JOE BIDEN OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE To Protect His Son During UKRAINIAN INVESTIGATION - Just Facts Daily

Author: Public-Choice

Posts

Total: 81
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
Smoking Gun: Newly Discovered Emails Confirm Joe Biden Obstructed Justice For His Son’s Foreign Business Deal
By James Agresti
August 2, 2022

Overview

Newly discovered emails prove beyond all doubt that the “true purpose” of Hunter Biden’s lucrative deal with a Ukrainian energy company was for Hunter to get “high-ranking US officials” to visit Ukraine and persuade the nation’s leaders to “close down” all criminal “cases/pursuits against” the firm’s primary owner, a notoriously corrupt oligarch with ties to Russia.

Documentation of this illegal scheme begins with a widely overlooked email on Hunter’s laptop in which a top executive of the Ukrainian firm describes the plan. Now, emails uncovered by Just Facts prove that Hunter and his partners:

  • explicitly agreed to this deal.
  • concealed the names of top U.S. officials to “be on the safe and cautious side.”
  • affirmed that only Hunter could credibly promise to get those officials to shield the oligarch from criminal charges.
Just one month later, then-Vice President Joe Biden did exactly what those emails specified by visiting Ukraine and threatening to withhold U.S. aid unless the prosecutor investigating Hunter’s cash cow was fired. Moreover, Biden did this by going after two “key targets” identified in the emails: the “President of Ukraine” and the “Prosecutor General.” . . .


Read more:

SOURCE FOR EMAILS:




Greyparrot
Greyparrot's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 25,993
3
4
10
Greyparrot's avatar
Greyparrot
3
4
10
It's not obstruction if you own the DOJ
IwantRooseveltagain
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 7,597
3
3
6
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
IwantRooseveltagain
3
3
6
-->
@Public-Choice
Oh boy, the religious kook uses “just facts daily” as a source for information. Why not just consult with god?
IwantRooseveltagain
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 7,597
3
3
6
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
IwantRooseveltagain
3
3
6
Just Facts Daily is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization owned by James D. Agresti. Just Facts Daily does not have advertising and is funded through donations.

James D. Agresti is a former atheist who became a Christian after reading the Bible over the course of a year and finding objective evidence for its accuracy. Mr. Agresti holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University and has worked as a designer of jet aircraft engines, a technical sales professional, and a chief engineer of a firm that customizes helicopters. He is a cofounder and president of Just Facts, a research and educational institute dedicated to investigating, documenting, and publishing facts about public policy issues (and partisan political stories like Hunter Biden)

Just Facts Daily (JFD) is a news, opinion, and fact-checking website with a right-center bias in reporting. JFD’s tagline is “Be Informed, Not Just Opinionated.” This website is certainly informative, but it also appears to be quite opinionated. Here are some examples of  JFD falsehoods:

“5.7 million — that’s how many illegal immigrants might have voted” in 2008. – False
Yes, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Are Planning to Legalize Abortion Up To Birth – False
Joe Biden received extra votes in battleground states from noncitizens – Unproven
           
          -mediabiasfactcheck.com
IwantRooseveltagain
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 7,597
3
3
6
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
IwantRooseveltagain
3
3
6
Public-choice is a graduate of the Just Facts Academy correspondence course!

JFD’s taglines are “Be Informed, Not Just Opinionated”  and “God is Great”
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@IwantRooseveltagain
Rather than actually engage with something you disagree with, you just decide to shut your ears and close your eyes and say "LAH LAH LAH" as loud as you can.

It is depressing, really, that this is where America is nowadays.
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@Greyparrot
It is the Ukrainian government
IwantRooseveltagain
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 7,597
3
3
6
IwantRooseveltagain's avatar
IwantRooseveltagain
3
3
6
-->
@Public-Choice
Actually I did more than go lah lah lah, I ripped into your pathetic religious nut source. You made the statement. It’s up to you to cite a credible source. That’s what you learned at the Just Facts Academy, right?

But you’re too lazy to do that. Instead you find a fellow Christian believer to feed you the bullshit you already believe.


dustryder
dustryder's avatar
Debates: 5
Posts: 1,080
3
2
4
dustryder's avatar
dustryder
3
2
4
While that article does seem to paint a rosy picture against Biden, there just seems to be a lack of hard evidence that he actually did as his son bid. The kind of "evidence" outlined in the article would never fly in a court of law.

Moreover while the research is appreciated, it's hard to take such a source seriously when it 
1. Uses excessively sensationalist titles that do not accurately represent that words that it contains
2. Claims to be "just facts" but ignores well documented facts that support a different narrative
In July 2015, shortly after his appointment, reformist minority member Yehor Soboliev advanced a motion to dismiss Shokin for corruption, gaining 127 of the required 150 signatures including several members of the ruling parties.[56] Representatives of the EU and the United States pressed Poroshenko for his removal,[2] as did the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.[3]
In March 2016 the Ukrainian Parliament voted overwhelmingly to remove Shokin, a decision which was welcomed by the EU.[57] 

oromagi
oromagi's avatar
Debates: 117
Posts: 8,696
8
10
11
oromagi's avatar
oromagi
8
10
11
-->
@Public-Choice
Just one month later, then-Vice President Joe Biden did exactly what those emails specified by visiting Ukraine and threatening to withhold U.S. aid unless the prosecutor investigating Hunter’s cash cow was fired. Moreover, Biden did this by going after two “key targets” identified in the emails: the “President of Ukraine” and the “Prosecutor General.” . . .
Doesn't make much sense.

  • Shokin was under public criticism from the UK and US for not being willing to continue existing investigations into  Mykola Zlochevsky and Burisma.
    • Firing Shokin did not kill any of those ongoing investigations.
    • The  main investigation into Mykola Zlochevsky ended two years later Dec 2017.  New charges were filed in Mar 2018 regarding Zlochevsky's giving favored contracts to Burisma when he was  Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources in 2011/12.  After just 3 months back in Ukriane, Zlochevsky had to flee  the country again and is probably hiding out in Cyprus with other Russo-Ukraine Oligarchs.  If the Bidens were being paid to keep Zlochevsky from being prosecuted they did the opposite since Shokin was the only prosecutor who was cutting   Zlochevsky slack and there's only been a brief period when Zlochevsky was not being sought for prosecution.
I love how Biden's laptop is an endless source for new discoveries year after year always claiming to finally prove that the whole conspiracy is not just some Giuliani bullshit.  No matter how many investigations fail to find anything criminal, there's always another magic mail that all those previous investigation somehow overlooked.  Eventually they'll discover an email proving that Biden stole nuclear documents, sold them to Saudi Arabia for $2.5billion and then snuck them into Trump's basement on Aug 8th.


Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@oromagi
I mean... you could have at least clicked on the link and went to the emails he clearly and obviously linked to that he gave summaries of.

Maybe then it would have made more sense.
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@dustryder
In July 2015, shortly after his appointment, reformist minority member Yehor Soboliev advanced a motion to dismiss Shokin for corruption, gaining 127 of the required 150 signatures including several members of the ruling parties.[56] Representatives of the EU and the United States pressed Poroshenko for his removal,[2] as did the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.[3]
In March 2016 the Ukrainian Parliament voted overwhelmingly to remove Shokin, a decision which was welcomed by the EU.[57] 
You do know that the Ukrainian government was in the midst of fighting against a coup run by the United States Intelligence Community and NATO, right?

That was the main purpose of the investigation, and that is actually what the facts revealed. [1] Biden, in addition to George Soros (who openly told CNN he laundered money for the Federal Government in Ukraine [2]) put in a fascist dictator. 

Here's a few articles from liberal, conservative, and EU publications on the 2014 Ukrainian Coup:

So it was the Obama Administration, using George Soros as a money launderer, [3] that messed Ukraine up with a coup, installing a fascist who backed U.S. interests. [4] [5] Wikipedia completely ignores this with their "summary" that you quoted. Even George Soros openly tells CNN that he is going to invest 1 billion dollars of U.S. government money into Ukraine -- He says he will launder money for the U.S. government -- so he will make a profit off of it.

Now it appears Zelenskyy is another NATO puppet:

But, you know, Wikipedia is always SOOOOOOO accurate.

SOURCES:


Ramshutu
Ramshutu's avatar
Debates: 43
Posts: 2,768
6
9
10
Ramshutu's avatar
Ramshutu
6
9
10
-->
@Public-Choice
So this is from Just Facts - I am particularly skeptical about the honesty of this side given my last post about their brazenly dishonest “poll” about misinformed voters. 

Let’s review this one.

So from my understanding of this article; the argument is that there are some emails in which Burisma engages Hunters company to apparently lobby for them in order to get the investigation dropped. This is not new information.


These emails appear relate to lobbying, they describe lobbying of various us and Ukraine officials to get them to drop the investigations. The emails suggest that it’s not Hunter doing the work : “if you [hunter] and Devon feel comfortable that they will deliver what in real terms we are talking about”.

The description of what the activities in the email suggest doesn’t seem to match what actually happened - what was requested was to get various  officials to publicly and privately talk positively about their client - so unless you squint hard, they’re not talking about what happened. Which was concerted pressure to implement more anti-corruption policies in the PGO - from multiple world organizations and officials, culminating in the prosecutors removal.

There is no indication in the set of emails or links provided to support the claim that they “affirmed that only Hunter could credibly promise to get those officials to shield the oligarch from criminal charges.”

From this,a post-hoc-ergo-Propter -hoc rationale is given for Biden firing on the prosecutor. Oddly, this “just facts” website seems not to include some key facts relating to judging Biden’s actions here. Namely:

The IMF wanted Shokin removed for not doing enough on corruption:

https://www.ft.com/content/44c1641e-cff7-11e5-831d-09f7778e7377
 
As did the EU. 

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/eu-hails-sacking-of-ukraine-s-prosecutor-viktor-shokin-1.2591190

As did people in his office. 

https://khpg.org/en/1455544883

As did many in the population.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-poroshenko-s-support-for-shokin-is-dangerous/

Some members of the senate questioned if enough was being done on corruption:

https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/portman-durbin-shaheen-and-senate-ukraine-caucus-reaffirm-commitment-help


As did the US ambassador George Pyatt in the speech linked in Just Facts.

“That obstacle is the failure of the institution of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to successfully fight internal corruption. Rather than supporting Ukraine’s reforms and working to root out corruption, corrupt actors within the Prosecutor General’s office are making things worse by openly and aggressively undermining reform.”

“The misconduct by the PGO officials who wrote those letters [attesting Zlochevsky committed no crime] be investigated, and those responsible for subverting the case by authorizing those letters should – at a minimum – be summarily terminated”

Despite “Just facts” claims - this speech was given in September 2015 -  and was explicitly calling out current state of the PGO.

Pyatt did specifically reference events before Shokin took over - and then called for it to be investigated ; but to characterize this as meaning the entire speech was referring to the prior PG is clearly false; and omitting the parts of the speech that clearly call out the PGO for corruption is dishonesty - ESPECIALLY when they are accusing others of incorrectly contextualizing these comments.



In addition, this “just facts” also omitted key issues with Shokin:

That he wasn’t carrying out anti/corruption commitments: 
https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/kyiv-post-plus/shokin-resists-change-jeopardizes-visa-free-travel-to-eu-and-12-billion-of-aid-400948.html

Was accused of sabotaging the reform process:
https://khpg.org/en/1452117960

That prosecutors involved suggest that the investigation into Burisma were dormant:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-07/timeline-in-ukraine-probe-casts-doubt-on-giuliani-s-biden-claim

That he pressured prosecuters to halt the case against one of the prosecutors in his office arrested for corruption in a diamond bust:

https://www.kyivpost.com/kyiv-post-plus/release-of-diamond-prosecutor-shows-fatal-flaws-of-law-enforcement-394791.html

https://www.kyivpost.com/kyiv-post-plus/top-prosecutor-accused-of-covering-up-corruption-resigns-video-394474.html

And also fired the prosecutor responsible for the bust

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-sakvarelidze-idUSKCN0WV0GU


Presenting Shokin as someone who was fighting corruption, and not intricately involved in it - is clearly false.


Additionally - it omits the complete lack of any suggestion that Biden acted outside of US interests in the Republican investigation it shared. 

So in addition to my post relating to JustFacts dishonest poll, this would appear to be clearly trying to sell a particular narrative rather than accurately show the facts - as frankly while this could be considered many things - a smoking gun it is not.
ADreamOfLiberty
ADreamOfLiberty's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,171
3
2
2
ADreamOfLiberty's avatar
ADreamOfLiberty
3
2
2
-->
@oromagi
Well once again whenever there is an authority somebody doesn't like they feel entitled to dismiss it. How often do they let others dismiss their chosen authorities? Not often, maybe; just maybe authority based epistemology leads to irreconcilable contradictions... like say the crusades.

I recently had a very long debate about this with double R:

Shokin was under public criticism from the UK and US for not being willing to continue existing investigations into  Mykola Zlochevsky and Burisma.
Not before the campaign to remove him started.


Firing Shokin did not kill any of those ongoing investigations.
The claim is made by his replacement that there were no investigations, so of course it killed any investigation that almost certainly was happening.


The  main investigation into Mykola Zlochevsky ended two years later Dec 2017.  New charges were filed in Mar 2018 regarding Zlochevsky's giving favored contracts to Burisma when he was  Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources in 2011/12.  After just 3 months back in Ukriane, Zlochevsky had to flee  the country again and is probably hiding out in Cyprus with other Russo-Ukraine Oligarchs.  If the Bidens were being paid to keep Zlochevsky from being prosecuted they did the opposite since Shokin was the only prosecutor who was cutting   Zlochevsky slack and there's only been a brief period when Zlochevsky was not being sought for prosecution.
In 2017 Biden was out of power, therefore there was no reason to bribe him, therefore Hunter was useless, therefore there was no US pressure to protect Burisma. Nothing contradictory to the theory of corruption at all.
dustryder
dustryder's avatar
Debates: 5
Posts: 1,080
3
2
4
dustryder's avatar
dustryder
3
2
4
-->
@Public-Choice
If this is the case you should advise the author of Just Facts to portray all relevant facts. The lack of disclosure on certain facts combined with the sensationalist titles does not befit the title "Just Facts"
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@IwantRooseveltagain
Did you not see the link to the emails?
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@Ramshutu
From this,a post-hoc-ergo-Propter -hoc rationale is given for Biden firing on the prosecutor. Oddly, this “just facts” website seems not to include some key facts relating to judging Biden’s actions here. 
Your assumptions about Just Facts misportraying the facts is extremely misleading.

For starters, they get their information from the following sources:
- A Ukrainian Article written by the Ukrainian National Association [http://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/shokin-replaces-yarema-as-top-prosecutor/]

Those are extremely credible sources. To blow off sworn affidavits and more such evidence because a few news agencies in the U.S. say some things is a very serious accusation.

But your main argument is that Shokin was not doing enough to combat corruption in Ukraine. This is patently false.

For starters, he obtained a court orer to freeze assets of Russian Oligarchs in Ukraine:

Furthermore,facts about the Ukraine investigation reveal other key things:
- Viktor Shokin recently appointed Nazar Holodnitsky as head of the Anti-Corruption office. Nazar Holodnitsky headed the organization when it seized hundreds of billions of dollars in embezzled money. [1] Additionally under Nazar Holodnitsky in 2017, after Shokin was ousted:
From the very start of investigations, the Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have exposed more than 300 persons allegedly involved in the corruption crimes. Also 107 cases have already been sent to court. [1]
So Shokin's appointee got a lot done, which means Shokin was onto something. Shokin was the man who exposed Biden's Russian oligarch friend, and Holodnitsky then proceeded to attempt to removemore than 100 people from Ukrainian government.

So was Viktor Shokin really just a corrupt investigator, or did he actually try to get things done? I would say that he tried to get things done. The pressure for him to resign was over vast amounts of money to be lost, not over any real corruption.



 SOURCES:
Ramshutu
Ramshutu's avatar
Debates: 43
Posts: 2,768
6
9
10
Ramshutu's avatar
Ramshutu
6
9
10
Those are extremely credible sources. To blow off sworn affidavits and more such evidence because a few news agencies in the U.S. say some things is a very serious accusation.

The sworn statement of a  person accused for corruption is not a credible source for whether they committed corruption or not.

PyattS speech agrees with me. I explained how in the post above. He called out the PGO for standing in the way of corruption; and pointed out the failings in PGOs office in the aftermath of the SFO investigation. This was completely mischaracterized by Just Facts.

Pyatt specifically mentioned two prosecutors who were doing a good job - as I mentioned; one of these resigned citing corruption by Shokin, and who stated the investigation into Burisma had been parked, the other - who arrested another a Shokin ally caught red handed with f**king diamonds, but let off after accusations that Shokin interferes with the case - was fired. 

The other two sources were basically saying it’s a good thing that the previous prosecutor was fired; and we’re on the appointment of shokin - not reflecting on his legacy of prosecution or corruption.

None of these stand in any meaningful contention to what I stated above; the only one that even contests the above - is what Shokin said himself

But your main argument is that Shokin was not doing enough to combat corruption in Ukraine. This is patently false.
No it’s not - he was credibly accused of standing in the way of multiple investigations, credibly accused of pressuring dropping charges on corrupt prosecutor friend, firing the prosecutor who arrested them, credibly accused of running a lawless and corrupt office by one of his key prosecutors - and having blocked multiple corruption reforms in the office - as I outlined above and you appear to ignore. I linked it all above.

If you ignore all those things - on balance, compare this to having obtained a court order to seize a rolls Royce and some property; but no prosecution - and appointing someone that manages to prosecute some crimes in the years after he resigned - it’s not exactly a compelling case for Shokins dedication to anti corruption, is it?

Like I said - literally everyone wanted him gone, Pyatt himself called out his office from standing in the way of corruption; there are credible accusations of major corruption, including standing in the way of several probes; he fired one of his better corruption prosecutors - and the other resigned accusing the office of massive corruption.


In summary:

a.) You offer no defence of Just Facts apparent mischaracterization of the emails a “smoking guns”, when in reality they don’t appear to be mentioning anything close to what happened; and are obviously reading much into them.

b.) you offer no defence of the characterization that, somehow, Biden’s request to fire the prosecutor was obviously invalid - despite almost everyone involved at the time; IMF, EU, Pyatt (which you and Just Facts mischaracterize), republicans, Ukrainian prosecutors, the people - all citing that he’s not making the necessary progress against corruption and, in many cases, suggested he was part of the problem.

c.) you completely ignore all cited contemporary examples and accusations against Shokin, being involved with, or facilitator of corruption.

d.) Your response is primarily to simply reiterate previous claims that are debunked by elements above.

Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@Ramshutu
PRYATT'S speech was for the person before Shokin, though. It cites a January 2015 corruption probe. Shokin was appointed in February of 2015.
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
he was credibly accused of standing in the way of multiple investigations
There is no such thing as a "credible accusation." Yhe sources you cited did not bring a material fact to the charges he is being charged of.

Moreover, two people who are friends of someone is not proof that the person is Dirty. Frank Sinatra, for instance, had mob connections, but he didn't murder people or steal millions of dollars in merchandise. Connections do not equate with evidence.

Shokin, according to the EMAILS CITED AS FOUND ON HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP, was fired because of political pressure from Joe Biden and others.

He wasn't investigated and found guilty. He wasn't brought forward with actual evidence of a crime. In fact, there was no actual evidence he obstructed anything. It would all count in  court of law as hearsay.

But, somehow, just SOMEHOW, Biden can't possibly be doing the very thing the emails cited by Just Facts show he did. We HAVE to grasp at anything else imaginable.

Can you produce a report bringing crimes against Shokin? No. Why? Because there was no investigation. There was no smoking gun on Shokin. He wasn't even charged with anything. 

Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to fire someone who was looking into him. That is the only so-called "credible accusation" from the facts:


Biden, not shokin, is being investigated by Ukraine. Biden, not Shokin is being investigated for corruption in Ukraine. 

But, yeah, Just Facts, certainly not the western media that is beholden and run by NATO, mischaracterized the whole thing, lol.

Ramshutu
Ramshutu's avatar
Debates: 43
Posts: 2,768
6
9
10
Ramshutu's avatar
Ramshutu
6
9
10
-->
@Public-Choice
PRYATT'S speech was for the person before Shokin, though. It cites a January 2015 corruption probe. Shokin was appointed in February of 2015

No it wasnt. I covered this in my original post. This is a blatant miss-characterization by Just Facts.

Read the speech.

It was from about 7 months after Shokin was on the job. It starts out covering much of the importance of fighting corruption, and then states:


However, there is one glaring problem that threatens all of the good work that regional leaders here in Odesa, in Kharkiv, in Lviv, and elsewhere are doing to improve the business climate and build a new model of government that serves the people.

That problem threatens everything that the Rada, the Cabinet, the National Reform Council, and others are doing to push political and economic reforms forward and make life better for Ukrainians, and it flies in the face of what the Revolution of Dignity is trying to achieve.

That obstacle is the failure of the institution of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to successfully fight internal corruption. Rather than supporting Ukraine’s reforms and working to root out corruption, corrupt actors within the Prosecutor General’s office are making things worse by openly and aggressively undermining reform.
This is talking about the current PGO.

In defiance of Ukraine’s leaders, these bad actors regularly hinder efforts to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials within the prosecutor general’s office. They intimidate and obstruct the efforts of those working honestly on reform initiatives within that same office.

The United States stands behind those who challenge these bad actors.

We applaud the work of the newly-established Inspector General’s office in the PGO led by David Sakvarelidze and Vitaliy Kasko. Their investigations into corruption within the PGO, have delivered important arrests and have sent the signal that those who abuse their official positions as prosecutors will be investigated and prosecuted.
The former of the two prosecutors here resigned - citing Shokin and the PGO as corrupt. The latter was fired by Shokin.

The ambassador then mentions, very briefly, the actions under the previous PG, then goes onto say:

The misconduct by the PGO officials who wrote those letters should be investigated, and those responsible for subverting the case by authorizing those letters should – at a minimum – be summarily terminated.
Calling out current PG for not investigating clear misconduct.

“Even as we support the work of the new Anti-Corruption Commission, and the recruitment of new prosecutors, we have urged Prosecutor General Shokin to empower Deputy Prosecutors Sakvarelidze and Kasko to implement reforms and bring to justice those who have violated the law, regardless of rank or status. We are prepared to partner with reformers within the PGO in the fight for anticorruption.
Explicitly calling Shokin to do more to empower the people fighting corruption.

“That’s why, on August 10, the United States signed a Joint Action Plan with Deputy Prosecutor General Sakvarelidze to provide 2 million dollars in U.S. assistance to support reform, anticorruption, and capacity building at the PGO.

“It is critical that these reforms be undertaken in an open and transparent manner – consistent with the Procuracy Reform Law, international standards, and in coordination with national and international stakeholders – so that the Ukrainian people can have full faith and confidence in their laws and in those who have sworn to enforce them.
Saying it’s critical these reforms are done because they were being dragged out - literally everyone was pointing out shokin was a barrier.

“There are other cases as well, like those involving Former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Volodymyr Shapakin and Former Prosecutor Kornyets that clearly demonstrate that it is critical to cease intimidation and investigations of investigators, prosecutors and witnesses.
These are the diamond guys that Shokin was accused of helping out..


Pyatt mentioned a former case - but the rest of his speech is explicitly about what Shokin needs to do (and isn’t doing).

To say this is solely about the previous PG - is a massive mischaracterization.




Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
-->
@Ramshutu
That could be a fair take on the speech, tbh.

But then Shokin's appointee cleans house and accuses 300 people of corruption and then files 107 court cases in 2017.

Does this mean that Shokin was standing in the way of reform, or could we argue his appointee brought significant reform to Ukraine?

Tbh I don't think any of the stuff going on at the Government level in Ukraine really will matter. The CIA and FSB have been fighting for Ukraine for at least 50 years. The government always swings wildly one way or another. And the new guy is just as much a puppet as the last guy most of the time. 

Shokin, though, was never formally charged with a crime and Biden is currently being investigated by the Ukraine government for trying to force Shokin out.

To say that Just Facts mischaracterizes Biden's actions and Shokin's is to also accuse Ukraine's government of mischaracterizing Biden's actions as well. Just saying.
Public-Choice
Public-Choice's avatar
Debates: 19
Posts: 1,065
3
4
8
Public-Choice's avatar
Public-Choice
3
4
8
One more thing, Shokin dropped a press conference where he released everything he found on Biden:

Ramshutu
Ramshutu's avatar
Debates: 43
Posts: 2,768
6
9
10
Ramshutu's avatar
Ramshutu
6
9
10
-->
@Public-Choice
There is no such thing as a "credible accusation." Yhe sources you cited did not bring a material fact to the charges he is being charged of.
So you’re going with Denial? You don’t like the claims brought forward - so you’re just going to summarily dismiss them as invalid. Gotcha.

Moreover, two people who are friends of someone is not proof that the person is Dirty. Frank Sinatra, for instance, had mob connections, but he didn't murder people or steal millions of dollars in merchandise. Connections do not equate with evidence.
This is a straw man - my issue was not that he was friends with them - but stands accused of actively helping them, and putting pressure to have them acquitted.

Shokin, according to the EMAILS CITED AS FOUND ON HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP, was fired because of political pressure from Joe Biden and others.
None of the emails show that. This is just made up.

He wasn't investigated and found guilty. He wasn't brought forward with actual evidence of a crime. In fact, there was no actual evidence he obstructed anything. It would all count in  court of law as hearsay.
There’s no evidence that wouldn’t be dismissed as circumstantial for Joe Biden either - yet we are here.


But, somehow, just SOMEHOW, Biden can't possibly be doing the very thing the emails cited by Just Facts show he did. We HAVE to grasp at anything else imaginable.
But the emails didn't say anything of the sort; you have to completely twist what they  say to make them fit - as I said - and you have largely ignored.

Can you produce a report bringing crimes against Shokin? No. Why? Because there was no investigation. There was no smoking gun on Shokin. He wasn't even charged with anything. 
Good lord, the scraping sound of moving the goal posts.

The above are clear examples that call into question whether he was a.) doing enough and b.) whether he was really a champion for anti-corruption claims.

That he didn’t end up being indicted for it doesn’t really rebut those claims.

The point here being - whether it was a reasonable action for a Vice President to put pressure to fire this prosuector. All the evidence above points to yes.

All you’re doing, is basically saying it doesn’t matter how circumstantial or tenuous your data is, but mine must only be prosecutions or proven in a court of law. 

Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to fire someone who was looking into him. That is the only so-called "credible accusation" from the facts:
But they weren’t looking into him… it’s all weak circumstantial at best


Biden, not shokin, is being investigated by Ukraine. Biden, not Shokin is being investigated for corruption in Ukraine. 

But, yeah, Just Facts, certainly  not the western media, mischaracterized the whole thing, lol.
I’m citing a fair amount of eastern media, if you would note.

Secondly - how’re those investigations going. They appear closed:




Ramshutu
Ramshutu's avatar
Debates: 43
Posts: 2,768
6
9
10
Ramshutu's avatar
Ramshutu
6
9
10
-->
@Public-Choice
That could be a fair take on the speech, tbh.

But then Shokin's appointee cleans house and accuses 300 people of corruption and then files 107 court cases in 2017.

Does this mean that Shokin was standing in the way of reform, or could we argue his appointee brought significant reform to Ukraine?
One of the big argument just facts made, is that the shokins replacement did nothing ; are you saying they’re wrong?


Tbh I don't think any of the stuff going on at the Government level in Ukraine really will matter. The CIA and FSB have been fighting for Ukraine for at least 50 years. The government always swings wildly one way or another. And the new guy is just as much a puppet as the last guy most of the time. 

Shokin, though, was never formally charged with a crime and Biden is currently being investigated by the Ukraine government for trying to force Shokin out.
He’s not any more.

To say that Just Facts mischaracterizes Biden's actions and Shokin's is to also accuse Ukraine's government of mischaracterizing Biden's actions as well. Just saying.
My understanding of Ukrainian law is that anyone can sue to make a judge open an investigation - that’s what happened here.

But the issue of characterization is that:

a.) Biden’s action we’re not out of step with the world.
b.) there are many reasons to believe those broader claims are reasonable.
c.) just facts makes no attempt to take those facts and present everything in an unbiased sense. It simply provides one side of that data, with no counter narrative, ignoring all facts that appear to contradict it. It would be one thing if they mentioned all this, and argued why it was not believable - but another to do what they did - and omit those facts completely.







Shila
Shila's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 3,006
3
3
5
Shila's avatar
Shila
3
3
5
-->
@Public-Choice
Smoking Gun: Newly Discovered Emails Confirm Joe Biden Obstructed Justice For His Son’s Foreign Business Deal
By James Agresti
August 2, 2022

Overview

Newly discovered emails prove beyond all doubt that the “true purpose” of Hunter Biden’s lucrative deal with a Ukrainian energy company was for Hunter to get “high-ranking US officials” to visit Ukraine and persuade the nation’s leaders to “close down” all criminal “cases/pursuits against” the firm’s primary owner, a notoriously corrupt oligarch with ties to Russia.

Documentation of this illegal scheme begins with a widely overlooked email on Hunter’s laptop in which a top executive of the Ukrainian firm describes the plan. Now, emails uncovered by Just Facts prove that Hunter and his partners:

  • explicitly agreed to this deal. 
  • concealed the names of top U.S. officials to “be on the safe and cautious side.”
  • affirmed that only Hunter could credibly promise to get those officials to shield the oligarch from criminal charges.
Just one month later, then-Vice President Joe Biden did exactly what those emails specified by visiting Ukraine and threatening to withhold U.S. aid unless the prosecutor investigating Hunter’s cash cow was fired. Moreover, Biden did this by going after two “key targets” identified in the emails: the “President of Ukraine” and the “Prosecutor General.” . . .


Read more:

SOURCE FOR EMAILS:

Ukraine found no evidence against Hunter Biden in case audit: former top prosecutor

Trump tried to frame Hunter Biden to hurt Biden’s election chances. Trump was himself impeached for the Ukrainian scandal. 
Ramshutu
Ramshutu's avatar
Debates: 43
Posts: 2,768
6
9
10
Ramshutu's avatar
Ramshutu
6
9
10
-->
@Public-Choice
One more thing, Shokin dropped a press conference where he released everything he found on Biden:
That isn’t Shokin. 

Shila
Shila's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 3,006
3
3
5
Shila's avatar
Shila
3
3
5
-->
@Ramshutu
-> @Public-Choice
One more thing, Shokin dropped a press conference where he released everything he found on Biden:
That isn’t Shokin. 
Ukraine is fighting to survive. With the billions Ukraine received in military aid from Biden makes Hunter Biden almost irrelevant. Hunter Biden might even be rewarded for picking Ukraine as a winner.

FLRW
FLRW's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 6,611
3
4
8
FLRW's avatar
FLRW
3
4
8
-->
@Public-Choice

An overwhelming majority vote in the Ukrainian Parliament in March 2016 led to Shokin's removal from office after an investigation into extortion of another company led to associates who were found in possession of diamonds, cash and other valuables as well as documents and passports belonging to Shokin.
Shila
Shila's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 3,006
3
3
5
Shila's avatar
Shila
3
3
5
-->
@FLRW
--> @Public-Choice

An overwhelming majority vote in the Ukrainian Parliament in March 2016 led to Shokin's removal from office after an investigation into extortion of another company led to associates who were found in possession of diamonds, cash and other valuables as well as documents and passports belonging to Shokin.
However, there are two big problems with the narrative presented by Trump and Giuliani, according to activists in Ukraine and others.

For one thing, Ukrainian prosecutors and anti-corruption advocates who were pushing for an investigation into the dealings of Burisma and its owner, Mykola Zlochevskiy, said the probe had been dormant long before Biden leveled his demand.
"There was no pressure from anyone from the United States" to close the case against Zlochevskiy, Vitaliy Kasko, who was a deputy prosecutor-general under Shokin and is now first deputy prosecutor-general, told Bloomberg News in May."It was shelved by Ukrainian prosecutors in 2014 and through 2015," he added.

Activists say the case had been sabotaged by Shokin himself. As an example, they say two months before Hunter Biden joined Burisma's board, British authorities had requested information from Shokin's office as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering by Zlochevskiy. Shokin ignored them.

Kaleniuk and AntAC published a detailed timeline of events surrounding the Burisma case, an outline of evidence suggesting that three consecutive chief prosecutors of Ukraine -- first Shokin’s predecessor, then Shokin, and then his successor -- worked to bury it.

"Ironically, Joe Biden asked Shokin to leave because the prosecutor failed [to pursue] the Burisma investigation, not because Shokin was tough and active with this case," Kaleniuk said.

Ukrainian prosecutors have described no evidence indicating that Biden sought to help his son by getting Shokin dismissed -- and have suggested that they have not discovered any such evidence.

But there is a long list of Western organizations, governments, and diplomats, as well as Ukrainian anti-corruption groups, that wanted to see Shokin fired.

They include the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, the U.S. government, foreign investors, and Ukrainian advocates of reform.