Quote:
Originally Posted by detbuch
Sounds like Ukraine extorted Trump. Trump had every right to assure that Ukraine would work to eliminate corruption before it received the money. Ukraine promised on the assumption that it would get the money if they did. Once they got the money, they reneged.
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That is what the Trumplicans are trying desperately to make it sound like, but while it sounds good it is not the truth.
Ukraine had met all the required corruption criteria and his administration had certified it to Congress May 23, 2019 prior to Floridaman's call to Zelensky and Colludy's meeting with Yermak in Madrid.
The certification is why Congress was asking why the funds had not been transferred.
Zelensky's administration was not the corrupt actor in this case, it was Trump's that attempted to corruptly bribe Ukraine with Congressional appropriated funds in return for the investigation of his political opponent.
Testimony and documents show that the Zelensky administration knew that the funding was being withheld prior to the second Trump-Zelensky call.
Perhaps he can use the excuse that he did not know what his administration was doing, that would be believable but hardly exculpatory.