January 23, 2020

Investigating Hunter Biden Was Worth Millions of Dollars to Donald Trump

Consolidated News Photos/CNP via ZUMA

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And so it begins. Republicans are now arguing that, sure, President Trump tried to extort Ukraine into investigating a political opponent. So what? Here is Federalist Society superstar Josh Blackman:

President Trump did not stand to receive any money or property from the Ukrainian president….Receiving a “personal political benefit” does not transform an otherwise legal action — requesting an investigation — into impeachable conduct.

Here is the Republican senator from Tennessee:

And here is the second article of impeachment against Richard Nixon:

He misused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office….

Back in 1974, directing an “investigation” for purposes “unrelated” to lawful functions of the office produced a 28-10 vote in the Judiciary Committee for impeachment. That included six Republicans. Today, extorting an investigation from Ukraine for personal gain produces nothing but sophistry from Republicans.

It is plain to everyone that Trump’s lengthy battering of Ukraine—which went on for months and months—was not a legitimate use of his office. He never asked Ukraine to take action against corruption in general. He asked for only one thing: an investigation of Hunter Biden. That’s it. That’s all he wanted. And it was worth millions of dollars to him, far more than any ordinary illegal campaign contribution delivered in a plain black suitcase.

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WE'LL BE BLUNT

It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

The upshot: Being able to rally $253,000 in donations over these next few weeks is vitally important simply because it is the number that keeps us right on track, helping make sure we don't end up with a bigger gap than can be filled again, helping us avoid any significant (and knowable) cash-flow crunches for now. We used to be more nonchalant about coming up short this time of year, thinking we can make it by the time June rolls around. Not anymore.

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Getting just 10 percent of the people who care enough about our work to be reading this blurb to part with a few bucks would be utterly transformative for us, and that's very much what we need to keep charging hard in this financially uncertain, high-stakes year.

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