Did President Trump Attempt to Bribe the President of Ukraine?

What is Bribery? The Legal Definition

“Colloquially, I think you would call it extortion. But the U.S. criminal code defines both as bribery (here) AND extortion (in another section). To use a dated 70’s SNL reference: it’s a floor wax AND a dessert topping!”

Jonathan Zasloff
Law Professor, UCLA School of Law
(11/7/19)

Key Quotes from the July 25, 2019 Phone Call

“…the United States has been very very good to Ukraine. I wouldn’t say that it’s reciprocal necessarily because things are happening that are not good but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine.”

Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
(From transcript of 7/25/19 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky)

President Zelensky:
“We. are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps. Specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins [missiles] from the United· States for defense purposes.”

President Trump:
“I would like you to do us a favor, though, because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say Crowdstrike.”

(From transcript of 7/25/19 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky)

“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it… It sounds horrible to me.”

Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
(From transcript of 7/25/19 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky)

“I also wanted to thank you for your invitation to visit the United States, specifically Washington DC. On the other hand, I also want to ensure you that we will be very serious about the case and will work on the investigation.”

Volodomyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine
(From transcript of 7/25/19 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky)

NOTE: As of this writing, President Trump has not hosted President Zelensky at the White House. He finally met briefly with Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York on September 25, 2019, the day after after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the official opening of an impeachment inquiry over Trump’s pressure on Ukraine.

Key Quotes from the Impeachment Hearings

“By mid-July, it was becoming clear to me that the meeting President Zelensky wanted was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma, and alleged Ukrainian interference and the 2016 U.S. elections. It was also clear that this condition was driven by the irregular policy channel I had come to understand was guided by Mr. Giuliani.”

William Taylor
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
(11/13/19)

“Needless to say, the Ukrainians in the meetings were confused. Ambassador Bolton and the regular Ukraine policy decision making channel wanted to talk about security, energy, and reform. Ambassador Sondland, a participate in the irregular channel, wanted to talk about the connection between a White House meeting and Ukrainian investigations.”

William Taylor
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
(11/13/19)

“Very concerned, on that same day, September 1st, I sent Ambassador Sondland a text message asking if we are now saying that the security assistance and a White House meeting are conditioned on investigations. Ambassador Sondland responded asking me to call him, which I did. During that phone call Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants President Zelensky to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.”

William Taylor
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
(11/13/19)

“In mid-August, it became clear to me that Giuliani’s efforts to gin up politically-motivated investigations were now infecting US engagement with Ukraine, leveraging President Zelensky’s desire for a White House meeting.”

George Kent
Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Eastern Europe and the Caucuses
(11/13/19)

“On July 25, 2019 the call occurred. I listened in on the call in the situation room with White House colleagues. I was concerned by the call. What I heard was inappropriate and I reported my concerns to Mr. Eisenberg. It is improper for the President of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a US citizen and a political opponent.”

U.S. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman
National Security Counsel Ukraine Expert, Director for European Affairs
(11/19/19)

“At the September 1st meeting, which I attended, President Zelensky asked the Vice President about news articles reporting a hold on U.S. security assistance for Ukraine. The Vice President responded that Ukraine had the United States’ unwavering support and promised to relay their conversation to President Trump that night.“

Jennifer Williams
Official at the State Department detailed to Vice President Mike Pence
(11/19/19)

“As a professional diplomat, I was comfortable exploring whether there was a statement Ukraine could make about its own intentions to investigate possible corruption that would be helpful in convincing Mr. Giuliani to convey to President Trump a more positive assessment of the new leadership in Ukraine. On August 16th, Mr. Yermak shared a draft with me, which I thought looked perfectly reasonable. It did not mention Burisma or 2016 elections but was generic. Ambassador Sondland and I had a further conversation with Mr. Giuliani, who said in his view, in order to be convincing that this government represented real change in Ukraine, the statement [from Zelensky about conducting investigations] should include specific reference to Burisma and 2016.”

Kurt Volker
Former US Special Envoy to Ukraine
(11/19/19)

“Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’ As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.”

Gordon Sondland
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union
(11/20/19)

“Mr. Giuliani conveyed to Secretary Perry, Ambassador Volker, and others that President Trump wanted a public statement from President Zelensky committing to investigations of Burisma and the 2016 election … We all understood that these prerequisites for the White House call and White House meeting reflected President Trump’s desires and requirements.”

Gordon Sondland
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union
(11/20/19)

“I later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a public statement from Ukraine committing to the investigations of the 2016 election and Burisma, as Mr. Giuliani had demanded.”

Gordon Sondland
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union
(11/20/19)

“Mr. Giuliani’s requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelenskiy. Mr. Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma. Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the President of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the President.”

Gordon Sondland
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union
(11/20/19)

“Remember, I left on July 19th, and the call took place the following week. In the months leading up to that, from May onwards, it became very clear that the White House meeting itself was being predicated on other issues, namely investigations and the questions about the election interference in 2016.”

Fiona Hill
Former White House Adviser, Former Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs
(11/21/19)

“It was quite loud when the President came on, quite distinctive. I believe Ambassador Sondland also said yesterday he often speaks very loudly over the phone. And I certainly experienced that. He — when the President came on, he sort of winced and held the phone away from his ear like this. And he did that for the first couple exchanges. I don’t know if he then turned the volume down, if he got used to it, if the President moderated his volume — I don’t know. But that’s how I was able to hear it.”