This Newly Released Letter Details The Criminal Referral On Donald Trump Over His Ukraine Phone Call

[sabra]

Source: BuzzFeed News

Nearly one year after the House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump, the federal government has released the criminal referral alleging Trump committed crimes related to his phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, a conversation that sparked the historic proceedings.

The document, obtained by BuzzFeed News from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, is a letter dated September 4, 2019, and signed by Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community. It was sent to Stacey Moy, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division. Moy’s involvement in the Ukraine matter has not been previously disclosed.

The inspector general “is formally referring allegations received from an individual regarding, among other things, alleged violations of law related to a telephone call on July 25, 2019, between President Donald J. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” Atkinson wrote. “This referral is a follow-up to my secure telephone call on August 27, 2019, with FBI Director Christopher A. Wray’s Chief of Staff, Paul B. Murphy, during which I provided to Mr. Murphy a summary of the Complainant’s allegations.”

On Aug. 12, 2019, an anonymous CIA official had filed a formal whistleblower complaint with the House and Senate Intelligence committees and Atkinson, the inspector general, alleging Trump pressured Zelensky to publicly announce investigations into his political rivals while withholding $400 million in military aid. Trump wanted Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, then the Democratic presidential frontrunner, and his son Hunter related to unsubstantiated claims that Biden had pressured Ukraine’s prosecutor to drop an investigation into the Ukrainian gas company his son, Hunter, sat on the board of.

Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/criminal-referral-on-trump-ukraine

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[alwaysinasnit]

1. k&r for visibility

[bluestarone]

2. And the senate RETHUGLICONS did what?

NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING!!

[cstanleytech]

12. Not true!!! They did after all aid and abet with Trump to keep him in the office of President.

[niyad]

3. KNR for visibility.

[ffr]

4. Maybe something to do with Barr's departure, prior to sentencing perhaps?

If only I had a crystal ball.

[zentrum]

10. What I've heard is that...

…..one part of his resignation/firing was that he would not make a referral about Hunter Biden and the Ukraine.

Which I take to mean there wasn't enough "there", there.

[wiggs]

5. I wish stuff like this would be front page news at NYT or LAT rather than just

on left leaning websites.

Never got to the bottom of Ukraine...hopefully someday. Was serious business, part of the Russia story

[stillcool]

6. yeah, it gets lost in the minutiae

exploring different events, never coming to a conclusion because it either sprouts a new limb, or gets buried by the Trump-daily-drama. Can't imagine how much has been forgotten in such a short amount of time, just from over-load.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

7. We will never know the full extent of the crimes Trump committed as POTUS.

This is one of the bigger ones and it's good to see attention is being paid. But most Americans won't even know about this.

Now, if Barack Obama had done it...

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

8. K & R - Interesting timing of the release. How much more will dribble out

now that the LOSER will be leaving office?

[Mr.Bill]

9. What I want to see is the Mueller report

with no redactions. I wonder if we ever will?

[dchill]

11. K&R.

[Evolve Dammit]

13. this needs more attention. Thanks

[pecosbob]

14. He improperly classified the recording of the phone call with Zelensky

to protect himself from fallout. Once he's out of office the improper classification will be reversed and the country will finally get the recording along with a lot of other sundry items Trump's hidden away.

[TomDaisy]

15. our media needs to stop ignoring this crap. NO MORE "MEH" to trump criming

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. The House, or the DOJ or another agency could still run this story down.

It's not like double jeopardy applies.

[riversedge]

17. Maddow did a great segment on this last night.