Scott Powers
Arguing that President Donald Trump‘s interest in investigating the Bidens was not political but legitimate and prudent foreign policy, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made a case Monday that Hunter Biden‘s involvement in Ukraine appeared to be part of corruption and then-Vice President Joe Biden acted to protect his son.
Bondi’s first turn in the spotlight as part of Trump’s defense team at the Senate impeachment trial placed her on offense, not just against the Democratic House impeachment managers, but also against the Biden family.
While previous White House defense team managers offered broad arguments about what the Democrats have not proven and how they did it, Bondi put on her old prosecutor’s hat and went right after the Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma Holdings, contending it was so deeply corrupt that the Bidens’ roles not only were suspect but warranted investigation.
“When the House managers gave you their presentation, when they submitted their brief, they repeatedly referenced Hunter Biden and Burisma. … They referenced Biden or Burisma over 400 times. And when they gave these presentations they said there was nothing to see, it was a sham,” Bondi told the Senate. “This is fiction.”
Bondi then used her 31-minute presentation Monday afternoon to detail the timelines of Burisma, its founder Mykola Zlochevsky, Hunter Biden‘s participation on the company’s board, various investigations of Zlochevsky and Burisma for corruption, and Vice President Joe Biden‘s efforts in Ukraine, including getting the Ukrainian government to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
That narrative is at the heart of the first article of impeachment against Trump: that he requested, demanded, or pressured [depending on various positions being contended in the impeachment] Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelinskiy to investigate what happened with the Bidens.
Democrats have argued that the corruption of Burisma predated Hunter Biden, that Zlochevsky was in exile in Russia when Hunter Biden came aboard, that Vice President Biden sought Shokin’s firing because he was neglecting to investigate not because he was investigating, and that Trump’s interest was entirely in trying to smear the Bidens with the stink of the earlier corruption, at a time when Joe Biden was running for President against Trump.
Bondi laid out the alternative scenario, that Hunter Biden’s exorbitant pay as a board member, $83,333 a month, came while many questions about Burisma remained and those questions never got answered, in part, perhaps, because Hunter Biden’s father got involved.
Along the way she cited the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Unit’s actions against Burisma, Ukrainian law enforcement, George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary at the State Department, and various news outlets ranging from ABC News to the Washington Post to the Kyiv Post, all raising questions abut Burisma and Hunter Biden.
This, she maintained, justified what Trump said to Zelinskiy in the July 25 phone call between presidents that sparked the whole Ukraine controversy and impeachment efforts:
“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution, and a lot of people want to find out about that. So whatever you can do, with this attorney general would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution, so if you can look into it, it sounds horrible to me.”
She accused Democrats of offering a distraction by claiming that all the suspicions of corruption involving Burisma and the Bidens has been debunked.
“You’ve heard from the House managers that there is not anything to see here; that all of this is baseless,” Bondi concluded. “All that we are saying is that there was a basis to talk about this, to raise this issue.
“And that is enough.”
19 comments
Mel
January 27, 2020 at 8:35 pm
I wouldn’t believe a word that comes out of her mouth EVER!!!
Deb
January 27, 2020 at 11:34 pm
Panties in a twist?
IRENE LIPPITT
January 29, 2020 at 8:46 am
MEL: OF COURSE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE A WORD SHE SAID…YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT…
Steven S.
January 27, 2020 at 8:50 pm
Florida Politics – how about a story on what Floridians want to happen regarding witnesses and impeachment – based on a poll, and then ask our two senators how they’re going to vote on our behalf and why?
You know… news! Or you could write another one of those witty holiday pieces. I personally can’t wait to learn which Florida lobbyists brought me Valentine’s Day! Which lobbyist has the registration for Hershey’s???? Can’t wait to find out!
Deb
January 27, 2020 at 11:38 pm
Not just what Floridians want. How about what all US citizens want regarding this sham of an impeachment? They need to stop wasting time and money. Every one knows what this is.
char whitney/lazaro
January 27, 2020 at 10:08 pm
I BELIEVE every word she said
Flo
January 27, 2020 at 10:26 pm
Yep. She is on the ball. Of course, the guilty and the criminals don’t like her.
Sonja Emily Fitch
January 28, 2020 at 6:05 am
THE APPALLING LIES PAM …OMG NEPOTISM..WHAT A STUPID ARGUMENT TO HELP IMPEACHED TRUMP..PAM ARE YOU BLIND DEAF AND DUMB? IVANKA, JARED, DON JR AND THE OTHER SON ERIC JR.
THE APALLING MONEY (BRIBES) FROM $25000 TO STOP TRUMP U INVESTIGATION TO WHY IS QUATAR PAYING YOU OVER $100,000 A MONTH?
MY OTHER QUESTIONS HAVE TO DO WITH YOU BEING ONE OF THE RUSSIAN ASSETS HERE IN FLORIDA. ARE YOU PAM BONDI A RUSSIAN ASSET?
PS ASHLEY MOODY YOU ARE STILL LOOKING STUPID AND CORRUPT! ASHLEY MOODY HAVE YOU EVER PROSECUTED A CASE WITHOUT TESTIMONY OR DISCOVERY OF EVIDENCE? REMOVE YOUR NAME AS FLORIDA AG FROM THAT LETTER TO THE US SENATE FLORIDA BAR IS ASHLEY MOODY IN VIOLATION OF ETHICS?
D-U-M-P T-R-U-M-P !!!
January 28, 2020 at 11:30 am
Maybe not “blind” and “deaf” – BUT – DEFINITELY “dumb”. Bondi’s like a hooker angling to find a john somewhere, anywhere!
Vernon Steve
January 28, 2020 at 6:06 am
Case closed. Acquittal is compelled.
Great job, Pam!
Charlotte Greenbarg
January 28, 2020 at 7:52 am
I see the usual far left parrots are squawking the party lies. And one in all CAPS, as if that made it true.
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA !!!
January 28, 2020 at 11:35 am
HEY, CHARLOTTE! HOW YOU DOIN’? IT’S A JOY TO EXPERIENCE YOUR INTELLIGENCE, YOUR IMPARTIALITY, AND YOUR ALWAYS ON-THE-MARK COMMENTS! NEVER GIVE UP! TRUMP IS DA’ BOMB!
Wells
January 28, 2020 at 8:24 am
I ve never seen a private citizen trashed (Bidens) on the floor of senate before.
Talk about NO DUE PROCESS and hearsay upon hearsay. And they re actually talking about criminal investigation of an American!
The dumbing down of America continues with Trump.
gary
January 28, 2020 at 11:03 am
It’s not hearsay when it come straight from the horses mouth… in this case… Sleepy Joe!
D-U-M-P T-R-U-M-P !!!
January 28, 2020 at 11:42 am
Can’t go any lower. The Republicans have been “dumbed down” as much as possible. They’re all in Trump’s league, now – dumb, dumber, and dumbest! (Trump got 46% of the vote in 2016. At this moment, polls show 48% (to 44%) want to see Trump impeached AND removed from office! Testimony to the Dumbell-In-Chief’s “success”!
I Know Truth
January 30, 2020 at 7:43 pm
And Joe Biden was bragging about doing it.
D-U-M-P T-R-U-M-P 2020 !!!
January 28, 2020 at 11:26 am
Bimbo Bondi blathers.
Mavis Phillips
January 28, 2020 at 6:14 pm
Bondi did not take her oath to heart. She lied about the Biden’s.
Terry Campbell
January 30, 2020 at 12:49 pm
I can’t understand how the Democrats have fooled so many people. How can anyone with reasonable sense not understand what is going on here. It is Joe Biden and his son who should be investigated and that’s exactly what Donald Trump was getting at. Democrats wake up! It’s the American people’s tax money that is being wasted here. Our. President vowed to drain the swamp and the Democrats see the end of they’re getting paid off and this is why they hate Donald Trump. I can see that many Americans are figuring out what is happening and aren’t happy with it. It is my hopes that all this does become available to everyone American and the Democrats suffer for it.
Comments are closed.