Trump Impeachment Evidence: May Top Mount Everest While He Remains in Denial

Compelling and damaging evidence re: Ukraine story

(Former Ambassador; EU Ambassador; Former Envoy) 

A critical note to readers of this blog: This whole Trump-Ukraine and now China connection for their help in investigating Biden and son is very complex and details become public daily if not hourly it seems – for me to understand it lay it out in a story form for easy reading by anyone is my goal – there I have kept the original sources in links (which is proper to credit their great work), but I need ease to see the story the way I think and analyze things for myself and this blog readers – I hope everyone knows that – thank you and thanks for stopping by.

Leading background on former U.S. envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, and his 10-hour closed door testimony to House Intelligence Committee.

This just in from Kurt Volker: He defends Joe Biden – in part:

Volker defended Biden’s character and told lawmakers that he did not know that Trump mentioned Biden’s name during a July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky until the White House released a rough transcript of the conversation last week.

Volker repeatedly emphasized during his remarks he did not believe the allegations against Biden to be credible.  

Volker texts were provided to House investigators reveal that U.S. officials felt Trump would not agree to meet with the newly-elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unless Zelensky promised to launch the Biden investigation, and announced that publicly.

Although the texts do not mention Biden by name, Democrats leading an impeachment inquiry are pointing to them as clear evidence that Trump conditioned normal bilateral relations with Ukraine on that country first agreeing “to launch politically motivated investigations.” 

Volker text to Zelensky’s aide, Andrey Yermak: “Heard from 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.”

Note: That text was on July 25, just hours before Trump and Zelensky spoke on the phone. The rough transcript of that conversation was released by the White House last week but not the full original text.

Two weeks later, Trump still had not agreed to meet. Administration officials sought to convince the Ukrainians that Trump would need a public pledge before agreeing to the meeting with Zelensky.

Next text was from U.S. Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, to Volker on August 9:  He noted that Zelensky might give a news conference announcing his intent to investigate saying: “I think POTUS really wants the deliverable. To avoid misunderstandings, might be helpful to ask Andrey (Zelensky’s Aide Andrey Yermak) for a draft statement (embargoed) so that we can see exactly what they propose to cover.”

Note: By the next day (August 10), the Ukrainians had agreed to announce their plans to carry out Trump’s investigations alongside the date for a meeting between the two heads of state.

Next text was from Zelensky Aide, Andrey Yermak to Volker on August. 10: “Once we have a date, will call for a press briefing, announcing upcoming visit and outlining vision for the reboot of US-UKRAINE relationship, including among other things Burisma and election meddling in investigations.”

Reminder: Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son, sat on the board of Burisma for five years. 

Note: Trump never committed to a meeting. As the United States resisted giving Zelensky an audience with Trump, administration officials discussions suggest the White House was issuing an escalating series of demands.

Next text from U.S. Charges D’affaires in Ukraine, William B. “Bill” Taylor, to Gordan Sondland on September 1, right after Trump skipped a trip to Poland where he was meant to visit with Zelensky and Sondland swiftly moved the conversation from text messages to a phone call saying: “Are we now saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations? As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.”

Next text was from Taylor to Sondland on September 9, complaining that the Trump administration’s decision to withhold congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine had already created a “nightmare scenario” adding: “The president has been crystal clear no quid pro quo’s of any kind. The president is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that president Zelensky promised during his campaign I suggest we stop the back and forth by text.”

1.    Sondland declined to comment through an attorney, Jim McDermott.

2.    Volker did not respond to requests for comment.

3.    The State Department did not immediately respond to messages, nor did the White House.

The abrupt end to the texts mirrors the current political climate on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and Republicans are fiercely divided over whether Trump’s efforts to pressure Zelensky into investigating Burisma and the 2016 elections were proper diplomacy or an abuse of power.

According in Committee DEMS about Volker: “He provided ample evidence that shows it was a requirement that President Zelensky launch a probe into the 2016 elections investigation to exonerate Russia’s role and to focus on Burisma was to investigate Hunter Biden. That was an understood predicate for the meeting.”

Naturally, House Republicans emerged from Volker’s deposition saying that nothing Volker had said damaged the president and that there was no proof Trump had sought a quid pro quo.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Trump’s most aggressive defender, said on Twitter: “The facts we learned today from Ambassador Volker undercut the salacious narrative that Schiff is using to sell his impeachment ambitions.”

Related: FEC commissioner says Trump has broken federal election law.

A bit more on this and based on Trump statements, he doesn’t care about the law:

America’s top election official explains why Trump may be committing crimes

FEC chair tweets reminder that accepting foreign help in an election is illegal after Trump urges China to investigate Joe Biden

FEC Chair Forced to Remind Trump (Again) that it is “Illegal to Solicit Election Help from Foreign Governments”

FEC Chairwoman background: Trump has said he wanted Ukraine to investigate “corruption” by Biden and his son Hunter. The former vice president is a leading candidate to oppose Trump for reelection. Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, admitted, damaging Biden’s reputation is his Trump’s actual purpose.

Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub is a Democrat, however, she was appointed to the commission in 2002 by then president George W. Bush.

Her nominal term expired more than a decade ago, but she has remained in the post as successive administrations have found it impossible to choose and confirm a successor.

FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub

(In office since 2003)

On June 13, Weintraub originally posted a statement clarifying the illegality of candidates receiving election assistance from foreign governments after Trump told ABC News he would not alert the FBI if he was approached by a country such as Russia with damaging information about his 2020 opponent, and he would consider the information. Her tweet screenshot is here.

Trump doubled down on unsubstantiated allegations that Biden and his son, Hunter, were engaged in corrupt behavior, is now today urging a probe by China saying to reporters before he departed for an executive order signing in Florida, adding:  “China should start an investigation into the Biden’s.”

Trump added: “And, I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend they start an investigation into the Biden’s.”

My 2 cents: Seeking a favor from Ukraine for anti-tank shoulder-fired rockets (Javelins) and with China for a new trade deal and getting heat off of Russia for 2016, well, that hole is deep, but as Will Rogers famously quipped: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop DIGGING.”

Trump can’t stop digging deeper and deeper looking for an exit at the bottom of the hole. Hint, Mr. President: This hole has only one way out – you resign or get impeached and hopefully removed.

Good reading here too: His allegation w/o proof of the “two crooked” Biden’s in China from The Atlantic parts here.

 Trump did offer a quid pro quo to Zelensky, and China has something to gain by currying favor with Trump, too.

Beijing is embroiled in a trade war with the United States that has throttled the Chinese economy. Talks between the two governments have stalled. “I have a lot of options on China, but if they don’t do what we want, we have tremendous power,” Trump said a half minute before making the investigation request.

Finally, is it painfully obvious that Trump is using the power of his office to pressure foreign governments to look into his political rivals to influence the 2020 election.

Even Kurt Volker, William Taylor, and Gordan Sondland, all referenced above, see the harm in this by their statements. They are not guilty, but they clearly see the guilt with Trump – that is clear by their text messages.

Where does this end up? Impeachment is a must and the sooner the better. Removal – what will the GOP-run Senate do? Stick by their supposed principle of nation first, or their fear of Trump and 2020 outcome if he turns the heat up on them and lose their seat? 

Sen. Majority Leader and huge Trump supporter

(Vote blocker for needed 67???)

But, I remain hopeful that a dozen Republicans needed for the 67-vote majority will step up and vote to remove Trump long before he can inflict more harm and dishonor on the office and damage the country for God only knows how long?

Thanks for stopping by.