This week showed what happens when the facts prevail. After dedicating his week to attacking law enforcement who were making extraordinary efforts to accommodate his political stunts, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer conceded. This triumph of the truth further demonstrates how out-of-touch House Republicans are with the American people. In the end the facts won, and Comer caved.
FACT: James Comer’s Investigation Is A Politically-Motivated Waste Of Taxpayer Dollars
JAMES COMER ADMITTED HIS INVESTIGATION IS ALL ABOUT POLITICS…
HEADLINE: “House GOP Chairman Links His Investigation To Biden’s Poll Numbers” [Washington Post, 5/22/23]
- Rep. James Comer Suggested That His Investigations Were Responsible For Former President Trump Being Ahead Of President Biden In Some Polls. FOX NEWS ANCHOR: “So do you think that because of your investigation, that is what’s moved this needle with the media?” REP. JAMES COMER: “Absolutely. Absolutely. There’s no question. You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward; Joe Biden’s trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they’re realizing the American people are keeping up with our investigation.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends First, 5/22/23] (video)
HEADLINE: “GOP Rep. James Comer Implies Biden Family Probe Is Really About Helping Trump In 2024” [Huffington Post, 5/23/23]
HEADLINE: “”Look At The Polling”: James Comer Brags That GOP’s Biden Crusade Is Boosting Trump’s Numbers” [Salon, 5/22/23]
HEADLINE: “White House Memo Says GOP Was Caught ‘Telling The Truth’ On Motive For Hunter Biden Probe” [NBC News, 5/24/23]
HEADLINE: “House Oversight Chair Links Biden Investigation To Trump Polling, Drawing Outrage From Top Democrat” [TIME Magazine, 5/22/23]
HEADLINE: “GOP’s Comer Says A Bit Too Much About The Point Of Anti-Biden Probe” [MSNBC, 5/23/23]
…THEN HE LIED AND CLAIMED HE’D NEVER SAID HIS INVESTIGATION WAS ABOUT HURTING PRESIDENT BIDEN POLITICALLY
HEADLINE: “James Comer Now Falsely Claims He Didn’t Link Biden Probe To Trump Poll Numbers” [Daily Beast, 5/24/23]
- Rep. James Comer Claimed When He Said His Investigations Were Being Reflected In Polling It Had Nothing To Do With Donald Trump. REP. JAMES COMER: “So he’s not credible in this investigation, he’s just an unnecessary obstacle along the way. Look, when I was referencing poll numbers, it had nothing to do with Donald Trump. It had to do with the fact that the American people overwhelmingly believe that public corruption is a problem, and they’re concerned about how Joe Biden’s family got this money from foreign nationals, that’s what I was referencing in the polling, the polling shows the American people are keeping up with our investigation, it has nothing to do with Donald Trump.” [Fox Business, The Bottom Line, 5/23/23] (video)
JAMES COMER HAS PRESENTED NO EVIDENCE FOR HIS ALLEGATIONS ABOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN
HEADLINE: “Republicans Offer No Evidence Of Crimes At Press Conference On Alleged ‘Biden Family Corruption’” [The Independent, 5/11/23]
HEADLINE: “Comer Investigation Of Biden Relatives Swings And Misses On Allegations Of Influence Peddling” [TIME Magazine, 5/10/23]
HEADLINE: “Republicans Finally Admit They Have No Incriminating Evidence On Joe Biden “ [New Republic, 5/10/23]
HEADLINE: “Comer Releases Biden Family Probe Update Without Showing Link To President” [Politico, 5/10/23]
HEADLINE: “House GOP Digs In On Biden Family Dealings Without Directly Connecting President” [The Hill, 5/10/23]
HEADLINE: “House Republican Report Finds No Evidence Of Wrongdoing By President Biden” [New York Times, 5/10/23]
HEADLINE: “Facing ‘Make-Or-Break Moment,’ GOP’s Comer Fails Spectacularly “ [MSNBC, Maddow Blog, 5/11/23]
CNN: “But The Latest [GOP] Report Does Not Show Any Payments Made Directly To Joe Biden, Either As Vice President Or After Leaving Office.” [CNN, 5/10/23]
NBC News: “Comer Did Not Provide Examples Of Any Specific Policy Decisions That Were Influenced.” “Asked whether the committee will be able to prove that Biden was directly involved in his son’s business dealings and that policy changes were influenced by it, Comer did not provide examples of any specific policy decisions that were influenced.” [NBC News, 5/10/23]
Axios: “The Memo Presented Wednesday By House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) Included No Evidence That President Biden Acted Improperly Or Took Any Official Action Because Of His Family’s Business Affairs.” [Axios, 5/10/23]
HEADLINE: “‘You Don’t Actually Have Any Facts’: Even Fox Isn’t Buying Gop’s Claims About Biden’s Foreign Business Dealings” [Rolling Stone, 5/11/23]
NewsNation: “However, The Committee Has Not Uncovered Any Evidence That Directly Linked The President To Any Foreign Business Dealings.” [NewsNation, 5/10/23]
Politics USA: “Comer Has No Actual Evidence That President Biden Did Anything Wrong. There Is No Evidence That Biden Solicited Funds From Foreign Countries In Exchange For Policy Influence. House Republicans Are Making It Up As They Go Along.” [Politics USA, 5/10/23]
- Politics USA: “James Comer Is Abusing His Power As The Chair Of The House Oversight Committee, And He Is Wasting Taxpayer Money On These Investigations.” “James Comer is abusing his power as the chair of the House Oversight Committee, and he is wasting taxpayer money on these investigations. It is embarrassing for the country that House Republicans are trying to pass off conservative media conspiracy theories and legitimate congressional investigations.” [Politics USA, 5/10/23]
SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY ADMITTED REPUBLICANS DID NOT CARE IF ACCUSATIONS WERE TRUE OR NOT, THEY JUST WANTED TO PUBLICIZE THEM
HEADLINE: “Republicans ‘Not Interested’ In Whether Biden Bribe Allegation Is True, Chuck Grassley Says” [Huffington Post, 6/1/23]
Senator Chuck Grassley: “We Aren’t Interested In Whether Or Not The Accusations Against Vice President Biden Are Accurate Or Not.” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Next topic, you talked to the FBI director Christopher Wray on the phone yesterday, right? And you’re trying to get a look at this document. From what I understand he says you’re okay to come to the Bureau and look at it. Is that the case and is that good enough for you?” SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY: “I have read that document, if he would read it, and it’s an unclassified document, he admits it exits. And we aren’t interested in whether or not the accusations against Vice President Biden are accurate or not. We’re responsible for making sure the FBI does it’s job and that’s what we want to know.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)
- Senator Chuck Grassley Admitted He Did Not Know If The Accusations In The FBI Document Were Accurate Or Not And He Was Not Interested In Figuring That Out. FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Senator, how damning is this document to the sitting U.S. president?” GRASSLEY: “Well, its, I don’t know that, and that what we need…” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “But you’ve read it.” GRASSLEY: “I read it. Let’s put it this way. There’s accusations in it, but it’s not for me to make a judgment about whether these accusations are accurate or not. It’s up to my job to make sure the FBI’s doing their job.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)
- HEADLINE: “‘Political Stunts’ To Get ‘Booked On Fox’: White House Slams GOP Effort To Demand FBI Document On Biden” [The Hill, 6/1/23]
- HEADLINE: “GOP Senator Admits Republicans Don’t Care If Accusations Against Joe Biden Are ‘Accurate’” [New Republic, 6/1/23]
- HEADLINE: “Republican Says It Doesn’t Matter If Joe Biden Accusations Are ‘Accurate'” [Newsweek, 6/1/23]
- HEADLINE: “Grassley Admits He Doesn’t Care If GOP Accusations Against ‘Vice President Biden’ Are ‘Accurate Or Not'” [AlterNet, 6/1/23]
FACT: The FBI And Prosecutors Who Previously Reviewed The FD-1023 Form Reportedly Found The Allegations Were “Not Substantiated”
CNN: “While The Document Contains The Allegations Made By An Unnamed Whistleblower, It Doesn’t Provide Proof That They Are True, People Briefed On The Matter Said. The FBI And Prosecutors Who Previously Reviewed The Information Couldn’t Corroborate The Claims.” “The FBI is scheduled to bring an internal law enforcement document that some Republicans claim will shed light on an allegation that then-Vice President Joe Biden was involved in a criminal scheme with a foreign national to Capitol Hill on Monday for House Oversight Chair James Comer and ranking Democratic member Rep. Jamie Raskin to review, spokespeople for the two lawmakers told CNN. While the document contains the allegations made by an unnamed whistleblower, it doesn’t provide proof that they are true, people briefed on the matter said. The FBI and prosecutors who previously reviewed the information couldn’t corroborate the claims. The top two members will receive a briefing from the FBI and review the FD-1023 form behind closed doors in a secure SCIF, a sensitive compartmented information facility at the Capitol rather than going to FBI headquarters, as the bureau had initially offered.” [CNN, 6/2/23]
A Senior Law Enforcement Official Said The Bribery Allegation In The FBI Document Rep. James Comer Was Seeking “Was Not Substantiated.” “The FBI and Brady reviewed the allegation when it was made in 2020, as well as other information about Hunter Biden’s dealings in Ukraine, a senior law enforcement official said Friday. The bribery allegation, however, wasn’t substantiated, the official said.” [NBC News, 6/5/23]
Washington Post: “The Allegation In The Document Was Reviewed By The FBI At The Time And Was Found To Not Be Supported By Fact.” “According to people familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive information, the allegation in the document came to the FBI through the Pittsburgh field office, where Barr had created a channel for allegations involving Ukraine. That included materials that Rudolph Giuliani — who was Trump’s personal attorney — had gathered from Ukrainian sources claiming to have damaging information about Biden and his family. The allegation in the document was reviewed by the FBI at the time and was found to not be supported by fact. The investigation was dropped with the Trump Justice Department’s sign-off, according to the people familiar with the investigation.” [Washington Post, 6/7/23]
FACT: An FBI FD-1023 Form Contains Unverified Tips And Does Not Independently Amount To Evidence Of Wrongdoing
FD-1023 FORMS ARE USED BY FBI AGENTS TO RECORD “UNVERIFIED REPORTING” FROM A HUMAN SOURCE
The FBI Said An FD-1023 Form Was Used By FBI Agents To Record “Unverified Reporting From A Confidential Human Source.” According to a letter the FBI sent to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer about his subpoena for an FD-1023 form: “An FD-1023 is one of many forms the FBI uses to collect and catalog information for its law enforcement and national security work. This form is used by FBI agents to record unverified reporting from a confidential human source.” [FBI Letter to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, 5/10/23]
- Axios: “An FD-1023 Simply Documents An Interview With A Source, And Does Not In Itself Indicate Any Suspicions Of Wrongdoing.” “An FD-1023 simply documents an interview with a source, and does not in itself indicate any suspicions of wrongdoing.” [Axios, 5/3/23]
- Politico: “The [FD-1023] Forms Themselves, Regardless Of Their Content, Do Not Independently Amount To Evidence Of Wrongdoing.” “Comer issued a subpoena earlier this month that compels the FBI to hand over any FD-1023 forms — the formal term for records that describe conversations with a confidential human source — from June 2020 that contain the word ‘Biden.’ The forms themselves, regardless of their content, do not independently amount to evidence of wrongdoing.” [Politico, 5/24/23]
FBI Said Recording Information In FD-1023 Form “Does Not Validate The Information, Establish Its Credibility, Or Weigh It Against Other Information Known Or Developed By The FBI.”
FBI: “An FD-1023 Form Documents Information As Told To A Line FBI Agent. Recording The Information Does Not Validate The Information, Establish Its Credibility, Or Weigh It Against Other Information Known Or Developed By The FBI.” According to a letter the FBI sent to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer about his subpoena for an FD-1023 form: “An FD-1023 form documents information as told to a line FBI agent. Recording the information does not validate the information, establish its credibility, or weigh it against other information known or developed by the FBI. The mere existence of such a document would establish little beyond the fact that a confidential human source provided information and the FBI recorded it.” [FBI Letter to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, 5/10/23]
- FBI: “The Mere Existence Of Such A Document Would Establish Little Beyond The Fact That A Confidential Human Source Provided Information And The FBI Recorded It.” According to a letter the FBI sent to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer about his subpoena for an FD-1023 form: “An FD-1023 form documents information as told to a line FBI agent. Recording the information does not validate the information, establish its credibility, or weigh it against other information known or developed by the FBI. The mere existence of such a document would establish little beyond the fact that a confidential human source provided information and the FBI recorded it.” [FBI Letter to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, 5/10/23]
- FBI: “The FBI Regularly Receives Information From Sources With Significant Potential Biases, Motivations, And Knowledge, Including Drug Traffickers, Members Of Organized Crime, Or Even Terrorists.” “The mere existence of such a document would establish little beyond the fact that a confidential human source provided information and the FBI recorded it. Indeed, the FBI regularly receives information from sources with significant potential biases, motivations, and knowledge, including drug traffickers, members of organized crime, or even terrorists.” [FBI Letter to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, 5/10/23]
FBI EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT RELEASING AN FD-1023 FORM COULD JEOPARDIZE ITS INFORMATION GATHERING WORK
FBI On FD-1023 Form: “Revealing Unverified Or Possibly Incomplete Information Could Harm Investigations, Prejudice Prosecutions Or Judicial Proceedings, Unfairly Violate Privacy Or Reputations, Create Misimpressions In The Public, Or Potentially Identify Individuals Who Provide Information To Law Enforcement, Placing Their Physical Safety At Risk.” “According to the FBI, an FD-1023 form is ‘used by FBI agents to record unverified reporting by a confidential human source.’ The record, however, does not validate the source’s information, the bureau told Newsweek, nor does it ‘weigh’ the source’s record against other verified information obtained by the FBI. ‘Revealing unverified or possibly incomplete information could harm investigations, prejudice prosecutions or judicial proceedings, unfairly violate privacy or reputations, create misimpressions in the public, or potentially identify individuals who provide information to law enforcement, placing their physical safety at risk,’ read a statement from the FBI. ‘Information from confidential human sources and members of the public is critical to the work of the FBI and we are also committed to protecting the confidentiality of anyone who comes forward,’ the bureau added.” [Newsweek, 5/31/23]
- FBI: “Information From Confidential Human Sources And Members Of The Public Is Critical To The Work Of The FBI And We Are Also Committed To Protecting The Confidentiality Of Anyone Who Comes Forward.” According to the FBI, an FD-1023 form is ‘used by FBI agents to record unverified reporting by a confidential human source.’ The record, however, does not validate the source’s information, the bureau told Newsweek, nor does it ‘weigh’ the source’s record against other verified information obtained by the FBI. ‘Revealing unverified or possibly incomplete information could harm investigations, prejudice prosecutions or judicial proceedings, unfairly violate privacy or reputations, create misimpressions in the public, or potentially identify individuals who provide information to law enforcement, placing their physical safety at risk,’ read a statement from the FBI. ‘Information from confidential human sources and members of the public is critical to the work of the FBI and we are also committed to protecting the confidentiality of anyone who comes forward,’ the bureau added.” [Newsweek, 5/31/23]
FACT: The Document Had Ties To A DOJ Review In Pittsburgh Related To Ukraine That Was Looking At Information Provided By Rudy Giuliani
THE DOCUMENT HAS TIES TO A TRUMP-ERA JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INQUIRY INTO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY RUDY GIULIANI
HEADLINE: “All Roads Lead To Giuliani In The GOP’s Quest For Biden Dirt” [MSNBC, Hayes Brown, 6/2/23]
The Document Rep. James Comer Is Seeking Had Origins In A Tranche Of Documents That Former Trump Advisor Rudy Giuliani Gave The Justice Department In 2020. “The Monday briefing, first reported by Fox News, comes just days after Comer and Raskin separately spoke by phone with Wray regarding the unverified allegations made by an unnamed whistleblower. CNN previously reported that the form in question has origins in a tranche of documents that Rudy Giuliani provided to the Justice Department in 2020, people briefed on the matter said. The allegations of wrongdoing by the then-vice president, many originating from sources in Ukraine, were dubious enough that former Attorney General William Barr in early 2020 directed they be investigated by a US attorney in Pittsburgh, in part because Barr was concerned that Giuliani’s document tranche could taint the ongoing Hunter Biden investigation overseen by the Delaware US attorney. The 1023 document being demanded by Comer is among the products of that investigation.” [CNN, 6/2/23]
- Rudy Giuliani Traveled To Ukraine, Hungary, And Austria To “Gather Additional Evidence He Claims Bolsters Debunked Theories.” “As part of his ongoing campaign on Trump’s behalf, Giuliani recently traveled to Kyiv, Budapest and Vienna to gather additional evidence he claims bolsters debunked theories.” [Associated Press, 12/17/19]
Politico Reported The Document Rep. James Comer Sought Had Ties To A Trump-Era Inquiry Led By U.S. Attorney Scott Brady Who Was Tasked With Investigating Claims Made By Rudy Giuliani. “The document has ties to a Trump-era inquiry led by then-U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, who was tasked with investigating claims made by Rudy Giuliani, who was at the time Trump’s personal attorney. Though Democrats and Republicans have spent the days since Monday’s briefing sparring over what was said behind closed doors, they are in agreement that the document was created when the bureau, searching for information that could be related to the Brady inquiry, re-interviewed an informant in June 2020.” [Politico, 6/7/23]
The FBI Reportedly Reviewed The Allegation And Subsequently Dropped Its Pittsburgh Investigation With The Approval Of Trump’s Justice Department
HEADLINE: “FBI Had Reviewed, Closed Inquiry Into Biden Claims At Center Of Hill Fight” [Washington Post, 6/6/23]
Sources Familiar With The Investigation In Pittsburgh Said The Allegation In The Document Rep. James Comer Sought Was Reviewed, Found Not To Be Supported By Facts, And The Investigation Was Dropped With The Trump Justice Department’s Sign-Off. “According to people familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive information, the allegation in the document came to the FBI through the Pittsburgh field office, where Barr had created a channel for allegations involving Ukraine. That included materials Rudy Giuliani — who was then President Donald Trump’s personal attorney — had gathered from Ukrainian sources claiming to have damaging information about Biden and his family. The allegation contained in the document was reviewed by the FBI at the time and was found to not be supported by facts, and the investigation was subsequently dropped with the Trump Justice Department’s sign-off, according to the people familiar with the investigation.” [Washington Post, 6/5/23]
The Broader Inquiry By U.S. Attorney Scott Brady Was Closed In August 2020. “The document has ties to a Trump-era inquiry led by then-U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, who was tasked with investigating claims made by Rudy Giuliani, who was at the time Trump’s personal attorney. Though Democrats and Republicans have spent the days since Monday’s briefing sparring over what was said behind closed doors, they are in agreement that the document was created when the bureau, searching for information that could be related to the Brady inquiry, re-interviewed an informant in June 2020. […] The broader Brady inquiry, the FBI told Raskin and Comer this week, was closed in August 2020.” [Politico, 6/7/23]
TRUMP’S ATTORNEY GENERAL URGED INVESTIGATORS TO APPROACH THE INFORMATION GIULIANI PROVIDED WITH CAUTION BECAUSE OF HOW HE ACQUIRED IT
Trump Attorney General Barr Urged Investigators To Approach The Information Rudy Giuliani Provided With Caution Because “There Are A Lot Of Agendas In The Ukraine, A Lot Of Crosscurrents” And “We Can’t Take Anything We Received From Ukraine At Face Value.” “At a news conference about a week after the meeting, Mr. Barr announced that he had created an intake process for information about Ukraine to ‘assess its provenance and its credibility.’ He did not mention Pittsburgh, nor the meeting. Mr. Barr cautioned that investigators had to be careful about any information coming from Ukraine, including from Mr. Giuliani. ‘There are a lot of agendas in the Ukraine, a lot of crosscurrents,’ Mr. Barr warned. ‘And we can’t take anything we received from Ukraine at face value.’” [New York Times, 12/11/20]
- Politico Reported That Rudy Giuliani’s Relationship With Trump, And Reports That Giuliani Had Met With A Russian Agent Cast Doubts On Claims He Made About Information He Claimed Implicated The Bidens. “Even as Weiss took the more cautious route, his office still had to contend with complications posed by parallel investigative efforts being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, had tasked the U.S. attorney there, Scott Brady, with vetting information from Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani claimed to have information implicating the Bidens in corruption, but his relationship with Trump and reports that he had met with a Russian agent as he sought dirt on the Bidens, cast doubts on his claims.” [Politico, 7/16/21]
- Rudy Giuliani Reportedly Gathered Information From “Anyone Who Was Willing To Make An Allegation,” Including A Person Who Has Since Been Identified As A Russian Agent. “Giuliani had played a central role in the effort, acting in a sense as a one-man version of Trump’s personal FBI and DOJ: traveling to Ukraine to ‘investigate’ allegations of wrongdoing by the Bidens, which, in practice, meant receiving information from anyone who was willing to make an allegation. That included at least one person who has since been identified as a Russian agent: Ukrainian politician Andrii Derkach.” [Talking Points Memo, 6/6/23]
Rep. James Comer Confirmed The Document He Was Seeking From The FBI Pertained To Ukraine
HEADLINE: “Comer Tries To Run The First Trump Impeachment In Reverse” [Talking Points Memo, 6/6/23]
Rep. James Comer Confirmed The Document He Was Seeking From The FBI Pertained To Ukraine. “House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., on Newsmax, Tuesday, alleged there is evidence in an FBI document showing Joe Biden, in the last 18 months of his vice presidency, personally profited in his role of doling out foreign aid. In an interview on ‘Wake Up America,’ Comer said the FBI document pertains to Ukraine.” [Newsmax, 6/6/23]
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS WERE CONCERNED GIULIANI WAS GIVING THEM INFORMATION IN A WAY TO MAKE IT SEEM MORE CREDIBLE THAN IT WAS
New York Times: “Federal Law Enforcement Officials Also Feared That Mr. Giuliani Was Submitting Questionable Information To The Justice Department To Make It Seem More Credible Than It Really Was.” “Federal law enforcement officials also feared that Mr. Giuliani was submitting questionable information to the Justice Department to make it seem more credible than it really was. They said that it was impossible to separate his efforts from his crusades on behalf of the president, and some told associates that he could damage the department’s credibility by forcing investigators to examine issues that seemed like nothing more than conspiracy theories.” [New York Times, 12/11/20]
- Some Prosecutors And Agents In Pittsburgh Reportedly Viewed The U.S. Attorney As A Trump Loyalist Angling To Run For Office And Were Concerned He Was Wielding The FBI To Damage Joe Biden’s Candidacy. “The officials worried about how the Justice Department, which they saw as trying to placate the president, would handle the inquiry. Some prosecutors and agents in Pittsburgh regarded Mr. Brady as a Trump loyalist who was thought to be angling to run for office, and they expressed concern that Mr. Brady was wielding the F.B.I. as a weapon to damage Mr. Biden’s candidacy. At one point, Mr. Brady made clear that he wanted the U.S. attorney in Delaware, David C. Weiss, to continue his investigation, even though Mr. Brady is not authorized to direct other federal prosecutors’ offices.” [New York Times, 12/11/20]
EVEN ARDENT TRUMP DEFENDER SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE INFORMATION GIULIANI GAVE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Senator Lindsey Graham: “If Rudy Giuliani Has Any Information Coming Out Of The Ukraine, He Needs To Turn Over The Department Of Justice, Because It Could Be Russian Propaganda.” SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: “So, Rudy Giuliani last night said he’s got the goods on Hunter Biden. I called the attorney general this morning and Richard Burr, the chairman of the Intel Committee, and they told me, take very cautiously anything coming out of the Ukraine against anybody. […] But if Rudy Giuliani has any information coming out of the Ukraine, he needs to turn over the Department of Justice, because it could be Russian propaganda.” [CBS, Face the Nation, 2/9/20] (video)
Senator Lindsey Graham: “Any Documents Coming Out Of The Ukraine Against Any American, Republican Or Democrat, Need To Be Looked At By The Intelligence Services, Who Has Expertise I Don’t, Because Russia Is Playing Us All Like A Fiddle.” SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: “After talking to the attorney general and the intelligence chairman, that any documents coming out of the Ukraine against any American, Republican or Democrat, need to be looked at by the intelligence services, who has expertise I don’t, because Russia is playing us all like a fiddle.” [CBS, Face the Nation, 2/9/20] (video)
RUDY GIULIANI PUSHED FALSE CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT JOE BIDEN AND UKRAINE THAT LED TO TRUMP’S FIRST IMPEACHMENT
Giuliani Aggressively Promoted The “Alleged Ukraine Conspiracy” In Interviews And On Social Media Where He Told Media Outlets That The Ukraine Prosecutor General Had Been Ousted By Then-Vice President Biden In Order To Help His Son. “Rudolph Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, has also aggressively promoted what he has called the ‘alleged Ukraine conspiracy’ in interviews and on social media. Giuliani told me that, in the fall of 2018, he spoke to Viktor Shokin, Ukraine’s former prosecutor general. Shokin told him that Vice-President Biden had him fired in 2016 because he was investigating Burisma and the company’s payments to Hunter and Archer. Giuliani said that, in January, 2019, he met with Yurii Lutsenko, Ukraine’s current prosecutor general, in New York, and Lutsenko confirmed Shokin’s version of events.” [New Yorker, 7/8/19]
- Associated Press Said Conservative Conspiracy Theory That Vice President Joe Biden Pushed For Ukraine To Fire Its Top Prosecutor In Order To Protect Hunter Biden And Burisma From Investigation Was “Widely Discredited.” “Trump and his supporters, meanwhile, have advanced a widely discredited theory that Biden pushed for the firing of Ukraine’s top prosecutor to protect his son and Burisma from investigation. Biden did indeed press for the prosecutor’s firing, but that’s because he was reflecting the official position of not only the Obama administration but many Western countries and because the prosecutor was perceived as soft on corruption.” [Associated Press, 10/28/20]
- Vox Reported Trump Claim That Joe Biden Took Action In Ukraine Designed To Help Hunter Biden And His Clients Was “Widely Debunked.” “First, Trump’s team has tried to argue that, as vice president, Joe Biden took action designed to help Hunter’s clients in some way. Their highest-profile example — the vice president urging the firing of Ukraine’s prosecutor general — was widely debunked last year, since the prosecutor general was himself corrupt and many Western governments and institutions wanted him removed for that reason.” [Vox, 10/22/20]
Lev Parnas Helped Rudy Giuliani Connect With Ukrainian Figures As Part Of A Campaign To Try To Dig Up Dirt On Joe Biden’s Son. “Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani who was a figure in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment investigation, was sentenced Wednesday to a year and eight months in prison for fraud and campaign finance crimes. Parnas, who had helped Giuliani connect with Ukrainian figures as part of a campaign to dig up dirt on President Joe Biden’s son, had sought leniency on the grounds that he’d helped the Congressional probe. […] Prosecutors had asked that Parnas be sentenced to more than six years.” [NPR, 6/29/22]
- Lev Parnas Said Trump And Rudy Giuliani Directed Him To Urge Ukrainian Officials To Publicly Open An Investigation Into Joe Biden. “Speaking in an interview aired Wednesday night, Parnas said Trump and Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney, directed him to urge Ukrainian officials to publicly open an investigation into a Trump Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Parnas asserted that the ouster of Marie Yovanovitch as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine last spring was motivated entirely by her interference in their efforts to start a Biden investigation. And he even apologized to her for his conduct.” [Politico, 1/15/20]
RUDY GIULIANI BRAGGED THAT HE PUSHED PRESIDENT TRUMP TO DISMISS THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE
Rudy Giuliani Bragged That He Pushed President Trump To Dismiss The U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine And Provided Trump With Information That Allegedly Showed She Impeded Investigations That Could Have Benefited Trump Politically. “Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney, is now openly admitting that he pushed President Donald Trump to dismiss the former ambassador to Ukraine — a key factor in the Democrats’ impeachment case against his boss. In a series of interviews ahead of Wednesday’s historic impeachment vote by the House of Representatives, Giuliani bragged that he ‘forced’ out Marie Yovanovitch and provided the president with information allegedly showing that she impeded investigations that could have benefited Trump politically. Within weeks, she was recalled from her post. The admission from Giuliani, who does not work for the U.S. government, is the latest example of his highly unusual meddling in official diplomatic channels. It also underscores his ongoing efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rivals — the very pressure campaign the House is poised to impeach Trump for later this week.” [Associated Press, 12/17/19]
THE HOUSE IMPEACHED TRUMP AFTER HE WAS ACCUSED OF WITHHOLDING AID TO UKRAINE UNLESS OFFICIALS INVESTIGATED JOE BIDEN
The House Impeached Former President Trump After He Was Accused Of Withholding Aid To Ukraine Unless Officials Investigated Joe Biden. “Parnas, now 51, shot to prominence in 2019. He was a key figure in the events leading to Trump’s first impeachment, working with Giuliani to gather damaging information on Democrat Joe Biden’s son Hunter in Ukraine. Accused of withholding aid to Ukraine unless Kyiv investigated Biden, Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives and charged with abuse of power. He was acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate.” [Reuters, 5/22/23]