Tag

#Zelensky

2 incidents

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

First Impeachment: Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress Over Ukraine

The first impeachment arose from a July 25, 2019 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky in which Trump asked Ukraine to 'do us a favor' by investigating the Bidens and the 2016 election, while $391 million in congressionally approved military aid was being withheld. Ambassador Gordon Sondland testified that there was an explicit quid pro quo and 'everyone was in the loop.' Ambassador William Taylor testified that U.S. officials were told the aid was conditioned on the announcement of investigations. The Senate acquitted on party-line votes except for Romney, who voted to convict on the abuse of power article. Two days after the acquittal, Sondland was recalled as ambassador and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (who had raised the alarm about the call) was removed from his NSC post and reassigned to the Army.

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

Ukraine Quid Pro Quo: Withheld $391 Million in Military Aid to Extort Investigation of Biden

Ukraine had been under Russian military pressure since 2014. The $391 million in security assistance — congressionally appropriated bipartisan aid that had nothing to do with Biden — was withheld by Trump's Office of Management and Budget while the White House sought a Ukrainian announcement of investigations. The July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky documented the pressure: Trump told Zelensky he needed a 'favor' — an investigation of the 2016 election and of Biden — before the U.S. would proceed. A White House national security official filed a whistleblower complaint. The aid was eventually released in September 2019 after the whistleblower complaint became public.