Trump-Zelensky (Aid f/Dirt
on Biden)
Mulvaney: “Crap, did I just confirm that”
(Red Line oops)
From the
Washington Post two combined synopsis: (1) opinion
piece here (E.J. Dionne), and WaPo editorial board here
–
Topic: Quid pro quo in W/H by Trump.
Acting W/H CofS, Mick
Mulvaney, said yes, Trump withheld military aid from
Ukraine – money that had been appropriated by Congress and was desperately
needed to resist Russian aggression, in order to induce the government of President
Zelensky to investigate a conspiracy theory about the hacking of the DNC during
the 2016 election.
Then Mulvaney, with stunning brazenness, made an open
confession on live TV from the W/H saying: “We
do that all the time with foreign policy. I have news for everybody: Get over
it. There is going to be political influence in foreign policy.”
Hours later, apparently
realizing (or having been told) that confession might not be the most astute
defense strategy, he tried to walk back his remarks, saying “there was
absolutely no quid pro quo.” But his earlier statement could not have been
clearer.
Mulvaney’s declaration
represented an about-face in the White House defense on the Ukraine affair.
Until now, Trump’s main argument has been that the whistleblower who described his
July 25 phone call with Zelensky and his subordination of U.S. diplomacy to his
reelection campaign had gotten it all wrong saying: “There was no quid pro quo.”
But testimony to Congress by half a dozen present and former State Department
and White House officials, and a rough transcript of the phone call to
Zelensky, have fully confirmed the whistleblower’s memo.
Enter the new defense basically outlined by Mulvaney: Okay, we did it. So what?
Mulvaney argued that every administration
seeks concessions from foreign governments in exchange for aid or for a meetings
with the president.
That’s true. The
difference here is that Trump was demanding help for his personal political gain,
not for the United States.
In the Zelensky call, a week after he suspended $391 million in military aid
(and one day after Mueller’s testimony), Trump asked for an investigation of
the far-fetched theory that the DNC server hacked by Russia had somehow been
spirited away to Ukraine. FYI: There is no evidence for that claim and thus no cause for an
investigation.
But Trump is seeking to
undermine the unanimous conclusion by all U.S. intelligence agencies and
special counsel Mueller that Russia penetrated the server and subsequently
leaked emails stored there to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.
During the same phone call, Trump
asked for an investigation of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and
his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company (Burisma).
Mulvaney tried to draw a
distinction between seeking a probe of the 2016 election and Biden,
which he claimed was not linked to the aid. But he confirmed that the president
had told his aides to arrange his dealings with Ukraine through Rudy Giuliani.
As testimony and documents provided to Congress clearly show, Giuliani subsequently demanded that Zelensky issue a statement promising to investigate the Biden associated gas company, as well as the 2016 election.
As testimony and documents provided to Congress clearly show, Giuliani subsequently demanded that Zelensky issue a statement promising to investigate the Biden associated gas company, as well as the 2016 election.
There is still more to learn
about the Ukraine affair. But this much is now obvious: Trump conditioned U.S.
defense aid, as well as a visit to the White House, on the Ukrainian president’s
help in providing him with political dirt.
It was a quid pro quo. It was
corrupt. And Mulvaney confessed it, in the cynical expectation that Republicans
would not hold Trump accountable. If Mulvaney is right, our political system will
be grievously damaged.
Analysis of Mulvaney's confession:
(25
minutes - excellent review)
Related story coverage:
My 2 cents: No much to add –
two excellent pieces as usual from the fine reporting by the Washington Post –
who after all carried the ball from start to finish on Watergate.
Thanks for stopping by.
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