Impeachment Smoking Gun: The Damning Letter Trump Can't Cover Up - Case close

[kpete]

Smoking guns ain’t what they used to be.

Last week, one such smoking gun emerged that should have been a turning point in the Ukraine episode, for this was proof—confirmation—that Donald Trump pressured Ukraine not for any official policy aims, but for his own personal benefit. Yet in the swell of Trump chaos and impeachment news, this new material did not get the full stop-the-presses notice it deserved. And, consequently, it did not alter the overall shape and political dynamics of the Trump-Ukraine scandal. But it should have.

In the days before the impeachment trial kicked off, the House Intelligence Committee released material it had been provided by Lev Parnas, a now-indicted Florida businessman who had worked with Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, to find dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine. That trove included a letter that Giuliani sent to Ukrainian president-elect Volodymyr Zelensky on May 10, 2019. In the note, Giuliani identified himself as “private counsel” to Trump. He explained, “Just to be precise, I represent him as a private citizen, not as President of the United States.” He added, “This is quite common under American law because the duties and privileges of a President and a private citizen are not the same.”
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The letter demonstrates two things: Giuliani is a liar, and the pressure campaign on Kyiv, from the start, was mounted to serve Trump’s personal gains, not the foreign policy interests of the United States.

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Trump and his defenders—especially House Republicans, such as Reps. Devin Nunes and Jim Jordan—have repeatedly claimed (often very loudly) that Trump was merely pushing the Ukrainian government to address corruption within its ranks and that it was well within his duties (and obligations) as president to do so. That is, he was acting in an official capacity to advance the nation’s foreign policy interests.

Giuliani’s letter—which has been cited at the Senate impeachment trial by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif), the lead House impeachment manager—blows that argument to smithereens. Trump, through his personal attorney, was requesting information from Zelensky that would help Trump as a “private citizen.” There was nothing official about this. Yet, as other testimony and evidence show, Trump then used official actions—an Oval Office meeting, military aid passed by Congress—as leverage in this “private” effort. Trump’s personal lawyer, with this letter, makes a strong case against his client.

the rest:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/an-impeachment-smoking-gun-the-damning-letter-trump-cant-cover-up/

[blm]

1. Spreading this around.

[gademocrat7]

2. Kick

[jmg257]

3. Yeesh - What was Giuliani asking for in the letter?? Nt

[AZ8theist]

4. Simple.

He was pressuring a foreign government to commit MORE CRIMES for his TRAITOROUS ASSHOLE RUSSIAN STOOGE CLIENT.

[Pepsidog]

5. According to Roberts this is all minutia

[usaf-vet]

7. I missed that declaration from Justices Roberts. When and where did he declare '"minutia"?

[Pepsidog]

9. Pettifogging

On the first day of the Trump impeachment trial, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts uttered the word "pettifogging" to illustrate a point. What does this archaic word mean and where did it come from?

The Chief Justice threw the rarely used term into proceedings to remind House of Representatives impeachment managers and the president's lawyers about the expected levels of decorum when arguing in the Senate.

"
So what does it mean? To "pettifog" is, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "to quibble over insignificant details" or "engage in legal chicanery"

[usaf-vet]

10. I missed that must have dosed off when the Trump team was pettifogging.

Thanks for clearing that up. An interesting but true description of what was going on. I guess I'll have to rethink my go-to label of BS.

[napi21]

17. It happened just after Naadler completed his presentation. Roberts professionally told both sides

to sct like they should. Said they were making their presentations to "The US Senate, the greatest deliberative body in the World. I can't believe Roberts still believes that!

[MFGsunny]

13. I only learned about "pettifogging" now, BUT have come to LOVE the word.

Knowing its definitions (engage in legal chicanery - one of those), I have realized I can say the whole nucking-futs lot of repukes are nothing less than poster children for pettifogging.

Really. Let it sink in. Think of the trio of Jack-et-off, Moo-Nunes and Gone-to-hell Gomert alone!!!!!!!

[Pepsidog]

16. Right on!

[c-rational]

6. The press has failed us. I said to my wife yesterday how disappointed I am with the press, when

I should have said disgussted and she said disappointment left when W was elected.

[Cosmocat]

12. Your wife is correct

W was embarrassing, and a modest creep toward fascism.

this shit is a full on decent into a russian style state government.

[Stuart G]

8. Thank You..Appreciate this post!.K and R..I like the words, "smoking gun".. that's it, that's all.

[yaesu]

11. I bet crooked rudy has a history of criminal activity dating back to his relations with US mobs

he was seen as a crime fighter, I bet he was taking bribes, selective in who he went after depending on who greased his palms.

[NJCher]

14. yeah, maybe

I had a friend who worked with him back at that time on legal issues and assured me he was a total a$$hole even back then.

However, he could also be a good example of the trump touch, the touch that corrupts totally. I also have a strong gut feel that he is suffering from age-related thinking problems.

[yonder]

15. Excellent, Kpete.