Conspiracy Theory

Republicans Also Called for Replacing Ukraine’s Former AG

Written by SK Ashby

The conspiracy theory, according to Trump and his Republican enablers, is that former Vice President Joe Biden pressured former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to replace Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin because he was investigating a natural gas company connected to Biden's son, Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of the company.

The theory has been debunked a dozen times over already and, as it turns out, Biden was not alone in urging Poroshenko to make a change.

A group of Senate Republicans co-signed a letter along with Senate Democrats calling for a change.

The 2016 letter, sent by members of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, was signed by Republican Sens. Rob Portman, Mark Kirk and Ron Johnson, as well as Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Murphy, Sherrod Brown, and Richard Blumenthal and focused on longstanding issues of corruption in Ukraine and urged reforms of the government.

"Succeeding in these reforms will show Russian President Vladimir Putin that an independent, transparent and democratic Ukraine can and will succeed," the letter reads. "It also offers a stark alternative to the authoritarianism and oligarchic cronyism prevalent in Russia. As such, we respectfully ask that you address the serious concerns raised by Minister Abromavičius. We similarly urge you to press ahead with urgent reforms to the Prosecutor General's Office and judiciary. The unanimous adoption by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Basic Principles and Action Plan is a good step."

Kirk is no longer in Congress. But Johnson signed onto a letter with Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley last week to Attorney General Bill Barr asking him to investigate, in part, allegations surrounding Biden and Ukraine. Johnson's office did not respond to a request for comment. Portman's office did not comment.

The only sure things in life are death, taxes, and Republican hypocrisy.