Monday, March 9, 2020

What Hunter Biden Got Paid for by Burisma...

...smearing the Anti-Corruption forces in the Ukraine.
from the Daily Caller
•A consulting firm linked to Hunter Biden and Burisma Holdings registered in 2017 to lobby on behalf of a shadowy Ukrainian organization accused of smearing a non-profit group that investigates corruption in the eastern European country.

•Blue Star Strategies registered as a lobbyist for the National Interest of Ukraine in Sept. 2017.

•Hunter Biden reportedly put Blue Star in contact with Burisma, the Ukrainian energy firm that has been dogged for years by allegations of corruption.
A Democratic consulting firm linked to Hunter Biden and Burisma Holdings registered to lobby in 2017 for a Ukrainian organization that has been accused of smearing an anti-corruption group in the eastern European country, according to government records.

Blue Star Strategies, which was co-founded by two veterans of the Clinton administration, registered to lobby in September 2017 for National Interest of Ukraine (NIU), a shadowy organization linked to the People’s Front, a political party that promotes Ukrainian nationalism.

Daria Kaleniuk, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, or AnTac, has recently alleged that NIU hired Blue Star Strategies to “discredit” her group.

“Blue Star Strategies — this is the PR firm from the United States, which had an order to discredit our organization,” Kaleniuk said in an interview on Jan. 27.

“Shamefully Blue Star was spreading fakes against @ANTAC_ua in 2017,” she tweeted on Nov. 17.

In one of several odd twists involving Ukraine-related matters, Joe Biden’s presidential campaign cited Kaleniuk in a video supporting the former vice president against allegations leveled by Trump allies that he improperly intervened to help Burisma Holdings on behalf of his son.

But Kaleniuk has also criticized Hunter’s role with the Ukrainian energy firm given its reputation for corruption.

“I think Hunter Biden did a very bad thing and he was very wrong. He allowed his name to be abused,” she said in a June 20, 2019 interview with ABC News.

Hunter, who joined Burisma’s board in April 2014 along with his business partner, Devon Archer, is said to be the connection point between the company and Blue Star Strategies. The New York Times reported last year that Hunter and his partners brought in Blue Star to help Burisma fight off corruption investigations.

Blue Star Strategies is owned by Karen Tramontano and Sally Painter, two former Clinton administration officials. Painter was on the board of directors with Hunter on the Truman National Security Project, a liberal national security think tank.

There is no indication that Hunter was aware of Blue Star’s work for NIU. It is also unclear what work Blue Star did for NIU. Tramontano and another associate of the firm did not respond to requests for comment.

AnTac has alleged on its website that NIU began retaliating against the group because it was calling for corruption investigations against lawmakers associated with the People’s Front. NIU in turn began questioning AnTac’s non-profit status, and pushed for investigations of the group.

Freedom House, a pro-democracy think tank, has criticized the NIU as a “fake” non-government organization.

“The criminal probe against AntAC was initiated by a fake NGO created and influenced by political interests,” reads a report that Freedom House issued in 2018.

“This fake NGO, National Interest of Ukraine, was registered in 2017—its Facebook page appeared just a day before the investigation into AntAC was announced—and was mainly used to discredit civil society activities.”

The Freedom House report said that NIU is closely associated with leaders in the People’s Front, which has been under investigation for corruption.

Kaleniuk has not released specifics on how the firm targeted AnTac. She did not reply to emails seeking comment for this article.

Blue Star registered as a lobbyist for the group on Sept. 11, 2017, according to documents filed with Congress.

The registration filing says Blue Star would work for NIU to “[r]aise awareness within USG of [non-governmental organization’s] work to promote rule of law & civil rights in Ukraine.” The lobbying disclosure forms do not show that Blue Star was paid by NIU. Blue Star submitted a termination form on Nov. 28, 2017.

Senate Republicans investigating Hunter’s work for Burisma Holdings have in recent months turned their attention to Blue Star Strategies.

On Sunday, Sen. Ron Johnson said that he plans to subpoena a former consultant for Blue Star named Andrii Telizhenko.

State Department emails show that Painter and Tramontano sought meetings with multiple State Department officials to discuss Burisma and other Ukraine-related matters.

On June 27, 2016, Sally Painter emailed State Department official Bill Russo seeking a follow-up meeting with Tony Blinken, who then served as deputy secretary of state.

Painter said in the email that she had talked with Blinken about “troubling events” in Ukraine at an event hosted by the Truman National Security Project.

Blinken is now a foreign policy adviser to Biden’s campaign. Russo is a top Biden campaign official.

Tramontano also contacted State Department officials regarding Burisma. She sent an email on Feb. 24, 2016, seeking a meeting with Catherine Novelli, formerly the undersecretary of state for energy issues, in hopes of “getting a better understanding of how the U.S. came to the determination that [Burisma] is corrupt.”

26 comments:

  1. Quote: ...a plurality of all voters, 40 percent, said Hunter Biden's position at the company [Burisma] won't make a difference in whether they will vote for the former vice president to be the Democratic nominee in upcoming contests. ... There is no evidence that has surfaced to suggest that Hunter Biden or Joe Biden broke any laws. [end quote]

    Quote: A quick history of Burisma's corruption in Ukraine shows it has nothing to do with Hunter Biden. ... While Hunter Biden was not an expert on Ukraine or the natural gas industry, he was an attorney who Burisma hired (along with his firm) to help with corporate governance best practices... [end quote]

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  2. Did those "best practices" include smearing anti-corruption NGOs?

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  3. I thought you said the anti-corruption NGO was a Soros front organization and that it was on Hunter Biden's side? So why would he smear them?

    ////Quote////

    Minus: AntAC is George Soros group.

    Dervy: God bless George Soros. FYI, donating money to an organization because you like the work they are doing does not mean you then run that organization. AntAC is not a "George Soros group".

    Minus: No, it's worse. It's a George Soros purchased shell NGO.

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  4. Burismas gas producing potential represents an independent Ukraine, free of Russian or EU/IMF influence. Soros desperately needs an EU/IMF dependent Ukraine to be in debt to its's eyeballs, to him and the Rothschildes.

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  5. Burisma's oligarch doesnt want to play the EU globalist game.

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  6. So now you're pro-Burisma? If Hunter Biden was working for "one of the good guys", wtf is your problem? I thought your whole issue was that Burisma was corrupt and that Joe Biden wanted the Ukraine prosecutor to stop investigating them (and his son)? Also, why would George Soros GAF about the Ukraine's debt?

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  7. I'm not pro-Burisma. I just know that Russia's oligarch's, Ukraine's oligarch's, and America/Europe's oligarchs all have different agenda's and which "team" George Soros is on. The team that wants to be "in-charge" of all anti-corruption efforts and subsequently claim that all the "corruption" is on the 'other' guy's team.

    And George Soros is a currency trader. Manipulating debt levels and creating national debt crises ensure an active and potentially volatile currency market. He did, after all, break the Bank of England.

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  8. Corruption on the other guy's team is the ONLY corruption that you are concerned about. i.e. Dotard corruption is OK with you. It's a "spoil" he's entitled to for "winning", apparently. Or, he's "on your side" (his lie, which you believe) so you don't care.

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  9. If Donald Trump is corrupt, then by ALL means, indict him.

    But you don't, because he does, and has done, nothing "illegal". He, too, is not a "Benefit LLC".

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  10. America's workers know that the Biden/Clinton/Soros Team would sell their jobs to China tomorrow for a $2 campaign contribution from Chairman Xi.

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  11. Donald Trump is 100% bourgeois. Biden and Clinton are 100% "salaried" bourgeois. They have no "skin in the game" when it comes to wealthy American workers, because their surplus SALARIES isolate and immunize them AGAINST solidarity with America's regular working people/ families.

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  12. "American workers" know no such thing. Many vote Democratic because they know the Democratic Parity has historically been for workers and opposed to job killing free trade deals. "New Democrats" Clinton and Obama are the exception. And that occurred because the republican party completely sold out to big business. Bill Clinton wrongly decided that Democrats needed to sell out to get some of that sweet oligarch money in order to compete.

    Bernie Sanders knows this (along with other Democratic Progressives) which is why he should be our nominee. Hopefully (if Biden is the nominee) we can push him in the right direction. The answer is NOT to vote Dotard. Dotard is a LIAR. Also, Congressional republicans are NOT with him. Whereas a Democratic president absolutely WILL bring the rest of the Democratic party along with him. Given that the Progressive wing of the party never changed on trade. While the republicans (at least since Reagan) have been (and still are) "liberal" on trade.

    BTW, Dotard, in addition to being a liar, is scum. He cares ONLY for himself and not one iota for workers. Except as dupes he can get to vote for him by telling them lies they like. I'll definitely (if reluctantly) vote for Biden to get rid of the shitstain Putin-puppet occupying the White House.

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  13. . Hopefully (if Biden is the nominee) we can push him in the right direction.

    You're going to teach THAT old a new trick? BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! You kill me, Dervy. After Hunter's Burisma deal? After Hunter's $1 billion Yuan/China investment deal? Joe may be senile, but STUPID he ain't!

    ps- Bernie ain't bringing no Congress people outside of the Squad with him, if HE wins. The rest of the Never-Bernie movement would as soon spit on Bernie as ACTUALLY vote in a single democratic socialism idea. They're all SOJUS hat with no SOJUS cattle.

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  14. Dotard is the senile old dog who can't learn any new tricks. He is an idiot who thinks he knows more than the medical doctors. Why his administration is bungling the coronavirus pandemic so badly. republicans elect leaders, Democrats elect representatives. Your Hunter Biden delusions have nothing to do with how Joe Biden will govern as president.

    As for Bernie Sanders, he FOUNDED the largest caucus in Congress. The PROGRESSIVE caucus. There is no "never Bernie" movement. ALL Democrats have been continually saying they are going to support the nominee, no matter who the nominee is. And you were just claiming that two moderates are Communists. Now all Dems are "never Bernie" moderates again?

    As YOU said (re Dotard), when you win, the party is yours. Although, while the "GOP" may be on board re defending Dotard with Russian conspiracy theories (sans Mitt Romney), they STILL did not support him on trade, or give him money for his wall. And rumor has it that many Congressional republicans hate him and realize he is a moron. They are simply too chickenshit to say so in public. BWAH HA HA HA HA HA!

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  15. Trump remains the Change candidate. :)

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  16. Change from a president who isn't controlled by Putin to one who is -- that is change most Americans don't want. I do agree that Bernie should be the nominee, however. Bernie offers REAL change that benefits all Americans. As opposed to just the oligarchs.

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  17. Krystal Ball does not lead any movement. If she did (as per the title of your video -- which I did not watch) it would be a "never Biden" movement. I thought we were talking about "never Bernie".

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  18. The speed in which the DNC kicked Bernie to the curb is comment enough about the size and strength of the Never Bernie/ establishment wing of the DNC.

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  19. Bernie Sanders did not change his party affiliation to Democratic (as he did in 2016, before switching back to Independent following the election). Yet the DNC allowed him to run in their primary. How is that "kicking to the curb"? Has the next debate been cancelled (given that many are thinking that perhaps Bernie should drop out now)?

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  20. Is Tulsi allowed in that debate? She qualified.

    Curb your blue dogs.

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  21. How is Tulsi still running? I don't know anything about her "qualifying". How is that possible? It's 100 percent guaranteed that Tulsi won't be the nominee. And it was pretty much from the start of this process. btw, I have no control over any Blue dogs.

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  22. The DNC "debate rules" are whatever Joe Biden needs at the moment to win the election.

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  23. If young people turned out in large numbers Bernie would probably be on his way to being the nominee. The fact that they didn't (and never do) likely pleases the DNC, but debate rules have nothing to do with young voters not showing up. They changed the debate rules to let in the republican billionaire. I don't believe that helped Biden.

    FYI, there is no path to the Democratic nomination for Tulsi Gabbard. So what's next for her? A third party spoiler run to help Dotard stay in the White House? She may still want a position in the Putin-puppet administration.

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  24. Does sleepy joe get a chair for this debate? If he does, he'll likely fall asleep.

    Tulsi Gabbard has as much chance of gaining the nomination as Bernie does at this point. Bernie has only a narrow path to winning sufficient delegates to win on the first vote before all the establishment ringers weigh in.

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  25. FAR more people voted for Bernie Sanders compared to Tulsi. And I have no idea how Joe Biden is "sleepy". Sounds like stupid bullshit to me. Dotard, on the other hand...

    Donald Trump Called To Resign After Sleeping During Coronavirus Meeting.

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