The 15 essential questions for Marie Yovanovitch, America's former ambassador to Ukraine

John Solomon Reports ^ | November 15, 2019 | John Solomon

[Cboldt]

The next big witness for the House Democrats' impeachment hearings is Marie Yovanovitch, the former American ambassador to Ukraine who was recalled last spring at President Trump's insistence.

It is unclear what firsthand knowledge she will offer about the core allegation of this impeachment: that Trump delayed foreign aid assistance to Ukraine in hopes of getting an investigation of Joe Biden and Democrats started.

Nonetheless, she did deal with the Ukrainians going back to the summer of 2016 and likely will be an important fact witness.

After nearly two years of reporting on Ukraine issues, here are 15 questions I think could be most illuminating to every day Americans if the ambassador answered them.

1. Ambassador Yovanovitch, at any time while you served in Ukraine did any officials in Kiev ever express concern to you that President Trump might be withholding foreign aid assistance to get political investigations started? Did President Trump ever ask you as America's top representative in Kiev to pressure Ukrainians to start an investigation about Burisma Holdings or the Bidens?
2. What was the Ukrainians' perception of President Trump after he allowed lethal aid to go to Ukraine in 2018?
3. In the spring and summer of 2019, did you ever become aware of any U.S. intelligence or U.S. treasury concerns raised about incoming Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his affiliation or proximity to certain oligarchs? Did any of those concerns involve what the IMF might do if a certain oligarch who supported Zelensky returned to power and regained influence over Ukraine's national bank?
4. Back in May 2018, then-House Rules Committee chairman Pete Sessions wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggesting you might have made comments unflattering or unsupportive of the president and should be recalled. Setting aside that Sessions is a Republican and might even have donors interested in Ukraine policy, were you ever questioned about his concerns? At any time have you or your embassy staff made comments that could be viewed as unsupportive or critical of President Trump and his policies?
5. John Solomon reported at The Hill and your colleagues have since confirmed in testimony that the State Department helped fund a nonprofit called the Anti-Corruption Action Centre of Ukraine that also was funded by George Soros' main charity. That nonprofit, also known as AnTac, was identified in a 2014 Soros foundation strategy document as critical to reshaping Ukraine to Mr. Soros' vision. Can you explain what role your embassy played in funding this group and why State funds would flow to it? And did any one consider the perception of mingling tax dollars with those donated by Soros, a liberal ideologue who spent millions in 2016 trying to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump?
6. In March 2019, Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko gave an on-the-record, videotaped interview to The Hill alleging that during a 2016 meeting you discussed a list of names of Ukrainian nationals and groups you did not want to see Ukrainian prosecutors target. Your supporters have since suggested he recanted that story. Did you or your staff ever do anything to confirm he had recanted or changed his story, such as talk to him, or did you just rely on press reports?
7. Now that both the New York Times and The Hill have confirmed that Lutsenko stands by his account and has not recanted, how do you respond to his concerns? And setting aide the use of the word "list," is it possible that during that 2016 meeting with Mr. Lutsenko you discussed the names of certain Ukrainians you did not want to see prosecuted, investigated or harassed?
8. Your colleagues, in particular Mr. George Kent, have confirmed to the House Intelligence Committee that the U.S. embassy in Kiev did, in fact, exert pressure on the Ukrainian prosecutors office not to prosecute certain Ukrainian activists and officials. These efforts included a letter Mr. Kent signed urging Ukrainian prosecutors to back off an investigation of the aforementioned group AnTac as well as engaged in conversations about certain Ukrainians like Parliamentary member Sergey Leschenko, journalist Vitali Shabunin and NABU director Artem Sytnyk. Why was the US. Embassy involved in exerting such pressure and did any of these actions run afoul of the Geneva Convention's requirement that foreign diplomats avoid becoming involved in the internal affairs of their host country?
9. On March 5 of this year, you gave a speech in which you called for the replacement of Ukraine's top anti-corruption prosecutor. That speech occurred in the middle of the Ukrainian presidential election and obviously raised concerns among some Ukrainians of internal interference prohibited by the Geneva Convention. In fact, one of your bosses, Under Secretary David Hale, got questioned about those concerns when he arrived in country a few days later. Why did you think it was appropriate to give advice to Ukrainians on an internal personnel matter and did you consider then or now the potential concerns your comments might raise about meddling in the Ukrainian election or the country's internal affairs?
10. If the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States suddenly urged us to fire Attorney General Bill Bar or our FBI director, would you think that was appropriate?
11. At any time since December 2015, did you or your embassy ever have any contact with Vice President Joe Biden, his office or his son Hunter Biden concerning Burisma Holdings or an investigation into its owner Mykola Zlochevsky?
12. At any time since you were appointed ambassador to Ukraine, did you or your embassy have any contact with the following Burisma figures: Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, lawyer John Buretta, Blue Star strategies representatives Sally Painter and Karen Tramontano, or former Ukrainian embassy official Andrii Telizhenko?
13. John Solomon obtained documents showing Burisma representatives were pressuring the State Department in February 2016 to help end the corruption allegations against the company and were invoking Hunter Biden's name as part of their effort. Did you ever subsequently learn of these contacts and did any one at State -- including but not limited to Secretary Kerry, Undersecretary Novelli, Deputy Secretary Blinken or Assistant Secretary Nuland -- ever raise Burisma with you?
14. What was your embassy's assessment of the corruption allegations around Burisma and why the company may have hired Hunter Biden as a board member in 2014?
15. In spring 2019 your embassy reportedly began monitoring briefly the social media communications of certain people viewed as supportive of President Trump and gathering analytics about them. Who were those people? Why was this done? Why did it stop? And did anyone in the State Department chain of command ever suggest targeting Americans with State resources might be improper or illegal?

[Cboldt]

Timely contribution to the public dialog

[Old Retired Army Guy]

I saw the start of her opening statement which was a “please feel sorry for me” story. The tears will follow.

[brownsfan]

She was fired, and now she gets an opportunity to sling dirt at the guy that fired her?!

I just smh at the lack of credibility.

[hal ogen]

It would be good for America if this seditious loser were exposed, arrested (and after a fair trial and conviction) exiled for the rest of her obviously worthless life.

[Texas Eagle]

Based on what's taken place so far, I think she should only be asked three questions:

What is your name?

What is your quest?

What is your favorite color?

The third question could vary from witnes to witness.

[Immolumentor]

16. Did you, at anytime during your tenure as Ambassador, meet with or have electronic conversations with Mister Christopher Steele? Did you debrief the Secretary regarding that meeting/conversation?

[elpadre]

and here are a few more from another posting:

1. Is it common practice for Ambassadors to call the President directly?

2. Is it common practice to use unsecured cell phones to talk to the President?

3. Is it common practice to talk to the President on an unsecured cell phone while in a public place?

4. Did he have the thing on speaker phone, or did the staffer just hear one side of the conversation?

5. Who called who?

[AAABEST]

I'm watching this phony bitch right now. It would actually be comical if it weren't so tragic.

The banality and rot within our government is much worse than even I thought.

[Jess Kitting]

Good questions. Did someone submit them to Jim Jordan or another GOP House member?

[Zathras]

Q: “Why was Ukraine the the number one donor to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and where did the money come from?”

[Cboldt]

-- The banality and rot within our government is much worse than even I thought. --

It's something to behold when peeking behind the curtain. The lower levels are just as banal and rotten. I dismiss any claim that the government is by and large good people. It is not.

[grania]

Who the *ell does she think she is? Lecturing us about HER Ukranian policy? These hearings are proving one thing for sure. There is indeed a DEEP STATE, and it's not giving up easily. It's pretty obvious from this testimony that US officials did indeed become involved in Ukranian elections.

I sure hope that the 'pubs tear her apart!

[rhombus10]

Q1: Who the hell sets foreign policy in this country? The President? Or unelected bureaucrats.

If she gets this question wrong, there's no reason to ask her anything else.

[Mathews]

More like 43 questions, but good ones regardless.

[jdsteel]

Watching now...several “how did that make you FEEL” questions.

Waiting for the waterworks.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Bttt

[UCANSEE2]

"It is unclear what firsthand knowledge she will offer about the core allegation of this impeachment: that Trump delayed foreign aid assistance to Ukraine in hopes of getting an investigation of Joe Biden and Democrats started. "

Uh... Joe Biden/Hunter Biden/Burisma/Democrats were being investigated before Donald Trump became President. The Dems even tried to halt the investigation, including today's impeachment witness who in her position of power, tried to tell the Ukrainian government WHOM they could NOT INVESTIGATE.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

She just lied. She said under oath that Lutsenko recanted.

He did not.

[hadaclueonce]

A butt hurt Ambassador.
This is the best they got?
She is crying.
F them.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Boo hoo