The ever-expanding story of Marie Yovanovitch's ouster

The new material indicates that Parnas played a central role in arranging an interview with a Ukrainian prosecutor who claimed there was a plot in his country to help Hillary Clinton — and then urging a senior contact at America First Action to get Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to tweet it.

Links to stories about Ukraine that Parnas sent to America First Action finance director Joseph Ahearn were tweeted by both the president and Trump Jr., the material shows.

Peter Chavkin, a lawyer for Ahearn, said it was not surprising that his client would be interacting with Parnas, a donor to the super PAC.

[...]

“Nothing in the communications seems out of the ordinary or sparks any concern.”

  WaPo

In the words of Michael Cohen, "Says who?"

The materials also shed light on a far-reaching effort to dislodge then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch from her post.

The documents include a May 9, 2018, letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from then-Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.) calling for Yovanovitch to be removed. “I have received notice of concrete evidence from close companions that Ambassador Yovanovitch has spoken privately and repeatedly about her disdain for the current administration,” Sessions wrote.

In February 2019, lawyer Victoria Toensing, a longtime Giuliani ally involved in his Ukraine efforts, asked the former New York mayor in a message, “Is there absolute commitment for HER to be gone this week?”

How absolute? That's like asking how pregnant.

Giuliani responded, “Yes, not sure how absolute. Will get a reading in morning and call you. Pompeii [sic] is now aware of it. Talked to him on Friday.”

Don't be surprised when they try to say Pompeii is a different person than Pompeo.

In a May message to Ahearn, Parnas wrote, “It’s more important than ever to get a good ambassador that’s loyal to our president in there please make sure you pass on the message every ear more important than ever.”

In his MSNBC interview Wednesday, Parnas apologized to Yovanovitch, saying he now believes he was wrong about her.

That would fall under two categories: 1) too little too late, and 2) sorry about getting caught.

The new materials released by House Democrats also include months of messages between Parnas and then-Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko in which the Ukrainian official provided Giuliani’s team with interviews and information in exchange for a pledge that Yovanovitch would be removed from her post.

Bribery. Put that in the articles of impeachment.

The messages show Parnas helping arrange a video interview for Lutsenko with John Solomon, a conservative columnist at the Hill newspaper. On March 12, Parnas sent a letter from Solomon to Lutsenko requesting the interview and included a list of questions to be addressed. “I sent you the questions and the invitation from the journalist, call me when you wake up,” Parnas writes after sending the letter to Lutsenko.

After the interview posted online, Parnas texted it to Ahearn and wrote, “Have jr retweet it.”

Parnas then urged Ahearn to “Watch Hannity.”

“Sent,” Ahearn responded.

[...]

That same day, Trump Jr. tweeted out the article and wrote that the United States needed “less of these jokes as ambassadors,” referring to Yovanovitch, a career diplomat.

[...]

At one point in March, Lutsenko appeared to have grown impatient that he was holding up his end of the bargain — while Parnas was failing to come through with the ambassador’s removal and other requests that would benefit Lutsenko or his boss, then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

“I’m sorry, but this is all simply b------t,” Lutsenko wrote on March 13. “I’m f-----g sick of all this. I haven’t received a visit. My [boss] hasn’t received jack all. I’m prepared to [thrash] your opponent. But you want more and more. We’re over.”

But they weren't.

The Post reported last year that Giuliani had negotiated to represent Ukraine’s top prosecutor for at least $200,000 as he was hunting for damaging material about Biden from Ukrainian sources. At the time, Giuliani wrote on Twitter that he “did NOT pursue a business opportunity in Ukraine” and that he was “paid ZERO.”

In the newly released messages, Parnas wrote to Giuliani: “This is who the retainer should be me out to: ministry of justice of Ukraine Att: minster Pavlo Petrenko.”

“How much?” Giuliani responded. Giuliani said he would follow up with a call, and the messages suggest he sent an agreement to Parnas, who agreed to “print it out and deliver it.”

Later, Parnas asked Giuliani to send wire instructions and requested a copy signed by Giuliani and “Victoria and joe” so the contract can be executed — an apparent reference to Toensing and her husband, Joe diGenova.

“Can do that tomorrow,” Giuliani replied.

The next day, Parnas wrote, “I received signed retainer.”

Somebody keep an eye on Rudy.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.