

For anyone else, does anyone have any info on what qualified Hunter Biden to join this company's board and how he was connected to them in the first place?

Here's the wayback machine link to the press release of his joining.... https://web.archive.org/web/2014051...ter-biden-joins-the-team-of-burisma-holdings/
 
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"Jobs for the Boys" is something that is next to impossible to avoid:
Do we think that Justin Kennedy, son of Anthony Kennedy, got a big job at Deutsche Bank just because he was so qualified?
What about the revolving door between Banking/Defense and Politics? What about Internships on the Hill?

Whatever Hunter Biden did is something that mundane that you will find tens of thousands of cases if you want to make any effort to look. Doesn't make it right, but doesn't make it a scandal,either.

It's why the Republicans aren't making an issue of Biden Junior's having such a position: so many of them have their own children in such positions.

Few so blatantly as Trump, though, with self-declared "First Daughter" (that's not a thing, they told her, but she didn't listen) Ivanka Trump mooning around the corridors of power, trying to talk to people.
 
It's why the Republicans aren't making an issue of Biden Junior's having such a position: so many of them have their own children in such positions.

Few so blatantly as Trump, though, with self-declared "First Daughter" (that's not a thing, they told her, but she didn't listen) Ivanka Trump mooning around the corridors of power, trying to talk to people.
A high ranking member of the Trump 2020 campaign (the chairman?) was on TV whining about Biden Jr landing a plum job while dad was in power. The interviewer asked about Ivanka and her Chinese trademarks. The guy got flustered right away. It seemed he was entirely unprepared for the question.

The cult is very insular after all. This emanates from Mr. Don't Show Me Things That Upset Me.
 
Looking at Hunter Biden's career and the positions he has held it appears to me that he is likely more capable than many board members.

Yup. Based on his wikipedia page, he's a lawyer, got work experience in banking and the Dept. of Commerce, was nominated to the board of Amtrak by Bush Jr., but resigned after Joe B. became VP, then got into investing and law. Everyone knows he got the nomination to Burisma board because of his last name, but it doesn't sound like he's unqualified for the job. *cough*Ivanka*cough*
 
Thanks PW for the links and everyone for the info on Hunter B.



There was a meme on this upthread but here are some links on it:

Kellyanne Conway is trying to insert the talking point, Pelosi was coerced by the men in her caucus.

Boston Globe: Kellyanne Conway Says Pelosi Succumbed to Pressure from Men on Impeachment

HuffPo words it differently: Kellyanne Conway Lobs Sexist Dig At Nancy Pelosi, Says She Caved To Men On Impeachment
“She does the worst thing a woman in power can do ... she just changes her mind because the men around her said, ’Change your mind,’” Trump’s aide claimed.

I wonder how long it took Conway to come up with that one?
 
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