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Showing Original Post only (View all)Report: Trump's Ukraine Extortion Scheme Was Financed by Russia [View all]
Report: Trumps Ukraine Extortion Scheme Was Financed by Russia
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/report-parnas-russia-ukraine-trump-impeachment-giuliani-money.html?utm_source=tw
President Trump is facing impeachment primarily for abusing his power for political gain, extorting a foreign country to discredit his political rivals. The secondary aspect of the plot is that the target of his extortion is hardly random. Ukraine is the victim of Russian aggression, and Russias continuing incursions into Ukrainian territory is the muscle that gave Trumps threats leverage. Trumps domestic interests are one intended beneficiary of his scheme. The other is Vladimir Putin.
Trump and his allies insist he has actually pursued a hawkish line in Ukraine. Mr. Trump didnt withhold military aid to Ukraine, and even if he had he would have merely been returning to Barack Obamas policy of denying lethal aid, argues a Wall Street Journal editorial. No one has done more to limit Russias ability to engage in mischief than President Trump, insists Representative Matt Gaetz in a Fox News segment retweeted by the president.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors charged yesterday evening that Lev Parnas, an associate of President Trump who represented him in Ukraine, was wired $1 million from a Russian bank account weeks before his arrest. Which is to say, Trumps Ukraine plot appears to have been financed by Russia.
Parnas met repeatedly with Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Parnas claims Trump pulled him aside at last years White House Hanukkah party and personally directed his activities in Ukraine. That allegation remains unproven. What is proven, though, is that Parnas met with Trump numerous times (there are photographs), was Giulianis official business partner, and represented himself to Ukrainians as an agent of both Trump and Giuliani.
Rudy has worked as Trumps lawyer for free, but Parnas paid him half a million dollars for his work. If Parnas himself was being paid by Russian sources, this means the Russians were essentially subsidizing Trump, paying for the work themselves so he didnt have to lay out a dime of his own money.
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