Ukraine."[1] Senator Ron Johnson, who attended President Zelensky's inauguration in May 2019, recalled "concern over rumors that [President] Zelensky was going to appoint Andriy Bohdan, the lawyer for oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, as his chief of staff. The delegation [to the inauguration] viewed Bohdan's rumored appointment to be contrary to the goal of fighting corruption and maintaining U.S. support."[2] President Zelensky appointed Bohdan to be head of presidential administration in May 2019.[3]
In addition, Dr. Hill explained that the NSC had a concern about President Zelensky's relationship with Kolomoisky, an oligarch who had owned the television station on which Zelensky's comedy show aired.[4] Under the Poroshenko regime, the Ukrainian government had accused Kolomoisky of embezzling from PrivatBank, which he co-owned, causing Kolomoisky to flee Ukraine.[5] According to Ambassador Volker, "the Ukrainian taxpayer officially is bailing out the bank for the money that Kolomoisky stole. Because the IMF provides budgetary support to Ukraine, we [the U.S. taxpayers] actually ended up bailing out this bank."[6] Ambassador Taylor testified that he discussed these concerns about Kolomoisky directly with President Zelensky:
[T]he influence of one particular oligarch over Mr. Zelensky is of particular concern, and that's this fellow Kolomoisky, so – and Kolomoisky has growing influence. And this is one of the concerns that I have expressed to President Zelensky and his team on several occasions very explicitly, saying that, you know, Mr. President, Kolomoisky was not elected. You were elected and he, Mr. Kolomoisky, is increasing his influence in your government, which could cause you to fail. So I've had that conversation with him a couple of times.[7]
Kolomoisky returned to Ukraine following President Zelensky's victory.[8]
5. President Trump extended an invitation to the White House to President Zelensky on three occasions without conditions.
The evidence demonstrates that President Trump had a deep skepticism of Ukraine based on its history of pervasive corruption. This inherent skepticism, coupled with certain Ukrainian government officials' criticism of candidate Trump during the 2016 campaign and President Zelensky's untested views, contributed to President Trump's reticence to meet with President
- ↑ Volker transcribed interview, supra note 60, at 137.
- ↑ Letter from Sen. Ron Johnson to Jim Jordan, Ranking Member, H. Comm. on Oversight & Reform, & Devin Nunes, Ranking Member, H. Perm. Sel. Comm. on Intelligence 3 (Nov. 18, 2019).
- ↑ Roman Olearchyk, Volodymyr Zelensky hires oligarch's lawyer as chief of staff, Financial Times, May 22, 2019.
- ↑ Hill deposition, supra note 12, at 76-77.
- ↑ Andrew E. Kramer, Oligarch's return raises alarm in Ukraine, N.Y. Times, May 16, 2019.
- ↑ Volker transcribed interview, supra note 60, at 246.
- ↑ Taylor deposition, supra note 47, at 86.
- ↑ Kramer, supra note 141.
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