Zippyjuan
10-17-2019, 03:11 PM
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/17/mulvaney-confirms-ukraine-aid-2016-probe-050156
Donald Trump's top aide on Thursday acknowledged that the administration held up military funds to Ukraine over the president's desire for a political probe, undermining past denials of any quid pro quo and blowing up weeks of White House messaging amid an escalating impeachment inquiry.
In a whirlwind 40-minute news conference, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters the U.S. aid was withheld at least in part because of a request to have Ukraine investigate unfounded allegations that foreign countries assisted Democrats in the 2016 election.
"Did he also mention to me in [the] past the corruption related to the DNC server? Absolutely," Mulvaney said of a conversation he had Trump. "No question about that. But that's it, and that's why we held up the money."
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He added: "The look-back to what happened in 2016 certainly was part of the thing that he was worried about in corruption with that nation."
The explosive remarks from the West Wing senior staffer seemed to provoke alarm among congressional lawmakers and Trump's allies in equal measure.
"I'm starting to get worried for POTUS now," a person close to the Trump campaign said in a text message of Mulvaney's performance. "Total disaster unless there's some strategy I'm not seeing."
"I thought it was really remarkable," said one former White House official, "because it was either a huge unforced error or a calculated concession."
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of the leaders of the Democratic impeachment proceedings, also offered a dour assessment.
“I think Mr. Mulvaney’s acknowledgment means that things have gone from very, very bad to much, much worse," Schiff said.
Pressed during the briefing on whether he was describing a quid pro quo with Ukraine, Mulvaney responded that "we do that all the time with foreign policy," and cited the holding back of financial assistance to Northern Triangle countries to affect their immigration policies.
“I was involved with the process by which the money was held up temporarily, OK?" he said. "Three issues for that: the corruption in the country, whether or not other countries were participating in the support of the Ukraine, and whether or not they were cooperating in an ongoing investigation with our Department of Justice. That's completely legitimate.”
Actually, asking for foreign help against a political opponent is not a legitimate action.
Donald Trump's top aide on Thursday acknowledged that the administration held up military funds to Ukraine over the president's desire for a political probe, undermining past denials of any quid pro quo and blowing up weeks of White House messaging amid an escalating impeachment inquiry.
In a whirlwind 40-minute news conference, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters the U.S. aid was withheld at least in part because of a request to have Ukraine investigate unfounded allegations that foreign countries assisted Democrats in the 2016 election.
"Did he also mention to me in [the] past the corruption related to the DNC server? Absolutely," Mulvaney said of a conversation he had Trump. "No question about that. But that's it, and that's why we held up the money."
Story Continued Below
He added: "The look-back to what happened in 2016 certainly was part of the thing that he was worried about in corruption with that nation."
The explosive remarks from the West Wing senior staffer seemed to provoke alarm among congressional lawmakers and Trump's allies in equal measure.
"I'm starting to get worried for POTUS now," a person close to the Trump campaign said in a text message of Mulvaney's performance. "Total disaster unless there's some strategy I'm not seeing."
"I thought it was really remarkable," said one former White House official, "because it was either a huge unforced error or a calculated concession."
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of the leaders of the Democratic impeachment proceedings, also offered a dour assessment.
“I think Mr. Mulvaney’s acknowledgment means that things have gone from very, very bad to much, much worse," Schiff said.
Pressed during the briefing on whether he was describing a quid pro quo with Ukraine, Mulvaney responded that "we do that all the time with foreign policy," and cited the holding back of financial assistance to Northern Triangle countries to affect their immigration policies.
“I was involved with the process by which the money was held up temporarily, OK?" he said. "Three issues for that: the corruption in the country, whether or not other countries were participating in the support of the Ukraine, and whether or not they were cooperating in an ongoing investigation with our Department of Justice. That's completely legitimate.”
Actually, asking for foreign help against a political opponent is not a legitimate action.