October 16, 2019: Trump Screws the Kurds, Tried Screwing Ukraine

 

10/16/19: Wednesday, the president kept ducking and dodging criticism over his decision to abandon the Kurds. When ABC ran a picture of an explosion in Kentucky, and labeled it an explosion in a Kurdish town by mistake, he lost his cool and demanded apology. 

Real explosions in Syria? Dead Kurdish children caught in the maw of war? A stash of 51 nuclear weapons, left behind by U.S. forces at a Turkish air base as we beat a precipitous retreat? The fact that our withdrawal came so suddenly U.S. warplanes had to go back and bomb a munitions dump at a base we left? Nah. None of that bothered the president. That ABC mistake, though! Boy did that frost his buns!

 

____________________ 

“I, in my great and unmatched wisdom.” 

President Trump

____________________

 

 

Next, he took to Twitter and threatened to destroy the Turkish economy if Turkish armed forces advanced too far into Kurdish territory. “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits,” Trump tappity-tap-tapped, “I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey.” 

So, it was okay for the Turks to attack the Kurds, who were our former allies. 

If they went too far, and killed too many Kurds, Trump would destroy the Turkish economy. Turkey being our current ally. 

Trump also claimed that the Kurds were happy with the moves he had made to sort of protect them as they fled from their ancestral lands. 

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey summed up the reaction of many Americans when he said Trump’s claim that the Kurds were happy, was “absurd, it’s cruel, it makes him look stupid.”

 

* 

“Tell the truth, for a change.” 

AT THE SAME TIME, the Democrats continued to press the impeachment inquiry, and draw blood from Trump and his minions. Former President Jimmy Carter offered sage advice to his successor, explaining how he might extricate himself from his troubles. “Tell the truth, for a change,” Mr. Carter suggested. 

So, what did we learn, as the days scrolled by? We learned that Trump’s defenders were outraged because Chairman Schiff was holding closed-door hearings. Witnesses came and went. Testimony was recorded. Most of what they said remained secret. It is true, that what leaks we have had likely come from Democrats. Almost all make Trump look bad. But Trump fans shouldn’t kid themselves. Republicans would be leaking like cracked teacups if they had good information to leak. And you can be sure, behind the curtain, Rep. Devin Nunes and his pals are leaking to the president. Trump has to know that what is being said is seriously damaging his position. 

We also learn that Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who has been dragged into the story, is resigning. If you like fossil fuels and plenty of global warming, it’s a sad day for you, but not for your grandchildren. Climate change is real; and our descendants are going to have to pay the piper and the whole marching band. 

As The New York Times notes, “Mr. Perry told The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Wednesday that he was in contact with Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani about Ukraine-related matters at the direction of Mr. Trump.” Or, to put it another way, the president made him work with Rudy; whereas the president said Perry made him make the July 25 call.

 

* 

“Of course, no. No, it’s absolutely not.” 

ONCE AGAIN, the “enemies of the people” were everywhere, tracking down details and digging up facts. Reporters asked VP Pence if there was any quid pro quo involved in negotiations with Ukraine. Mr. Pence thought a moment, his head cocked slightly to the right, as is his wont. His expression seemed to say, “Look, I’m sincere and judicious and I never tell a lie. But, frankly, I’m kind of dumb.” As for providing an answer, five times, he refused to say. 

H.R. McMaster, Trump’s second National Security Advisor was also asked his opinion. Was it ever appropriate to pressure a foreign power to interfere in the political processes of the United States? 

“Of course, no. No, it’s absolutely not.” 

On Fox News, Joe diGenova, a former federal prosecutor, appeared dozens of times, often accompanied by wife Victoria Toensing. The couple were there to defend the president. The job of Fox News hosts was to listen and vociferously agree. The Democrats were worse than “suicide bombers,” diGenova said. 

Only later was it revealed (and not by Fox) that the couple had been working with Rudy to pressure the Ukraine to push the investigation of Hunter Biden. Even better, they were being paid handsomely by Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian oligarch hiding out in Vienna. Having been charged with bribery and conspiracy in 2013, Firtash has been fighting extradition to the U.S. ever since.

 

That meant, with a new president in town, it was worth it to Firtash to pay diGenova and his wife $1 million to win him a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. Also, Firtash and friends would help dig up dirt on… 

Joe Biden and his son! 

Do we see a trend???

 

Bloomberg News reported that part of the $1 million diGenova and his wife were earning went to Lev Parnas, for his work as their interpreter. 

(More on him in a moment.) 

The damaging revelations kept coming. It didn’t help, if you believed in the innocence and purity of Donald and Rudy, when federal authorities arrested four men associated with Mr. Giuliani. It was even less helpful to learn those arrests were ordered by the U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of New York. That would be Geoffrey S. Berman, a Trump appointee.

 

Nor was it good for optics when the first two arrests came at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. At the moment of their arrest Lev Parnas – yes, that guy – and Igor Fruman, two fine fellows born in the former Soviet Union (but now U.S. citizens), were about to board a flight to Vienna. For some reason, the two gentlemen grasped one-way tickets in their mitts. The House Intelligence Committee had just slapped them with subpoenas. 

Were there any other odd connections to this story?

Yes, of course. 

Parnas and Fruman were charged with funneling $325,000 in foreign money to a Trump campaign Super PAC. They had allegedly directed foreign cash to the campaign of Rep. Pete Sessions, a GOP lawmaker from Texas. In return, Sessions pushed the case for removal of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, who Parnas, Fruman and Giuliani hoped to see get the boot. 

It was ironic that Trump & Company were busy trying to trash Hunter Biden, and by extension, his dad. At exactly the same moment, Parnas, Fruman and Giuliani were trying to corner lucrative deals in Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, Parnas and Fruman, aided and abetted by Rudy, were hoping to convince the new president in Ukraine to replace the leadership of the country’s multi-billion dollar state gas company, Naftogaz. Then they hoped to steer fat contracts to companies controlled by allies and friends of President Trump.  

Including, of course, themselves. 

 

“A higher ethical standard.” 

The then-Energy Secretary Perry was said to be involved. In a series of meetings, including one with President Zelensky, Perry suggested two old fossil fuel pals from Texas, Michael Bleyzer, a Ukrainian-American, and Robert Bensh. They’d be perfect for the job of running Naftogaz. 

Ukrainian officials who attended that meeting were stunned. According to the AP, “The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation, said he was floored by the American requests because the person had always viewed the U.S. government ‘as having a higher ethical standard.’” 

Another witness, to an earlier meeting, said Ukrainian officials felt they were being subjected to “a shakedown.” 

At the risk of redundancy, keep in mind. Rudy is working for Trump. He’s not working for the United States. He said that very clearly. That’s not “Fake News” or the “Deep State” or leprechauns. Rudy said so. Rudy said it. If you fart the truth, and reporters prove you dealt it, the stench is on you.

 

The New York Times explained why this explosive story of self-dealing and possible election interference mattered: 

On Thursday, William F. Sweeney Jr., the top agent in the F.B.I.’s New York office, said during a news conference that “campaign finance laws exist for a reason.”

 

“The American people expect and deserve an election process that hasn’t been corrupted by the influence of foreign interests [emphasis added],” he said, “and the public has a right to know the true source of campaign contributions.”

 

“Laws make up the fabric of who we are as a nation,” Mr. Sweeney added. “These allegations aren’t about some technicality, a civil violation or an error on a form. This investigation is about corrupt behavior and deliberate lawbreaking.”

 

It didn’t get any better for Parnas and Fruman at their first court hearing. The two were judged to be flight risks. Bail was set at $1 million each. Travel would be severely limited, and they would have to wear GPS tracking devices. 

So: two crooks down. 

Two to go. 

Or more. 

Plus, former Rep. Pete Sessions was looking at a subpoena from investigators, just to add to the fun.

 

*

Worst “corruption-fighting crew” ever. 

THESE UNPLEASANT DEVELOPMENTS finally forced Trump to tell the truth, just as Jimmy Carter had suggested. 

Hahahahahahahahahaha. 

Trump now claimed that he didn’t know either of those fellows who had just been indicted. You’d have to ask Rudy. This line of defense was shredded when Politico reported that Parnas had attended Trump’s November 2016 election night celebration. At the time, Parnas told a reporter that he and Trump were friends and neighbors in South Florida. Rudy was at the party too. So was Felix Sater, the twice-convicted felon, who worked so hard to get a Trump Tower Moscow deal done earlier that summer.

 

Politico noted: 

Parnas posted a photo of himself with Trump at the White House on May 1, 2018, with a caption describing an “incredible dinner and even better conversation,” according to a screenshot captured by The Campaign Legal Center. Another picture Parnas posted from May 21, 2018, shows him with Fruman and Donald Trump Jr. in Beverly Hills, with the caption “Power Breakfast!!!”

 

An even better picture was soon uncovered, with VP Pence, Fruman, Parnas, Trump and Rudy smiling happily.

 

One Stuffed Dummy and Four Crooks.

Left to right: Mike Pence (the dummy), Fruman, Parnas, Trump, Giuliani.

 

Don Jr., unknown person, Parnas and Fruman.

 

The last two suspects in this alleged illegal campaign finance and conspiracy affair were Andrey Kukushkin and David Correia. CNBC told their story: 

Two businessmen who allegedly worked with associates of President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani to make illegal political donations [emphasis added] are set to be arraigned Thursday in federal court in New York.

 

David Correia and Andrey Kukushkin are accused of conspiring to make donations to U.S. candidates – secretly funded by an unnamed Russian national – in order to benefit a recreational marijuana business venture.

 

They were indicted on a conspiracy charge. Both men are U.S. citizens. Kukushkin was born in Ukraine, and Correia was born in the United States.

 

As for Mr. Giuliani, he was soon forced to admit that he had been paid $500,000 for legal work performed for…Mr. Parnas. And it was rumored that he might still be the subject in an ongoing counterintelligence probe.

 

BLOGGER’S NOTE: Correia plead guilty in October 2020, to one charge of insurance fraud and admitted that he had swindled at least seven people out of between $200,000 and $500,000. Parnas, he alleges, was also involved. 

In July 2021, a lawyer for Mr. Parnas suggested that his arrest had come in retaliation for his offer to testify against President Trump during his first impeachment trial. In other words, his client had been targeted and the case against him should be tossed. The judge found that claim “not just speculative, but implausible.” 

And the wheels of justice ground on.

* 

“Their personal financial ambitions were stymied.” 

IT DIDN’T HELP President Trump’s case, regarding his machinations with Ukraine, to see a parade of U.S. diplomats march up to Capitol Hill and testify under oath. First to appear was Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, who had been unexpectedly removed from her post in May. In her opening statement, she alleged that it was the president who wanted her removed. That would not be unusual. Nor would it be an abuse of power. But she claimed, “there had been a concerted campaign against me, and that the Department had been under pressure from the President to remove me since the Summer of 2018.” 

“Why?” was the question.

 

According to other witnesses who testified in days to follow, Yovanovitch had a reputation as a diplomat who had been pushing Ukrainian officials to clean up political corruption in their country. Yet, it was corruption, Trump was claiming incongruously, that made him send Rudy to Ukraine, to check out Hunter Biden, help clean up the mess, and fire anyone who got in the way. 

Yovanovitch told lawmakers that superiors explained to her that her removal was a result of political pressure, not removal “for cause.” She testified that she had had minimal contact with Giuliani, who was pushing for her replacement. Several of Rudy’s pals in Ukraine were the kind of people you’d want to avoid like lepers if ending corruption was your goal. “Individuals who have been named in the press contacts of Mr. Giuliani,” she testified, “may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine.”

 

Nor was she alone in her take on Rudy and his crew. Kurt Volker, who had been named in the whistleblower complaint, immediately resigned his post. Then he made it clear he’d be happy to come to Congress for a chat. 

We don’t know everything he said, but what has leaked is bad for Trump and his devious pals. Volker said he tried to make clear to Rudy that his sources in Ukraine were no good. Any information he had on Joe or Hunter Biden was sure to be tainted. According to Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, Volker testified that Giuliani ran a “shadow shakedown” in Ukraine. Volker brought along a cache of emails to share. The ones we have seen paint a picture that – assuming details can be filled in – hint at danger for the president himself. On July 19, 2019, for example, Volker, Sondland and Taylor discussed setting up a call between Trump and Zelensky. Volker tells the others that he has talked with Rudy; and Rudy is on board. “Most impt,” Volker tells the others, “is for Zelensky to say that he will help investigation.” 

If Zelensky wants to talk to Trump, everyone knows what he must do. Investigate the Bidens. 

That, and military aid, are the quid pro quo. 

 

Zelensky doesn’t want to be “a pawn.” 

Two days later, Ambassador Bill Taylor (who had by that point replaced Yovanovitch), contacts Volker and Sondland. “Gordon,” he says, “one thing Kurt and I talked about yesterday was Sasha Danyliuk’s point that President Zelenskyy [alternate spelling] is sensitive about Ukraine being taken seriously, not merely as an instrument in Washington domestic, reelection politics.” 

Taylor says Zelensky doesn’t want to be “a pawn.”

A pawn in the Trump game.

 

The diplomats keep pushing for a call between Trump and Zelensky, which they feel is critical for a new government trying to get its footing and fend off Russian attack. Rudy agrees, assuming certain conditions can be met. On the morning of July 25, before the critical call, Volker emails Andrey Yermak, a top aide to Zelensky. “Good lunch – thanks. Hear 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. Good luck! See you tomorrow- kurt.” 

Again: The quid pro quo. 

The President of the Ukraine can have the meeting he needs and a visit to D.C., but first he must promise to carry out an investigation Trump desires. The quid is the meeting (and the military aid). The quo is the investigation. Based on the evidence we have, everyone involved knows what’s going on.

 

Following the call, from Trump to Zelensky, which Yermak tells Volker “went well,” Yermak reminds Volker that Trump promised Zelensky an invite to the White House and told him to choose the date. Yermak informs him that his boss would like to visit the White House on September 20, 21 or 22. 

Volker hears that plans for a visit are in the initial stages and congratulates Sondland for getting the meeting lined up. Sondland replies to Volker’s email, “I think potus really wants the deliverable [emphasis added throughout]” 

That is: the investigation. 

Volker, Sondland and Giuliani – who is not a diplomat, but the president’s personal lawyer  – discuss having the Ukrainians issue a statement “announcing an investigation explicitly referencing the 2016 election and Burisma.” 

 

The Russians love it. (And I quit.)” 

Everyone on our side knows what Trump and Giuliani are after: They want the Ukrainians to investigate Burisma, the gas company Hunter Biden worked for, and dig up dirt on Democrats related to the last U.S. presidential election. That dirt will hopefully be helpful in 2020. Yermak tells the Americans he wants the Trump administration to commit to a specific date for a White House visit before his side puts any commitment to investigate in writing. 

On August 13, Volker puts together a statement that he thinks the Ukrainians might be willing to use. If they agree, they will be committing to “a transparent and unbiased investigation of all available facts and episodes, including those involving Burisma and the 2016 U.S. elections, which in turn will prevent the recurrence of this problem in the future.” 

“Perfect,” Sondland replies.

 

Meanwhile, President Trump has made the decision to hold up U.S. military aid to Ukraine, even though Congress has appropriated the money. By September 1, Taylor is deeply concerned. 

“Are we now saying,” he asks Sondland, “that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations?” 

A week passes. On September 8, Taylor, Volker and Sondland talk again. Taylor informs the others, “The nightmare is they give the interview [i.e. the Ukrainians agree to put out a statement about an investigation] and don’t get the security assistance. The Russians love it. (And I quit.) 

Look. Don’t be stupid, if you’re a Trump supporter. Taylor clearly believes there’s a quid pro quo. The quid, again, is partly U.S. military assistance to an ally. If Trump blocks it, the Russians win big.