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Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani will 'lay out evidence' on Biden and Ukraine Trump goes on offensive over Biden and Ukraine as Schiff ponders impeachment
(about 1 hour later)
Rudy Giuliani went on the offensive on Sunday, over what he and Donald Trump claim is corruption involving Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine. Trumpworld went on the offensive on Sunday, over what the president and his allies claim is corruption involving Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine.
Ukraine furore confirms Giuliani as Trump's most off-kilter advocateUkraine furore confirms Giuliani as Trump's most off-kilter advocate
The claim about the Democratic presidential frontrunner, and reported pressuring of the Ukrainian president to investigate it, lies at the heart of the current scandal swirling around the Trump White House. In return, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee said the president’s reported conduct in the matter may make impeachment “the only remedy that is coequal to the evil”.
“Swamp media says Biden corruption disproven,” Giuliani, the former New York mayor who is now Trump’s personal attorney, wrote on Twitter on Sunday morning. Trump’s reported pressuring of the Ukrainian president to investigate claims about Biden, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, has clouded the White House in scandal. On Saturday, Biden accused Trump of an “overwhelming abuse of power”.
“Typical lie. Three Ukrainian prosecutors on tape saying case fixed and dismissed because of Biden pressure. Tapes available to the Swamp media. But there is much more proof. Witnesses, documents, millions in circuitous wire transfers.” Leaving the White House for Texas and Ohio before continuing to New York and the United Nations General Assembly, Trump denied wrongdoing and told reporters he was “not looking to hurt Biden, but he did a very dishonest thing”.
“The [New York Times] story today that no evidence exists to support allegation Biden got prosecutor fired to fix son’s case is false. The corroboration is already public; available detailed statements from 4 prosecutors and documents. Much more to come.” Aides and allies attacked more fiercely.
The claims about Ukraine concern Hunter Biden’s work for a gas company in the country and a visit by the then vice-president in March 2016. The country’s top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, was fired: an aim of the US, its allies, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. “Swamp media says Biden corruption disproven,” Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor now Trump’s personal attorney, wrote on Twitter. “Typical lie.”
The claims about Ukraine concern Hunter Biden’s work for a gas company in the country and a visit by the then vice-president in March 2016, in which he pressed for the firing of the country’s top prosecutor, an aim of the US, its allies, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
An investigation into the company for which Hunter Biden worked was dormant at the time. In May 2019, the Ukraine prosecutor general told Bloomberg, “We do not see any wrongdoing” by the Bidens.An investigation into the company for which Hunter Biden worked was dormant at the time. In May 2019, the Ukraine prosecutor general told Bloomberg, “We do not see any wrongdoing” by the Bidens.
Giuliani has admitted seeking to pressure Ukrainian authorities to investigate the Bidens. Giuliani, who has admitted seeking to pressure Ukrainian authorities to investigate the Bidens, claimed on Sunday: “Three Ukrainian prosecutors on tape saying case fixed and dismissed because of Biden pressure. Tapes available to the Swamp media. But there is much more proof. Witnesses, documents, millions in circuitous wire transfers … more to come.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that in a 25 July call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump asked eight times for the Bidens to be investigated.The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that in a 25 July call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump asked eight times for the Bidens to be investigated.
The call is reportedly the subject of an intelligence services whistleblower complaint which the White House is refusing to release to Congress.The call is reportedly the subject of an intelligence services whistleblower complaint which the White House is refusing to release to Congress.
It has been suggested that Trump may have threatened to withhold US military aid to Ukraine if it did not accede to his demands. It has been suggested that Trump may have threatened to withhold US military aid to Ukraine if it did not accede to his demands. About a month after the call, $250m in military assistance to a country fighting Russian-backed separatists was delayed. The aid was released this month, after the existence of the whistleblower complaint became public.
About a month after the call, it was reported that $250m in military assistance to a country fighting Russian-backed separatists was being delayed, after Trump requested a review. Chris Murphy, a Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday: “The timing is obviously incredibly suspicious.”
On Friday the Ukrainian foreign minister said such a demand was not made in the July call, which he characterised as “long and friendly”. Trump has denied such a move and on Friday the Ukrainian foreign minister said the aid was not discussed in the July call, which he characterised as “long and friendly”.
Trump has not denied asking Zelinskiy about Biden and Ukraine but has claimed: “Nothing was said that was in any way wrong.” But Trump has not denied asking Zelinskiy about Biden and Ukraine. On Sunday he said his conversation with the Ukrainian leader was “perfect” and there was “no quid pro quo”.
The former vice-president, who in Iowa on Saturday said: “Trump is using this because he knows I’ll beat him like a drum”, has called for the transcript of the call to be released. So have allies of Trump. The former vice-president, who in Iowa on Saturday said “Trump is using this because he knows I’ll beat him like a drum”, has called for the transcript of the call to be released. So have allies of Trump.
It is not certain that the call is the subject of the whistleblower complaint, which Trump’s acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused, against legal precedent, to release to Congress.
But Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday: “Clearly [Trump] is afraid of the public seeing such things.”
On the same show, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said even showing the complaint to leaders in Congress “would be a terrible precedent”, as conversations between world leaders should be confidential and not released after “political complaints”.
Mnuchin repeatedly said he did not know what was said on the call between Trump and Zelinskiy, a line followed by secretary of state Mike Pompeo in appearances on ABC’s This Week and CBS’s Face the Nation.
Schiff made unusually strong remarks about the prospects of Trump being impeached over the Ukraine issue, as it meant “We may have crossed the Rubicon”.
Of Giuliani’s admitted behaviour, he said “betraying your country … is one thing when it’s done by the court jester, another thing when by the man who would be king.”
House Democrats are already exploring impeachment proceedings over Trump’s links to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Schiff cited Senate Republican opposition to impeachment as one reason still to go slow, but said Democrats needed to establish public support.
Trump and Zelinskiy are due to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.Trump and Zelinskiy are due to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
In his tweets, Giuliani linked to a 2015 New York Times report about Hunter Biden and Ukraine and promised to “lay out some of the evidence of Ukraine corruption” on Fox News Sunday.In his tweets, Giuliani linked to a 2015 New York Times report about Hunter Biden and Ukraine and promised to “lay out some of the evidence of Ukraine corruption” on Fox News Sunday.
Trump, who tweeted extensively on the subject on Saturday – around a customary visit to his golf course in Virginia – seemed likely to be watching. Trump seemed likely to be watching. On Saturday night, he repeated a Fox analyst’s suggestion that the whistleblower may have been “an American spy … spying on our own president”.
On Saturday night, he repeated a Fox News analyst’s suggestion that the intelligence services whistleblower may have been “an American spy … spying on our own president”.
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Trump administrationTrump administration
US politicsUS politics
Joe BidenJoe Biden
US elections 2020US elections 2020
UkraineUkraine
US foreign policyUS foreign policy
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