"Toontime: To Russia With Love

credit: Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer

This week Ambassador Sondland changed his story after giving his sworn deposition in which his account of the Ukraine exchange differed from other sworn accounts given by Ambassador William Taylor, Lt.Col. Vindmin, and George Kent¹. Faced with possible perjury charges, Sondland flipped his story in an addendum where he stated his ''recollection was refreshed", and that an investigation of the Bidens was a necessary condition for the release of approved military aid to Ukraine.  This confirmation by a Trump loyalist of a criminal conspiracy to withhold aid for political favors is actually continuation of a pattern of criminal behavior by Trump's gang that began months before the 2016 campaign. Paul Manafort, former campaign chair now convicted felon, was doing business with pro-Russia Ukrainians who had connections to the Kremlin, and knew of Russian efforts to influence US foreign policy by supporting Trump's bid for the presidency.

Candidate Trump was willing to accept Russian help, and Manafort knew this. (Trump Jr. to Russians at their Trump Tower meeting: “If it’s what you say I love it.”) That is why no one at a senior level in the campaign came forward to report Russian espionage activity to US authorities. (Trump to Stephanopolis: “I don't think in my whole life I've ever called the FBI. In my whole life....Give me a break.")   That is also why a false narrative that Ukraine was behind stealing the DNC emails was created for a cover story. There was no QPQ at that point because Il Douche was only a candidate, so all he could offer was illegal encouragement to Russian operatives working to influence the election.  (Trump to Russia: "I hope you able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing!") Once he was in power, and emboldened by the suppressed Mueller report, he attempted to extort foreign help to smear his putative 2020 political opponent. He created through his flying monkey, Rudy 'Ghouly', a shadow foreign policy to pressure Ukraine's government into investigating the Bidens.  The Ukrainians got the message: no investigation, no aid.²

So as much as Repugnant defenders want to minimize Trumpillini's betrayal of his oath and the Republic to a single phone call, his confessed extortion was merely a culmination of criminal conspiracy that began before his election to office three years ago.  The Trumpillini's gang in the Department of Barr nearly succeeded in burying the two year probe by a professional federal law enforcement officer, but the whole story will out as a consistent picture of deceit, disruption, collusion with a foreign power, and obstruction emerges from the public impeachment inquiry. At least that is what US Person hopes for the sake of the Republic because the adults have apparently left the room.  Public hearings begin Wednesday.

credit: Ed Wexler

1. George Kent, a State Department official present during the infamous July 25th phone call, tied Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to placing a hold on Ukraine's military aid at the direction of the Orange King. Mulvaney defied his congressional subpoena for testimony today, allowing the House impeachment inquiry to draw a negative inference of Mulvaney's participation in the extortion scheme.
2.This scenario is consistent with the facts now known, but it is also consistent with the way Don Veto took care of business in the mob-infested waters of 1980's New York construction industry.  According to the WaPo, "Throughout his early career, Trump routinely gave large campaign contributions to politicians who held sway over his projects, and he worked with mob-controlled companies and unions to build them".  In other words he played both sides of the legit fence. In 1985 he circumvented campaign finance laws to enable giving $150,000 to local candidates for office.  He did big business with S&A Concrete, a company owned by Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno, boss of the Genovese crime family, and Paul Castellano, boss of the Gambino family.  He was by no means alone cooperating in the pervasive corruption, but he certainly leveraged it for all it was worth, just as he has done with the office of President.