Washington, D.C. — A new CAP column shows how President Donald Trump co-opted various aspects of the United States government to carry out his pressure and extortion campaign against Ukraine, and potentially other foreign powers. Key officials and advisers across the administration appear to have played a role in Trump’s mission to use Ukraine to produce an electoral advantage for his re-election campaign.
CAP has identified and compiled key questions for seven government officials who may have played a role in the scheme, as well as Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer.
- Attorney General William Barr, who has been traveling the world meeting with foreign governments reportedly to undermine the Robert Mueller investigation
- Vice President Mike Pence, who was instructed by Trump to withhold funds from Ukraine
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was one of the few officials listening in on the July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
- Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, who has faced questions about the process of withholding aid to Ukraine
- Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, who traveled to Ukraine in May 2019 in place of Pence, who was instructed not to attend Zelensky’s inauguration
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who oversaw the office that held up the delivery of aid to Ukraine
- Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, who may have additional insight into the process surrounding the office’s role in withholding aid to Ukraine
Read the column: “Trump’s Extortion of Ukraine: A Complete Government Shakedown” by Jeremy Venook and Talia Dessel.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Morgan Finkelstein at [email protected] or 202.478.5311.