Former Ukraine Attorney General Viktor Shokin accuses Joe and Hunter Biden of “corruption” and says they took big “bribes” from Burisma and were behind his sacking.
Shokin, who was ousted as Ukraine’s top prosecutor in 2016, made the allegations in excerpts of an upcoming explosive interview aired on Fox News.
At the time of his sacking, he was investigating corruption charges against oil company Burisma Holdings – when Hunter was serving on the company’s board.
“I don’t want to delve into unproven facts.” But I firmly believe that was the case. “They were bribed,” says Shokin in the excerpt of the interview.
“The fact that Joe Biden gave away $1 billion in exchange for my firing — my firing — isn’t that in itself a case of corruption?” he continues in another clip.
A photo of Joe and Hunter found on Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop
Former Ukraine Attorney General Viktor Shokin accuses Joe and Hunter Biden of “corruption”.
The full interview with Brian Kilmeade will air Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The White House has accused Fox News of “providing a platform for lies” by airing the interview.
“For years these false claims have been debunked and no matter how much airtime Fox gives them, they will remain false,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said.
“Fox provides a platform for these lies to a former Ukrainian attorney general, whose office his own deputy described as a ‘hotbed of corruption’, drawing calls for reform not only from then-Vice President Biden, but also from US diplomats, international partners, etc .” Republican senators like Ron Johnson.”
In December 2015, then-Vice President Joe Biden gave a speech to Ukraine’s Rada praising his efforts to fight corruption in the country and calling for an overhaul and reform of the Attorney General’s office.
A few months later, in March 2016, Joe Biden reportedly threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine unless Shokin was specifically fired for corruption — and he did shortly thereafter.
Years later, Biden actually boasted about his firing at a 2018 Council on Foreign Relations event.
Biden said he would withhold $1 billion in US aid if Ukrainians didn’t agree to Shokin’s sacking.
“I looked at her and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours.’ “If the prosecutor doesn’t get fired, you don’t get the money,” Biden said.
“Well, damn son. “He was fired,” he continued.
Republicans said Hunter’s involvement in Burisma and his possible influence on Shokin’s firing were evidence of influence by the Biden family.
As part of a larger investigation, they are looking for records showing that during his tenure as Vice President, Joe Biden used pseudonyms to discuss his Ukraine-related activities with his son Hunter.
Specifically, they want an unredacted document showing that then-Vice President Biden took a phone call with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on May 27, 2016.
Republicans say the document was emailed to “Robert L. Peters,” which is a “pseudonym” that the House Oversight Committee “identified as then-Vice President Biden,” according to one obtained by Letter.
Hunter Biden’s former business partner Archer testified before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month that Joe Biden’s “brand” protects Burisma because “people would be intimidated to mess with them.”
Hunter’s presence on Burisma’s board of directors and exposure to his father — then the vice president — led to the company’s “longevity” because it had the “skills to navigate DC,” Archer said, according to the transcript.
Hunter’s best friend and business partner sat with him on the Burisma board of directors as of 2014. They also co-founded Rosemont Seneca Partners, an investment advisory firm.
He confirmed that over a 10-year period, Hunter had called Joe on speakerphone 20 times at business meetings, which was a “signal” of “value” and Hunter had used his father as a “defense lever.”
President Joe Biden delivers a speech to the Ukrainian Parliament in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2015
Images on Hunter Biden’s laptop
Republicans said Hunter’s involvement in Burisma and his possible influence on Shokin’s firing were evidence of influence by the Biden family
Archer said it was “government pressure” due to the then ongoing Ukrainian investigation into the company — led by Chief Prosecutor Shokin
He also told lawmakers that Joe had dinner in person at least twice with Hunter and his foreign business partners, who then wired money to Biden-affiliated companies almost immediately afterwards.
During a dinner with Burisma executives at the Four Seasons in Dubai in December 2015, Hunter said he could get “help from DC” to ease “government pressure” on the company.
Archer testified that Burisma “were under pressure” and that’s why they “requested Hunter to help them deal with that pressure.”
He said it was “government pressure” due to the then ongoing Ukrainian investigation into the company – led by Chief Prosecutor Shokin.
However, Archer said that Shokin “wasn’t particularly on my radar as he was a person who was going after him.”
“But yes, there was constant pressure. And it was like punching a mole when it came to the pressure that needed to be released,” Archer continued.
He said the Burisma executives didn’t directly ask, “Can the big one help?”
Instead, they used the “amorphous” term: “Can we get help in DC?”
Archer understood that “DC” signified Hunter’s influence based on his connection to his then-VP father.
“Well, I mean, he was a lobbyist and an expert and obviously had a very influential name. So I think that’s exactly what they were asking for,” Archer said.