“Dear President-elect Zelensky. Thus begins the letter addressed in May 2019 by Rudy Giuliani to the man who has just won the Ukrainian presidential election. This missive written by Donald Trump's personal lawyer, several handwritten notes and text messages is part of a series of new documents released by House Democrats as part of the President's impeachment.
These documents were provided by Lev Parnas, one of Giuliani's two associates recently charged in another case of illegal campaign finance, who decided to collaborate with the Democrats. But while the procedure has just been sent to the Senate, where the trial of Donald Trump is to begin on Tuesday, remains to be seen whether these documents - and others - can be exploited, and what impact they will have on elected officials. Republicans pressed to acquit the President. Trump, on the other hand, has distanced himself from Giuliani, assuring that his lawyer had not gone to Ukraine at his request, but that he had followed this lead on his own initiative.
Giuliani asked for a tête-à-tête with Zelensky
We already knew that the former mayor of New York went to Ukraine in search of compromising information on an alleged corruption of Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who worked for the Ukrainian gas company Burisma when his father was Vice Chair. The letter reveals that Giuliani asked for a tête-à-tête with President Zelensky last spring - which never took place. He requested the meeting in his role as "President Trump's personal attorney", who "is aware of and approved" the request.
BREAKING: Rudy Giuliani admits that this letter - sent directly to President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 10 - was in reference to Joe Biden and "collusion in Ukraine."
"I was seeking information as a private counsel seeking exculpatory evidence for his client," Giuliani texts me. pic.twitter.com/xHLw0VJiPp
These details undermine Donald Trump's defense. The American president repeats that when he said to Zelensky "I would like you to do us a favor" in his telephone conversation in July 2019, the "us" was referring to "the United States". But Giuliani specifies that he represents Trump "the private citizen" and not "the American president". The lawyer also speaks of “the problems of the past” of Ukraine, a reference, it seems, to the endemic corruption of the country, but he finishes by evoking “a more precise request”. Giuliani confirmed to several American media that it was indeed a reference to Joe Biden.
"Get Zelensky to announce the opening of an investigation into the Biden"
Lev Parnas, an American citizen born in Ukraine, acted as "fixer" for Giuliani in Kiev. He took a series of notes from what his lawyer claims were telephone conversations he had with Rudy Giuliani. In particular, he wrote on a notepad: "Get Zelensky to announce the opening of an investigation into the Biden. "
Among the evidence just produced by the House Intelligence Committee - a note from Parnas saying "get Zalensky to Annonce that the Biden case will be investigated" pic.twitter.com/nswPgc1kmF
- Nicholas Wu (@ nicholaswu12) January 14, 2020This point is at the heart of the indictment voted by the Democrats on an "abuse of power" by Donald Trump. They accuse the American president of having put pressure on his counterpart by suspending 400 million military aid to Ukraine in order to force him to announce the opening of an investigation into the Biden. According to the testimony of several diplomats, Zelensky was to be executed during an interview scheduled for September 13 on CNN. In the meantime, a whistleblower has emerged, and Washington has started to rumor. On September 11, aid was finally released without explanation. And Zelensky's CNN interview canceled. According to Democrats, this timeline proves that Donald Trump has endangered the national security of the United States for his personal political gain. They lack, however, irrefutable proof, a point to which many elected Republican clings.
The American ambassador under surveillance
Appointed by Obama, Marie Yovanovitch was the United States' ambassador to Ukraine. Considered a champion in the fight against corruption, she was recalled by Donald Trump in May 2019, after a campaign orchestrated by a former Ukrainian prosecutor in which Rudy Giuliani and Lev Parnas appear to have participated.
These texts from former congressional candidate Robert Hyde to Lev Parnas, about his surveillance of Ambassador Yovanovitch, are incredibly creepy. pic.twitter.com/qerUWh82Hc
- Susan Simpson (@ TheViewFromLL2) January 14, 2020The documents include text messages sent by ex-prosecutor Lutsenky to Parnas demanding the dismissal of Yovanovich. "If you don't make a decision on Madame, I could go back on all my statements. Including on B. ”In view of their conversation, B would be for“ Biden ”.
Finally, WhatsApp messages between Lev Parnas and a new protagonist - Robert Hyde, a Republican party donor running for a local election - seem to indicate that they were closely monitoring the ambassador. "She spoke to three people. His phone is off. So does his computer, ”writes Hyde. “They are ready to help us if we / you put the price on it. “My contacts ask what is the next step. If you want her to get out ("if you want her out" can mean "she's going" or something more sinister), they need to contact the security forces. "
Was Robert Hyde serious or bluffing? Did Rudy Giuliani Know? At the moment, these texts lack context. But Marie Yovanovitch, who testified that she feared for her safety, asked for an investigation. Released while awaiting his possible trial, Lev Parnas, he will be interviewed on MSNBC Wednesday evening.
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