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US aid to Ukraine was contingent on 2016 election probe, GOP senator says US diplomat told him
Fox News ^ | 05 October 2019 | Brie Stimson

Posted on 10/06/2019 9:57:17 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

A Republican U.S. senator claimed Friday that President Trump in August blocked him from reassuring Ukraine that military aid would be coming to the country from the U.S.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said the block came shortly after a U.S. diplomat told him that nearly $400 million in aid was contingent on Ukraine investigating the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Wall Street Journal reported. Johnson said he “winced” when he heard from Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, that the aid was dependent on an investigation.

"My reaction was, 'Oh, God. I don't want to see those two things combined,'” Johnson said. He said he was “surprised” when Trump wouldn’t allow him to tell Ukraine the aid was on its way.

Earlier this week, text messages were released as part of House panels' Trump impeachment inquiry showing Sondland and other diplomats encouraged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Ukrainian gas company whose board Joe Biden's son served on in return for a potential high-profile visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump.

The diplomats, according to the text messages, were struggling to keep the potential of a meeting from turning into a quid pro quo.

Johnson is a leader of the Senate’s Ukraine caucus and made several trips to the country this year after Zelensky was elected.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ronjohnson; trumpukraine
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1 posted on 10/06/2019 9:57:17 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Ukraine is corrupt so what could you expect from an investigation?


2 posted on 10/06/2019 9:59:22 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Forces in the Ukraine were part of the effort to undermine the 2016 election?

No wonder America is hesitant to send them “aid” money.


3 posted on 10/06/2019 9:59:51 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

That “US diplomat” needs to be fired ASAP.

Probably just another Dem mole, trying to make Pres. Trump look guilty.


4 posted on 10/06/2019 10:00:04 AM PDT by Innovative
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

So Johnson is a Ukrainian Senator?


5 posted on 10/06/2019 10:03:50 AM PDT by headstamp 2 (There's a stairway to heaven, but there's a highway to hell.)
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To: headstamp 2

With all that web of corruption it is hard to tell whose loyalities and where.


6 posted on 10/06/2019 10:05:30 AM PDT by NorseViking
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To: BenLurkin

Forces in the Ukraine were part of the effort to undermine the 2016 election?

**************

Johnson is evidently not one bit concerned about that. He runs the Ukraine Caucus don’cha know.


7 posted on 10/06/2019 10:05:46 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Is Ron Jr. working for a Ukraine oil and gas company too?
R&D’s involved.


8 posted on 10/06/2019 10:06:17 AM PDT by Spitzensparkin1 (Donate often, it is our FReeping ammo. Keep the supply train rollin', become a monthly donor.)
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To: Innovative
'Probably just another Dem mole', trying to compromise the Presidentail power to deal with foreign friends and enemies. And THAT is the real treason of these attacks from the demon rats.
9 posted on 10/06/2019 10:06:33 AM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
U.S. diplomat

Who was the US diplomat? The same guy that was trying to get Trump admin on text claiming quid-pro-quo? And was the date after meeting with shufft's staff?
10 posted on 10/06/2019 10:08:50 AM PDT by JoSixChip (I'm an American Nationalist)
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To: headstamp 2

I am confused, I thought we were supposed to be investigating foreign interference in USA elections?

What would be wrong with holding up aid until we got the
answers we need. Why must we always be Uncle SAP?


11 posted on 10/06/2019 10:09:22 AM PDT by Zenjitsuman ( p)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I don’t see anything wrong with making aid dependent on doing something for the United States. We’re not under any obligation to give any other country money, except by our own choosing.


12 posted on 10/06/2019 10:10:46 AM PDT by captain_dave
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Want to bet the 2016 Obama appointed US/ EU Ambassador was not the most...reliable or nonpartisan source

2016 was a big year for the GOP, it seems some of the guys Mueller went after like Manafort, Page and PapaD were pulled into the Trump campaign orbit as advisors to develop strategy on Russia/ Ukraine issues for the GOP platform prepared for the convention

One contentious issue was amending US policy to approve “ lethal” ( offenisve) weapons to Ukraine, to be used against so-called “ Russian” militia in eastern Ukraine

Some reports indicate Trump people had already begun contacts in Ukraine to work out a settlement on Crimea between Ukraine and Russia, to the dismay paranoia and rage of guys like McCain and the Clinton/ Soros camp who be like “ kill Russians” and regarded Trump as a “ threat” to the world


13 posted on 10/06/2019 10:11:03 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change)
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To: headstamp 2

So Johnson is a Ukrainian Senator?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He is another Bush League Republican that needs to be replaced.


14 posted on 10/06/2019 10:12:18 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here Of Citizen Parents_Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Why is there a “Ukrain caucus” in the Senate?


15 posted on 10/06/2019 10:15:23 AM PDT by Tejas Rob
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

A sudden new concept of American diplomacy. Foreign aid is supposed to have absolutely no intent to effect on the behavior of the country receiving it.

Ukraine has an illegitimate Nazi New World Order government anyway. We shouldn’t be giving them a penny. Much less a billion dollars for the Eastern Front


16 posted on 10/06/2019 10:18:16 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: silverleaf

Take part of this back
Gordon Sondland was appointed EU Ambassador by Trump in 2018
Anything he claims happened in 2016 would be hearsay or scuttlebutt

The guy is a rich hotelier and major Trump donor but diplomatic or State Department experience is missing from his resume
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Sondland


17 posted on 10/06/2019 10:19:04 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Johnson is listed as “retiring” on a list of Senators and their next election date. His next election is in 2022. He is from the private sector with a family owned small business, according to his bio. Interesting times.


18 posted on 10/06/2019 10:20:53 AM PDT by Freee-dame (Best election ever! 2016)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

62 votes for impeachment with 6 maybes.


19 posted on 10/06/2019 10:22:05 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Scondland has been saying this story for a while. Yet Scondland offers no DIRECT proof how he comes to know this. And Johnson doesn't quote Sconland, quoting the president. Johnson only says that Scondland does say that Trump said that the "aid is not on the way".

Also notice that autocorrect changes Scondland's name to "secondhand".

Seems appropriate.

20 posted on 10/06/2019 10:22:17 AM PDT by FreeReign
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