why did biden want ukraine to fire attorney

What did Biden say to Petro Poroshenko?

In March 2016, Biden issued an ultimatum to then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko: either the government fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, or the U.S. would rescind upwards of $1 billion in aid.

Why did Hunter Biden join Burisma?

Adding to the appearance of impropriety is the fact that Hunter Biden joined Burisma at a time the company was seen as actively courting western leaders to prevent further scrutiny of its business practices.

What was Burisma accused of?

At the time, Burisma and its founder, Mykola Zlochevsky, were under suspicion for money laundering and public corruption. The allegations stem from Zlochevsky’s tenure as Ukraine’s minister of ecology and natural resources in the early 2010s, where it is purported he used his position to approve oil and gas licenses for Burisma.

Why did Shokin escape arrest?

The oligarch only evaded arrest because he was already hiding abroad after having fled Ukraine in 2014 when a pro-western uprising toppled his allies in the country’s then-pro-Russian government.

Who issued the ultimatum to Shokin?

According to Biden’s official recollection of the incident, he issued the ultimatum on behalf of then-President Barack Obama, who had lost faith in Shokin’s ability to root out corruption. Unofficially, though, it was well known that that Shokin was ramping up his investigation into both Burisma and Zlochvesky.

Is there a FOIA lawsuit against Solomon?

Solomon has indicated that there are more records forth coming, subject to an ongoing FOIA lawsuit. Although the records can not confirm if an actual meeting took place, the timeline of events that transpired shortly afterwards were directly to Burisma’s benefit.

Why did Biden force Ukraine to fire its prosecutor?

Hundreds of pages of never-released memos and documents contradict the story that former Vice President Joe Biden has been telling about why he pressured Ukraine to fire its chief prosecutor, according to a report based on the bombshell new documents. Biden claims he forced Ukraine to fire the prosecutor because he was corrupt, ...

Why did Biden fire the prosecutor?

Biden claims he forced Ukraine to fire the prosecutor because he was corrupt, and not because the prosecutor was investigating Burisma Holdings, a Ukraine-based company that was paying his son $600,000 per year. The Hill ‘s John Solomon is reporting that the documents — many from the American legal team that helped the company, Burisma Holdings, ...

What did Sevruk say about Solomon?

Sevruk memorialized the meeting in a government memo that the general prosecutor’s office provided to Solomon, stating that the three Americans offered an apology for the “false” narrative that had been provided by U.S. officials about Shokin being corrupt and inept.

What did Biden's son apologize for?

83,867. In other words — the company that employed Biden’s son apologized to the Ukrainian government after the firing of the chief prosecutor for the “U.S. representatives and public figures” actions or remarks. Solomon also reported that Burisma’s American team offered to introduce Ukrainian prosecutors to Obama administration officials ...

Who was investigating Burisma?

At the time, Shokin’s office was investigating Burisma. Shokin told me he was making plans to question Hunter Biden about $3 million in fees that Biden and his partner, Archer, collected from Burisma through their American firm.

Who is Hunter Biden's business partner?

Hunter Biden’s American business partner in Burisma, Devon Archer, texted a colleague two days after the Times story about a strategy to counter the ‘new wave of scrutiny’ and stated that he and Hunter Biden had just met at the State Department.

Who hired Hunter Biden?

As Solomon noted, the New York Times first published a story in December 2015 about Burisma hiring Hunter Biden just weeks after the vice president was asked by President Obama to oversee U.S.-Ukraine relations. That story also alerted Biden’s office that Shokin had an active investigation of Burisma and its founder, he noted.

What did Biden say about Ukraine?

At an event at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York in 2018, Biden seemed to boast about it, saying that during a visit to Kyiv -- likely in December 2015 -- he told Ukrainian officials: "We're leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor's not fired, you're not getting the money.". "Well, son of a bitch," Biden continued.

Who was the Ukrainian president who told Biden that the United States would withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees?

They assert that Shokin was overseeing an active criminal investigation into Burisma and that Biden at the time told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that the United States would withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees unless Shokin was fired.

Why did Trump tell his acting chief of staff to hold the aid package?

administration officials, The Washington Post reported on September 23 that Trump had told his acting chief of staff at least a week before the call to hold the assistance package because he had "concerns" about how the money would be used. Hunter Biden.

When was Shokin fired?

KYIV -- When Viktor Shokin was fired as Ukraine's prosecutor-general in March 2016, after less than 14 months in the post, it was seen as a crucial development in a country under pressure to curb corruption and get serious about reforms.

Was Shokin sabotaged?

Activists say the case had been sabotaged by Shokin himself. As an example, they say two months before Hunter Biden joined Burisma's board, British authorities had requested information from Shokin's office as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering by Zlochevskiy. Shokin ignored them.

Who is the new president of Ukraine?

Trump and his allies have repeated their claim in recent days, amid reports that the U.S. president pressured Ukraine's new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to open an investigation into the Bidens during a July 25 phone call that is now at the heart of an extraordinary whistle-blower complaint from a U.S. intelligence official.

Is Shokin's dismissal a political whirlwind?

Now Shokin’s dismissal, and Ukraine itself, are at the center of a political whirlwind in Washington that is buffeting Donald Trump's presidency and playing into the 2020 White House race.

Why did Biden threaten to withhold $1 billion from Ukraine?

Based on our research, the claim that Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion from Ukraine to save his son's job is FALSE. The then-vice president leveraged aid dollars to persuade the country to oust its top prosecutor as part of anti-corruption efforts endorsed by other international players that were unrelated to his son, Hunter Biden.

How much did Joe Biden give Ukraine?

As a result, Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid as "a stick to move Ukraine forward," Kupchan said. "He was acting alongside our European allies. Everybody was of a single mind that this prosecutor was not the right guy for the job."

Why did Shokin take over the Prosecutor General's Office?

It was because Shokin wasn't pursuing corruption among the country's politicians. As European and American diplomats pressed Ukraine to clean up its corruption, they focused on Shokin's leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office, which he took over in February 2015.

What was Shokin investigating?

In 2014, Shokin had investigated Burisma for money laundering and tax irregularities, per USA TODAY. The probe focused on 2010-12, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Hunter Biden — who joined the board in 2014 and served on it until early 2019 — was not the subject of the investigation.

Why did Biden use $1 billion?

It's true that Joe Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid to persuade Ukraine to oust its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, in March 2016. But it wasn't because Shokin was investigating Burisma. It was because Shokin wasn't pursuing corruption among the country's politicians.

Who was the ambassador to Ukraine after Shokin left?

After Shokin left the Prosecutor General's Office, Jan Tombinski, the ambassador from the European Union to Ukraine, called it "an opportunity to make a fresh start.". "I hope," Tombinski said, "that the new Prosecutor General will ensure that the Office of the Prosecutor General becomes independent from political influence and pressure ...

Did the prosecutor investigate Burisma?

Prosecu tor was not investigating Burisma at the time Joe Biden called for his removal. Burisma Holdings was not under scrutiny at the time Joe Biden called for Shokin to be removed, per the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, an independent agency that has worked closely with the FBI.

When did Biden ask about Ukraine?

On Jan 23, 2018 , during the Council on Foreign Relations discussion, then-Vice President Joe Biden was asked about Ukraine's prospects for peace. Biden pursued an anti-corruption policy in Ukraine in 2016 that included a call for the resignation of the country’s top prosecutor who had previously investigated Burisma.

What company does Hunter Biden work for?

Hunter Biden joined the board of the Ukrainian national gas company Burisma Holdings in 2014. An investigation into Hunter Biden's position in Ukraine found that his ties were "awkward" and "problematic" but ultimately had no impact on the Obama administration's policymaking. Joe Biden has been cleared of wrongdoing.

Did Joe Biden make a blunder?

According to Buzzfeed, aides close to Biden had said that Joe Biden had made a blunder in his remarks. Biden's staff was also concerned that the remarks would create tension between the U.S and Ukraine. Poroshenko had reportedly been frustrated with Biden's statements. At the time of the Obama administration, Biden and many prominent names said that the removal of the prosecutor was official U.S. policy.

Did Burisma get removed from the wanted list?

According to Reuters, in 2016, a Kiev district court said it had found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Burisma president and owner Zlochevsky and ordered the Prosecutor General's Office to remove him from the authorities' wanted list. In 2017, Burisma said all investigations against the company and Zlochevsky had been closed after the company paid an additional 180 million hryvnias ($7.44 million) in taxes, Reuters reported.

Why was Viktor Shokin fired?

When Viktor Shokin was fired as Ukraine’s prosecutor-general in March 2016, after less than 14 months in the post, it was seen as a crucial development in a country under pressure to curb corruption and get serious about reforms.

Do you fire him or get the money?

You don’t fire him, you don’t get the money.

Did Biden release 1,000,000,000 to Ukraine?

A number of years ago, then Bice President Biden said he would not release 1,000,000,000 to the Ukraine unless they fire a specific prosecutor.

Did Biden work for Ukraine?

Biden accepted a lucrative board position with an energy company focusing on Ukrainian business, even though, based on every account I’ve seen, he had no background or expertise in energy or in Ukraine. He did so after the energy company was known to be under Ukrainian investigation for alleged corruption and after his father was publicly overseeing much of the Obama administration’s policy toward Ukraine. It also all happened after Hunter Biden’s business partner met with Joe Biden in the White House — the same business partner who also joined the energy company’s board on, yes, the very day after the vice president’s visit in Kiev began.