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 ...
If nothing occurred, you have nothing to fear, and in fact, you should welcome the investigation to CLEAR Hillary, Obama, and Biden of any possible wrongdoing.
But you panic at the prospect of an investigation is telling!
“Aid” is always “contingent”. That’s the way it is. Screw the DNC and their fake outrage.
Bttt.
5.56mm
Exactly. We're just supposed to hand all these countries money without getting anything in return. I guess I'm really naive cuz I thought that was the way it was always done ... and by all countries.
When I started seeing 'quid pro quo' everywhere I thought so what! I voted for Trump because I thought he would get things done. That's illegal? Or only if you have an R after your name?
Yup, people keep leaving out his answer.
“””Sondland responded by saying that was not what was happening. “Bill, I believe you are incorrect about Pres Trumps’ intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quos of any kind. The Pres is trying to evaluate whether Ukr is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that Pres Zelesny promised during his campaign.””””
Stephanopolous did the same thing with a GOP senator, quoted the first statement but not the reply and the senator didn’t call him on it even though he’s on the intelligence committee and knows all
“after a U.S. diplomat told him that nearly $400 million in aid was contingent on Ukraine investigating the 2016 U.S. presidential election”
hearsay, and probably hearsay on the part of the “U.S. diplomat” as well.
Why do we have a "Senate’s Ukraine caucus"?
Absolutely and precisely the direct opposite of what Johnson said here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5jXV01yQRM
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