Rudy Giuliani confirmed in detail to The New Yorker his role in engineering the ouster of Marie Yovanovitch as the US's ambassador to Ukraine after she refused to help him dig up political dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
"I believed that I needed Yovanovitch out of the way," Giuliani told the magazine. "She was going to make the investigations difficult for everybody."
He also outlined his efforts to publicly smear Yovanovitch on TV and through the self-described investigative journalist John Solomon.
Giuliani's comments are a remarkable admission given that Yovanovitch's ouster is one of the central threads of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
More importantly, Giuliani himself is the focus of criminal investigation related to his dealings with Yovanovitch because they may have violated foreign lobbying laws.
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who's now President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, confirmed in detail to The New Yorker his role in engineering the ouster of Marie Yovanovitch as the US's ambassador to Ukraine.
Giuliani told The New Yorker's Adam Entous that he viewed Yovanovitch as an obstacle as he attempted to obtain politically damaging information about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine ahead of the 2020 election.
"I believed that I needed Yovanovitch out of the way," Giuliani said. "She was going to make the investigations difficult for everybody."
To that end, Giuliani compiled a dossier of conspiracy theories about the Bidens and Yovanovitch that he sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this year and was later shared with the FBI and The New Yorker.
Giuliani also began speaking out against Yovanovitch on news outlets like Fox News, while directing John Solomon, a self-described investigative journalist who traffics in conspiracy theories, to publish op-ed articles smearing Yovanovitch in The Hill.
"I said, 'John, let's make this as prominent as possible,'" Giuliani told The New Yorker. "'I'll go on TV. You go on TV. You do columns.'"
The former New York City mayor's comments are a remarkable admission given that Yovanovitch's ouster is one of the central threads of the impeachment inquiry into Trump. Perhaps more importantly, however, Giuliani himself is the focus of criminal investigation related to his dealings with Yovanovitch because they may have violated foreign lobbying laws.
Yovanovitch, a widely respected foreign service officer, was unceremoniously ousted in May after she refused to help Giuliani and his allies in Ukraine and the US manufacture dirt on the Bidens to hurt his chances against Trump.
She has testified at length about Trump and Giuliani's smear campaign against her leading up to her removal.
"I do not know Mr. Giuliani's motives for attacking me," she said in testimony in October. But people associated with Giuliani "may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine."
Yovanovitch was also tough on Yuriy Lutsenko, Ukraine's former prosecutor general who worked with Giuliani to try to get dirt on the Bidens.
Yovanovitch "refused to allow her embassy to be dragged into some sort of effort to concoct dirt for political purposes," a former official told The Guardian.
Yovanovitch testified that she was told by a top State Department official that the president had pushed for her removal even though the department believed she "had done nothing wrong."
She said that John Sullivan, the deputy secretary of state, told her that "this was not like other situations where he had recalled ambassadors for cause" but that Trump "had lost confidence in me and no longer wished me to serve as his ambassador."
She also said she was told that there was "a concerted campaign against me" and that "the department had been under pressure from the president to remove me since the summer of 2018."
Trump continued smearing Yovanovitch even after she was removed as the ambassador. Most notably, he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a July 25 phone call that she was "bad news" and would "go through some things."
Yovanovitch testified last month that she felt threatened by Trump's remarks about her.
"I was shocked and devastated that I would feature in a phone call between two heads of state in such a manner where President Trump said that I was 'bad news' to another world leader and that I would be going through some things," she said. "It was a terrible moment."
She said she was told by a person who saw her reading the White House's memo of the call that "the color drained from my face."
"I think I even had a physical reaction," Yovanovitch said. "Even now, words fail me."
I mean what else are you trying to suggest here PowerStroker? That Yovanovitch is running the show over in Ukraine? And that POTUS needs the Ambassadors blessing to conduct or request help conducting an investigation?
Is that what you are trying to suggest?
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
So then who is corrupt!? The Bidens for having a racket going in Ukraine or the POTOS who is investigating said corruption?
You think everything the Bidens were doing in Ukraine was on the up and up? You don't think there was some good old fashioned pay for play going on there?
Well son of a bitch!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
The Biden thing is a debunked conspiracy theory. It's not up to the President to investigate, he should leave that to the Justice Department so he stays out of trouble.
My understanding of the whole "Biden thing" is that a company there that had some shady history got some new management and wanted to turn over a new leaf by putting honorable people on their board of directors. Hunter Biden was one such person.
Criminal investigations need to stay the duty of the Justice Department, and the Justice Department needs to stay non partisan.
The Biden thing is a debunked conspiracy theory. It's not up to the President to investigate, he should leave that to the Justice Department so he stays out of trouble.
My understanding of the whole "Biden thing" is that a company there that had some shady history got some new management and wanted to turn over a new leaf by putting honorable people on their board of directors. Hunter Biden was one such person.
Criminal investigations need to stay the duty of the Justice Department, and the Justice Department needs to stay non partisan.
This response ^^^ may well win the award for the biggest bullshit response of the year PowerStroker!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I literally spit out my Coca-Cola while reading it!
Nothing better than watching you have to cover for Biden when you KNOW he was dirty! And Hunter? Was he honorable when buying crack cocaine, or banging his buddies wife? I hear he literally just got married to someone he just recently met!
Then there is the China incident, where Hunter also sat on a board very high up and was being paid an incredible amount of money - but not anymore! NOPE!
Thing is PowerStroker, you people pushed it too far... you can bet that after the impeachment trials in the Senate that a lot of your people will probably be in jail or on trial come next November! Trump hasn't done ANYTHING wrong and your side lacks the goods for me to believe a single word they say anymore! In fact, due to the FISA abuses every peice of evidence you might have THOUGHT you had on Trump is now fruit of the poisonous tree - inadmissible! I hope the Democrats keep it up, trying to usurp the will of the American People! They are so busted! And FYI - Trump will be re-elected in 2020.
Got nothing to do with being non-partisan... Your people are crooks who tried to jump the shark and they missed. They deserve everything they have coming to them! This is not a dictatorship and they do not run the bingo! Once more I will remind you that Trump was legally voted in as the President of the United States and as such every single person who works in government serves at his pleasure in one way or another. Resistance is futile at this point, whoever else wants to come out an fall on the sword for Obama and company can be my guest! In fact I thank them in advance for bringing themselves to our attention!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Besides, only people from California actually respond to telephone surveys! The rest of us have much better shit to do!
It's true!
LOL ! Californian's have got it tough too...Lot's of bums & poop !
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
And yet, a FOX NEWS poll shows 54% of Americans support impeaching President Trump.
And that poll polled 1000 people.
Done by one single person, a far left lesbian in DC
All polls now poll more democrats, simply because there are more. If you want a true indication poll 50/50 dem/rep not 60dem 40 rep. What do you expect for results with polls like this? Even Pew did that!
Pollster John McLaughlin: Those bad media polls are getting bad for them. Everyone of those polls that came out today whether its CNN, ABC, Quinnipiac, they ALL under-poll Republicans. Can you believe it they all had less than 30% Republicans? When we were 33% on election day in 2016.
Maybe the polls are accurately reflecting some shrinking in your ranks?
A majority of Americans WANT to see your party held accountable for their crimes, and a majority of Americans won't admit it for fear of exactly what is happening to Trump today!
The partisan impeachment may very well end much like things ended for the Lincoln conspirators...
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
While the vote totals broke pretty much along partisan lines, the articles themselves, the evidence supporting them, and the motives for calling the vote were not based on partisanship despite what you may want to believe.
The Biden thing is a debunked conspiracy theory. It's not up to the President to investigate, he should leave that to the Justice Department so he stays out of trouble.
My understanding of the whole "Biden thing" is that a company there that had some shady history got some new management and wanted to turn over a new leaf by putting honorable people on their board of directors. Hunter Biden was one such person.
Criminal investigations need to stay the duty of the Justice Department, and the Justice Department needs to stay non partisan.
Yo PowerStroker! Is this your idea of an honorable person?
Hunter Biden allegedly refusing to answer 'basic' finance questions in paternity suit
Hunter Biden, the papers allege, has provided no support for this child for over a year. The Court should not let the defendant continue to avoid his natural and legal duty to support his child by failing to provide basic information about his income, finances, and lifestyle.
While the vote totals broke pretty much along partisan lines, the articles themselves, the evidence supporting them, and the motives for calling the vote were not based on partisanship despite what you may want to believe.
If Hunter is avoiding legitimate child support payments, then the civil court handling his case should spank him accordingly. Unlike you folks, I don't instinctively circle my wagon around people just because they are in my party. Last I checked, Hunter Biden wasn't running for public office, so I question the relevance.
If Hunter is avoiding legitimate child support payments, then the civil court handling his case should spank him accordingly. Unlike you folks, I don't instinctively circle my wagon around people just because they are in my party. Last I checked, Hunter Biden wasn't running for public office, so I question the relevance.
What kind of BS is that PowerStroker!? Just a minute ago you were saying he was an honorable person! Now you're trying to walk it back!?
Anyway, doesn't matter if Hunter is running for Public office, his father Joe Biden IS! Seems to be a history of Joe getting his son into political kickback positions using his influence of the Public Office! It can be proven, in fact the reason you party pulled an illegal impeachment in the house is because President Trump was looking into the Bidens!
Everything the Democrats are blaming Republicans for are issues where the DEMOCRATS have broken the laws and then try and accuse Republicans of breaking the law by investigating them for it! It's really quite crazy, but then again we are talking about Democrats!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
The Ukranian company hired him for his good name, I don't know Hunter Biden so I can't say either way. Since when is the family of a politician relevant anyway? If you want to go down that path, I suppose one wouldn't have to reach too far to find some wrongdoing on the part of Trump's kids.
They tried for three long years PowerStroker! They couldn't find it because it didn't exist! Trump was not a politician, so he could have never used the influence of the office to help himself or his kids prior to running for President! That is a fact!
Biden on the other hand has always been shady, I mean he was vice President for a complete con-artist like Obama!
Well I'll be damned, that alone should tell everyone all they need to know!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
That is only because Republicans followed the law when they were the minority in charge of the House. Just like everyone else going back to Washington! Of course we are talking about corrupt and dirty Obama Administration hold-outs that become accustom to playing Obama's race card to get away with breaking the law. Sorry, it's true!
These lawless Democrats know they have nothing to lose at this point, and they will take you ALL down with them! Watch and see!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
If so sure you are, you won't mind then if the president's own men testify in the Senate trial right, you know, to verify Trump's version of events?
Let's just say the bar will be set very high in the Senate with regards to things like the Law and Due Process!
As I understand it, the Democrats have impeached without specifically setting fourth any law that the President has violated, let alone any PROOF!
Nancy is making history by not immediately forwarding her case to the Senate after the vote! This is unprecedented that she seems to think the House will control how the Senate holds its hearings! You know you don't have the votes and the law on your side! What has just happened is the culmination of a temper tantrum that has every Democrat stepping on their own dicks, and Republicans have been in them bushes just waiting for this day! It is here!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Deep down you know it's wrong, you just don't care because you're so filled with rage and anger!
The precedent this has set will forever plague our Democratic Republic! Like an infinite loop this craziness will play out again and again - forever, unless something is done to hold the criminals who did it responsible.
You know damn well this bird can't and should not ever fly!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Deep down you know it's wrong, you just don't care because you're so filled with rage and anger!
The precedent this has set will forever plague our Democratic Republic! Like an infinite loop this craziness will play out again and again - forever, unless something is done to hold the criminals who did it responsible.
You know damn well this bird can't and should not ever fly!
Geez...
I thought the first few lines above sounded just like this fellow...
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.