House Republicans say that emails concerning the Ukrainian energy company that had Hunter Biden on its board indicate that his real purpose there was to insulate the company from prosecution.
A report from Fox News cites a Nov. 2, 2015, email from Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi to Hunter Biden and his associates in which Pozharskyi indicated the “ultimate purpose” of the agreement in progress was to short-circuit “any cases/pursuits against Nikolay in Ukraine,” referring to Mykola Zlochevsky, who also went by Nikolay.
“My only concern is for us to be on the same page re our final goals,” Pozharskyi wrote. “With this in mind, I would like us to formulate a list of deliverables, including, but not limited to: a concrete course of actions, incl. meetings/communications resulting in high-ranking US officials in Ukraine (US Ambassador) and in US publicly or in private communication/comment expressing their ‘positive opinion’ and support of Nikolay/Burisma to the highest level of decision makers here in Ukraine :President of Ukraine, president Chief of staff, Prosecutor General, etc.”
“The scope of work should also include organization of a visit of a number of widely recognized and influential current and/or former US policy-makers to Ukraine in November aiming to conduct meetings with and bring positive signal/message and support on Nikolay’s issue to the Ukrainian top officials above with the ultimate purpose to close down for any cases/pursuits against Nikolay in Ukraine,” Pozharskyi wrote.
The communications came weeks before a 2016 trip to Ukraine by then-Vice President Joe Biden in which he told Ukraine $1 billion in aid would not be forthcoming until prosecutor Victor Shokin, who had Burisma in his sights, was fired.
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, a member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the chain of events raises “serious concerns as to what machinations were really at play — and were purposefully concealed from the American people.”
“No matter how you slice Hunter Biden’s involvement, it screams public corruption at the highest levels and must be fully investigated,” she said.
“The calm, judicious, steady reveal of incredibly condemning evidence that clearly incriminates the Biden crime family will eventually alarm even the most ardent supporters of this WH occupier,” Republican Rep. Clay Higgins, of Louisiana said.
“Our President is compromised, he should resign and be forever condemned, and the Democrat Party should begin rebuilding itself,” he said.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona said the latest emails “further establish bribery and corruption between Ukraine officials and the Bidens. In short, they are evidence of potential criminal activity by Joe, the Big Man, Biden and his son, Hunter.”
“Putting personal interests ahead of American interests is not just a dishonor of the office, but treasonous. It is a major scandal unprecedented in the annals of our history and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee will investigate and expose as much of the ugly truth as possible,” he said.
The standard line from the Biden campaign and Bidne White House has been that Shokin had to go because he was part of the problem of corruption in Ukraine.
Republicans are not buying that any longer.
“I don’t think Biden had Shokin fired because he was too lax on corruption. I think Biden had him fired to cover his own tail when it comes to the Biden family’s shady business dealings in Ukraine,” Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said.
Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota said the timeline revealed by the emails “further supports the conclusion that Burisma hired Hunter Biden to gain access to his father. They wanted a U.S. policymaker to take their side, and they got Vice President Joe Biden, who was in charge of Ukraine policy for the Obama administration. These emails raise even more questions that need answers.”
Allegations in a document filed with the FBI claimed that an executive at Burisma paid Joe Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million to gain their support for the company, according to Fox News. The allegation has not been proven.
However, a Senate report said even at the time, officials were aware of a potential conflict by Hunter Biden’s presence on Burisma’s board.
A 2020 Senate report noted that the “Obama administration knew that Hunter Biden’s position on Burisma’s board was problematic and did interfere in the efficient execution of policy with respect to Ukraine. Moreover, this investigation has illustrated the extent to which officials within the Obama administration ignored the glaring warning signs when the vice president’s son joined the board of a company owned by a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.