By David Singer ——Bio and Archives--November 17, 2019
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The Obama-Kerry State Department at the height of the Presidential battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump deliberately covered up the involvement of Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in the affairs of the Ukraine based company Burisma Holdings.
Marie Yovanovitch revealed the extent of the cover up whilst giving evidence to the House Intelligence Committee.Stefanik: The first time you personally became aware of Burisma was actually when you were being prepared by the Obama State Department for your Senate confirmation hearings, and this was in the form of practice questions and answers. This was your deposition. And you testify that in this particular practice Q&A with the Obama State Department, it wasn't just generally about Burisma and corruption; it was specifically about Hunter Biden and Burisma. Is that correct? Yovanovitch: Yes it is. Stefanik: And the exact quote from your testimony, Ambassador, is, quote, “the way the question was phrased in this model Q&A was, what can you tell us about Hunter Biden's, you know, being named to the board of Burisma?” So for the millions of Americans watching, President Obama's own State Department was so concerned about potential conflicts of interest from Hunter Biden's role at Burisma that they raised it themselves while prepping this wonderful ambassador nominee before her confirmation. And yet our Democratic colleagues and the chairman of this committee cry foul when we dare ask that same question that the Obama State Department was so concerned about. But we will continue asking it.
Ratcliffe: I'd like to ask you about your earlier testimony about your Senate confirmation. And Congresswoman Stefanik had asked you how the Obama/Biden State Department had prepared you to answer questions about Burisma and Hunter Biden specifically. You recall that? Yovanovitch: Yes. Ratcliffe: And she mentioned that you had been asked or been prepared for a question about Hunter Biden's role on the board of Burisma, but I don't think that you gave us the answer or answers that the Obama/Biden State Department prepared you to give in response to that question. Do you remember what those answers were? Yovanovitch: Yeah. It was something along the lines of I would refer you to the vice president's office on that. Ratcliffe: So, did they, in the course of that, brief you about the amount of money that Hunter Biden was being paid by Burisma? Yovanovitch: No. I -- this -- this wasn't part of a briefing. I mean, I had sort of big old books with --
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Ratcliffe: Right -- Yovanovitch: Questions that might come up. Ratcliffe: In preparation for your confirmation. And they thought that Hunter Biden's role at Burisma might be significant enough that it would come up during your confirmation. Is that correct? Yovanovitch: Apparently so. I mean, there were hundreds of questions.Yovanovitch was sent to Ukraine not knowing that Vice President Biden and his son had become entangled in the dealings of a corrupt and dishonest Ukrainian oligarch in 2014 named Mykola Zlochevsky. America’s national interest—and Yovanovitch’s personal safety—had been seriously compromised to help Clinton beat Trump. Obama and Kerry have some explaining to do.
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David Singer is an Australian Lawyer, a Foundation Member of the International Analyst Network and Convenor of Jordan is Palestine International—an organization calling for sovereignty of the West Bank and Gaza to be allocated between Israel and Jordan as the two successor States to the Mandate for Palestine. Previous articles written by him can be found at: jordanispalestine.blogspot.com