Congress Launches Investigation of Trump-Giuliani Scheme to Pressure Ukraine Into Hurting Biden
The Congressional House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight Committees have announced the launch of a wide-ranging investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani to press the Ukrainian government into helping the president win re-election.
The chairmen of all three committees co-signed letters to the White House and State Department, demanding records relating to the president and his lawyer’s attempts to press the Ukrainian justice system into helping Trump target Joe Biden.
From the press release:
A growing public record indicates that, for nearly two years, the President and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, appear to have acted outside legitimate law enforcement and diplomatic channels to coerce the Ukrainian government into pursuing two politically-motivated investigations under the guise of anti-corruption activity. As the 2020 election draws closer, President Trump and his personal attorney appear to have increased pressure on the Ukrainian government and its justice system in service of President Trump’s reelection campaign, and the White House and the State Department may be abetting this scheme.”
It was also recently reported that the Trump Administration is threatening to withhold security assistance to Ukraine in defiance of explicit congressional direction. The Committees will investigate whether this is part of President Trump’s effort to coerce the Ukrainian government into pursuing politically-motivated investigations, including of former Vice President Joe Biden and his family—all in service of President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
Months ago, Giuliani said he was launching an effort to urge officials in Ukraine’s new presidency to investigate the origins of Robert Mueller’s investigation. This was tied to Giuliani’s interest in having Ukraine investigate Hunter Biden, the former vice-president’s son who used to work for gas company owned by a wealthy Ukrainian.
