When corrupt officials are praised as good, then those just doing their jobs are bad because they see what is happening. They know too much. So bad becomes good, and good becomes bad. Trump lauds praise on Ukraine’s former chief prosecutor as follows:
TRUMP: “Good [responding to Zelenskiy’s comment that investigations will be done openly], because I heard you had a prosecutor who was very good and he was shut down and that’s really unfair. A lot of people are talking about that, the way they shut your very good prosecutor down and you had some very bad people involved.”
The chief prosecutor Trump is referring to, is likely Yuriy Lutsenko, who did not leave office until August 2019. He was clearly not a “very good man” and is very likely the unnamed co-conspirator in the federal indictment against recently arrested Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. He has been charged with embezzlement and abuse of office. Incredibly he did not have a law degree. The Chief Prosecutor position in Ukraine is a very powerful position, as the conviction rate is approximately 99%.
The former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, as shown on the left, has 33 years of experience and served under six presidents. Her qualifications for Ambassador are excellent. See the Wikipedia summary of her experience.
In March 2019, she was asked to extend her term through 2020. But then in May, she was ousted. She was called “bad news” by Trump and the newly elected President, Zelenskiy surprisingly agreed with him, stating on the July 25, 2019 phone call, “she admired the previous President and she was on his side.” I found Zelenskiy’s comments incredible, but I have a feeling that Giuliani and friends had told him what would please Trump.
It’s also possible that this rough transcript left out a lot, because she was gone before he became president. From her testimony, she seemed very positive about the new president. I have included her opening remarks to the House Intelligence Committee, currently conducting an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. She was asked by the State Department to refuse to testify. Marie Yovanovitch was ousted because of unfounded accusations from Rudy Giuliani and others, that she was disloyal. Please read her opening remarks.
The current impeachment inquiry will go deeper on Giuliani’s partners who had put making profits far ahead of political gains. When you are working with corrupt officials, what they will say or agree to, is just a matter of price. See “Trump allies pressed Ukraine over gas firm in links.”
We are at the tip of the iceberg, as far as I can tell. The Global Energy Partners (GEP) with Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman and Harry Sargeant III as partners sought lucrative LNG export contracts from Ukraine, but met opposition from CEO of Naftogaz, Andriy Kobolyev. So, through pressure from the US, they wanted to oust Kobolyev, and replace him with a friend of Giuliani’s Andrew Favorov. Now there is nothing wrong with trying to increase US LNG exports. but definitely wrong when you meddle in the internal affairs of Ukraine, just to get better contract terms. So, for a country trying to reduce corruption, the Trump administration was going the opposite direction.
There is a whole lot more to come out. For those who really want to get the full story – it’s all out there, from Poroshenko, Viktor Shokin (prior corrupt chief prosecutor), and Representative Pete Cotton (Republican from Texas, who wanted Yovanovitch gone in a hurry). Certainly, there are some big GOP donors out there, who did not want an honest and very intelligent ambassador in their way. From the AP news story:
“As Rudy Giuliani was pushing Ukrainian officials last spring to investigate one of Donald Trump’s main political rivals, a group of individuals with ties to the president and his personal lawyer were also active in the former Soviet republic.
Their aims were profit, not politics. This circle of businessmen and Republican donors touted connections to Giuliani and Trump while trying to install new management at the top of Ukraine’s massive state gas company. Their plan was to then steer lucrative contracts to companies controlled by Trump allies, according to two people with knowledge of their plans.
Their plan hit a snag after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko lost his reelection bid to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose conversation with Trump about former Vice President Joe Biden is now at the center of the House impeachment inquiry of Trump.
But the effort to install a friendlier management team at the helm of the gas company, Naftogaz, would soon be taken up with Ukraine’s new president by U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, whose slate of candidates included a fellow Texan who is one of Perry’s past political donors.”
It really sounds like something a hostile country might do – not one with principles and values. I believe Mike Pompeo and Rick Perry are doing Trump;s dirty work, or at least turning a blind eye. This is really an evolving story.
it is important to remember that Trump repeatedly praised Manafort as a “good man” whose dealing in Ukraine made him rich. Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort and National Defense Advisor, Michael Flynn both ended in prison.
Stay tuned,
Dave
Links:
The President of Ukraine has been referred to as Zelenskyy and Zelensky, however I found recent articles prefer Zelenskiy. Also Ukraine is often refer to as “the Ukraine.”
CNN: Giuliani’s case rests on two Ukrainians with checkered pasts and suspect motives
Wikipedia: Yuriy Lutsenko
AP: Trump allies pressed Ukraine over gas firm
Wikipedia: Marie Yovanovitch
Yovanovitch Opening Remarks at House Intelligence Committee (closed door hearing)
Ukraine Envoy Says She Was Told Trump Wanted Her Out Over Lack of Trust
Lutsenko is unnamed Ukrainian who led plot to oust Yovanovitch, says official
Donald Trump ad misleads about Joe Biden, Ukraine and the prosecutor
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