It is now almost certain that Donald Trump will be impeached by the House of Representatives. But unless you are a dedicated follower of the news, you might not have a full grasp of the situation. Here’s a brief summation of what’s going on.
First, the background to the infamous call that will likely be the cornerstone of the Articles of Impeachment.
- Russia invaded Crimea, which is the eastern part of Ukraine.
- Russians (or their surrogates) are still waging war in parts of Ukraine.
- For Ukrainians, this is an existential threat; they need all the military assistance they can get so they can survive as an independent country.
- Therefore, the Ukrainian president has to suck up to any American president in order to keep the military assistance flowing.
- Congress had previously appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance to Ukraine, to help them fend off Russian aggression.
- But at the time of this call, Trump was holding back that assistance.
So when Trump dangles the military assistance in front of the Ukrainian president and then says, “I need a favor though,” what choice does the Ukrainian have, except to play along? He has no choice.
What was the “favor”? Was it for Ukraine to do more to confront our mutual adversary, the Russians? Did it have something to do with the European Union, human rights, or perhaps climate change?
HA!
No, the “favor” Trump wanted was for Ukraine to dig up dirt on Trump’s leading political opponent, Joe Biden.
And that is illegal. As the head of the Federal Election Commission bluntly stated in a letter:
“Let me make something 100% clear to the American public or anyone running for public office. It is illegal to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election.”
Why is it illegal? Because our lawmakers, going all the way back to the Framers of the Constitution, wanted to ensure that the U.S. President always puts the nation’s interests ahead of his (or her) own. When you accept a “thing of value” you are instantly compromised. Worse, when that country knows the president is doing something illegal, they have major leverage over the president.
It’s beyond illegal, it’s crazy. Here’s what Bill Taylor, a high-ranking career American diplomat in the Ukraine texted:
“As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.”
Taylor was deeply involved in the discussions. For him, this was obvious extortion. A shakedown.
And remember, from the earliest days of the Mueller investigation, Trump knew that getting foreigners involved in domestic elections was illegal; he cannot claim ignorance of the law.
Finally, please recognize that every line above can be expanded out to many pages of supporting details and explanations. I simply want to give you the most salient aspects of this deeply disturbing episode in what is already, by far, the most corrupt administration in modern American history.
Thanks for caring about the truth.
Ken
Sanity First! 