The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report THE TRUMP-UKRAINE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY REPORT Report of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Pursuant to H. Res. 660 in Consultation with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs December 2019 House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Rep. Adam B. Schiff (CA), Chairman Rep. Jim Himes (CT) Rep. Devin Nunes (CA), Ranking Member Rep. Terri Sewell (AL) Rep. Mike Conaway (TX) Rep. André Carson (IN) Rep. Michael Turner (OH) Rep. Jackie Speier (CA) Rep. Brad Wenstrup (OH) Rep. Mike Quigley (IL) Rep. Chris Stewart (UT) Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA) Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY) Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX) Rep. Will Hurd (TX) Rep. Denny Heck (WA) Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX) Rep. Peter Welch (VT) Rep. Jim Jordan (OH) Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY) Rep. Val Demings (FL) Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL) Majority Staff Timothy S. Bergreen, Staff Director Daniel S. Goldman, Director of Investigations Maher Bitar, General Counsel Rheanne Wirkkala, Deputy Director of Investigations Patrick M. Boland, Communications Director Impeachment Inquiry Investigative Staff William M. Evans Daniel S. Noble Patrick Fallon Diana Y. Pilipenko Sean A. Misko Ariana N. Rowberry Nicolas A. Mitchell Carly A. Blake, Deputy Staff Director William Wu, Budget and Policy Director Wells C. Bennett, Deputy General Counsel Oversight Staff Linda D. Cohen Lucian D. Sikorskyj Thomas Eager Conrad Stosz Abigail C. Grace Kathy L. Suber Kelsey M. Lax Aaron A. Thurman Amanda A. Rogers Thorpe Raffaela L. Wakeman Non-Partisan Security and Information Technology Staff Kristin Jepson Kimberlee Kerr Claudio Grajeda 2 House Committee on Oversight and Reform Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY), Chairwoman Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (MD), Chairman Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) Rep. Jim Jordan (OH), Ranking Member Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (MO) Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ) Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA) Rep. Thomas Massie (KY) Rep. Jim Cooper (TN) Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (VA) Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL) Rep. Jody Hice (GA) Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD) Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI) Rep. Harley Rouda (CA) Rep. James Comer (KY) Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) Rep. Michael Cloud (TX) Rep. John Sarbanes (MD) Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH) Rep. Peter Welch (VT) Rep. Clay Higgins (LA) Rep. Jackie Speier (CA) Rep. Ralph Norman (SC) Rep. Robin Kelly (IL) Rep. Chip Roy (TX) Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA) Rep. Carol Miller (WV) Rep. Brenda Lawrence (IL) Rep. Mark Green (TN) Rep. Stacey Plaskett (VI) Rep. Kelly Armstrong (ND) Rep. Ro Khanna (CA) Rep. Greg Steube (FL) Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA) Rep. Fred Keller (PA) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA) Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI) Majority Staff Dave Rapallo, Staff Director Susanne Sachsman Grooms, Deputy Staff Director & Chief Counsel Peter Kenny, Chief Investigative Counsel Krista A. Boyd, General Counsel Janet H. Kim, Chief Counsel for Investigations Russell Anello, Chief Oversight Counsel Aryele Bradford, Communications Director Investigative Staff S. Tori Anderson Gina Kim Aaron D. Blacksberg Jason Powell Chioma Chukwu Dan Rebnord Cassie Fields Ricardo Brandon Rios Greta Gao Erinn L. Sauer, Detailee Michael Gordon Amish A. Shah Jessica L. Heller Laura Waters 3 Operations and Press Team Zachary Barger, Intern Kellie Larkin Jamitress Bowden Olivia Letts, Intern Kristen Charley, Intern Anna Rose Marx, Intern Kenyatta Collins Courtney Miller James Darlson, Intern Noah Steimel, Intern Emma Dulaney Travis Stoller, Intern Evan Elizabeth Freeman, Intern Amy Stratton Christophe Godshall, Intern Laura Trevisani, Intern Brandon Jacobs Joshua Zucker Elisa LaNier 4 House Committee on Foreign Affairs Rep. Eliot L. Engel (NY), Chairman Rep. Brad Sherman (CA) Rep. Michael McCaul (TX) Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY) Rep. Christopher Smith (NJ) Rep. Albio Sires (NJ) Rep. Steve Chabot (OH) Rep. Gerald Connolly (VA) Rep. Joe Wilson (SC) Rep. Theodore Deutch (FL) Rep. Scott Perry (PA) Rep. Karen Bass (CA) Rep. Ted Yoho (FL) Rep. William Keating (MA) Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL) Rep. David Cicilline (RI) Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY) Rep. Ami Bera (CA) Rep. James Sensenbrenner (WI) Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX) Rep. Ann Wagner (MO) Rep. Dina Titus (NV) Rep. Brian Mast (FL) Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY) Rep. Francis Rooney (FL) Rep. Ted Lieu (CA) Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) Rep. Susan Wild (PA) Rep. John Curtis (UT) Rep. Dean Phillips (MN) Rep. Ken Buck (CO) Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN) Rep. Ron Wright (TX) Rep. Colin Allred (TX) Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA) Rep. Andy Levin (MI) Rep. Tim Burchett (TN) Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA) Rep. Greg Pence (IN) Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA) Rep. Steve Watkins (KS) Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ) Rep. Michael Guest (MS) Rep. David Trone (MD) Rep. Jim Costa (CA) Rep. Juan Vargas (CA) Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (CA) Majority Staff Jason Steinbaum, Staff Director Doug Campbell, Deputy Staff Director Laura Carey, Senior Professional Staff Member, State Department Oversight Tim Mulvey, Communications Director Jacqueline Ramos, Senior Professional Staff Member, Europe and Russia Operations and Press Staff Evan Bursey Rachel Levitan Jacqueline Colvett 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .......................................................................................................................................7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................12 KEY FINDINGS OF FACT ........................................................................................................34 SECTION I. THE PRESIDENT’S MISCONDUCT ...............................................................37 1. The President Forced Out the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine ...........................................38 2. The President Put Giuliani and the Three Amigos in Charge of Ukraine Issues ............51 3. The President Froze Military Assistance to Ukraine .......................................................67 4. The President’s Meeting with the Ukrainian President Was Conditioned on An Announcement of Investigations .....................................................................................83 5. The President Asked the Ukrainian President to Interfere in the 2020 U.S. Election by Investigating the Bidens and 2016 Election Interference ................................................98 6. The President Wanted Ukraine to Announce the Investigations Publicly ....................114 7. The President’s Conditioning of Military Assistance and a White House Meeting on Announcement of Investigations Raised Alarm ............................................................126 8. The President’s Scheme Was Exposed ..........................................................................140 SECTION II. THE PRESIDENT’S OBSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES’ IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ..........................................................202 1. Constitutional Authority for Congressional Oversight and Impeachment ....................203 2. The President’s Categorical Refusal to Comply ...........................................................208 3. The President’s Refusal to Produce Any and All Subpoenaed Documents ..................217 4. The President’s Refusal to Allow Top Aides to Testify ................................................231 5. The President’s Unsuccessful Attempts to Block Key Witnesses .................................245 6. The President’s Intimidation of Witnesses ....................................................................257 APPENDIX A: KEY PEOPLE AND ENTITIES ..................................................................293 APPENDIX B: ABBREVIATIONS AND COMMON TERMS ...........................................299 6 PREFACE This report reflects the evidence gathered thus far by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in coordination with the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, as part of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry into Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States. The report is the culmination of an investigation that began in September 2019 and intensified over the past three months as new revelations and evidence of the President’s misconduct towards Ukraine emerged. The Committees pursued the truth vigorously, but fairly, ensuring the full participation of both parties throughout the probe. Sustained by the tireless work of more than three dozen dedicated staff across the three Committees, we issued dozens of subpoenas for documents and testimony and took more than 100 hours of deposition testimony from 17 witnesses. To provide the American people the opportunity to learn and evaluate the facts themselves, the Intelligence Committee held seven public hearings with 12 witnesses—including three requested by the Republican Minority—that totaled more than 30 hours. At the outset, I want to recognize my late friend and colleague Elijah E. Cummings, whose grace and commitment to justice served as our North Star throughout this investigation. I would also like to thank my colleagues Eliot L. Engel and Carolyn B. Maloney, chairs respectively of the Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform Committees, as well as the Members of those Committees, many of whom provided invaluable contributions. Members of the Intelligence Committee, as well, worked selflessly and collaboratively throughout this investigation. Finally, I am grateful to Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the trust she placed in our Committees to conduct this work and for her wise
Recommended publications
  • American Diplomacy Project: a US Diplomatic Service for the 21St
    AMERICAN DIPLOMACY PROJECT A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century Ambassador Nicholas Burns Ambassador Marc Grossman Ambassador Marcie Ries REPORT NOVEMBER 2020 American Diplomacy Project: A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Harvard Kennedy School 79 JFK Street Cambridge, MA 02138 www.belfercenter.org Statements and views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do not imply endorsement by Harvard University, Harvard Kennedy School, or the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Design and layout by Auge+Gray+Drake Collective Works Copyright 2020, President and Fellows of Harvard College Printed in the United States of America FULL PROJECT NAME American Diplomacy Project A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century Ambassador Nicholas Burns Ambassador Marc Grossman Ambassador Marcie Ries REPORT NOVEMBER 2020 Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Harvard Kennedy School i ii American Diplomacy Project: A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................3 10 Actions to Reimagine American Diplomacy and Reinvent the Foreign Service ........................................................5 Action 1 Redefine the Mission and Mandate of the U.S. Foreign Service ...................................................10 Action 2 Revise the Foreign Service Act ................................. 16 Action 3 Change the Culture ..................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Impeachment of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States: Report of the Comm
    IN THE SENATEOF THEUNITED STATES Sitting as a Court of Impeachment Inre IMPEACHMENTOF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TRIAL MEMORANDUM OF THEUNITEDSTATES HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE IMPEACHMENTTRIALOF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP United States House of Representatives AdamB.Schiff JerroldNadler Zoe Lofgren HakeemS.Jeffries Val ButlerDemings Jason Crow Sylvia R.Garcia U.S. House of RepresentativesManagers TABLEOF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................1 BACKGROUND..............................................................................................................................................9 I. C ONSTITUTIONALG ROUNDSFORP RESIDENTIALI MPEACHMENT....................................................9 II. THE HOUSE’SIMPEACHMENTOF PRESIDENTDONALDJ. TRUMPANDPRESENTATIONOF T HISM ATTERTO THE S ENATE..............................................................................................................12 ARGUMENT...................................................................................................................................................16 I. T HE S ENATES HOULDC ONVICT P RESIDENTT RUMPOF A BUSEOF P OWER..................................16 A. PresidentTrumpExercisedHis OfficialPowerto PressureUkraineintoAidingHis Reelection....................................................................................................................................16 B. PresidentTrumpExercisedOfficialPowerto
    [Show full text]
  • Donald Trump Division and Union EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
    Donald Trump Division and union EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Listen to Presidential at http://wapo.st/presidential This transcript was run through an automated transcription service and then lightly edited for clarity. There may be typos or small discrepancies from the podcast audio. LILLIAN CUNNINGHAM: Nearly a year ago, I started a journey back in time through the American presidency. I left the newsroom and drove down along the dark Potomac River to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, on a cold winter night. There were crackling fires and reanactors. What I didn't mention back in that very first episode, though, was that there was also pop music piped in over the stereo system, making it really hard to record those little fire sounds. This whole project has kind of been that way. Things haven't gone as planned -- tape recorders have broken, Lyndon Johnson experts have fallen sick with laryngitis right before interviews. But even more than those unexpected twists and turns, is that the present has shown up over and over and over in the past. Fast forward 44 weeks to last night -- election night. And suddenly, all I could see was the past poking its way into the present. I watched the results roll in on the newsroom screens until early into the morning. And I thought about all the elections that have come before. George H.W. Bush sitting alone in his hotel room, mourning his loss to Bill Clinton in 1992. The Chicago Tribune going to press with the wrong headline about Dewey defeating Truman in 1948.
    [Show full text]
  • Charges of Ukrainian Meddling? a Russian
    Charges of Ukrainian Meddling? A Russian Operation,The Trump U.S. Intelligence Says Trump Impeached Senatorsʼ Reactions How Everyone Voted Whatʼs Next? Impeachment Moscow has run a yearslong operation to blame Ukraine for its own 2016 election interference. Republicans have used similar talking points to defend President Trump in impeachment proceedings. By Julian E. Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg Published Nov. 22, 2019 Updated Nov. 26, 2019 WASHINGTON — Republicans have sought for weeks amid the impeachment inquiry to shift attention to President Trump’s demands that Ukraine investigate any 2016 election meddling, defending it as a legitimate concern while Democrats accuse Mr. Trump of pursuing fringe theories for his benefit. The Republican defense of Mr. Trump became central to the impeachment proceedings when Fiona Hill, a respected Russia scholar and former senior White House official, added a harsh critique during testimony on Thursday. She told some of Mr. Trump’s fiercest defenders in Congress that they were repeating “a fictional narrative.” She said that it likely came from a disinformation campaign by Russian security services, which also propagated it. In a briefing that closely aligned with Dr. Hill’s testimony, American intelligence officials informed senators and their aides in recent weeks that Russia had engaged in a yearslong campaign to essentially frame Ukraine as responsible for Moscow’s own hacking of the 2016 election, according to three American officials. The briefing came as Republicans stepped up their defenses of Mr. Trump in the Ukraine affair. The revelations demonstrate Russia’s persistence in trying to sow discord among its adversaries — and show that the Kremlin apparently succeeded, as unfounded claims about Ukrainian interference seeped into Republican talking points.
    [Show full text]
  • February 26, 2020 Chairman David Skaggs Co-Chairwoman Allison
    February 26, 2020 Chairman David Skaggs Co-Chairwoman Allison Hayward Office of Congressional Ethics 425 3rd Street, SW Suite 1110 Washington, DC 20024 Dear Chairman Skaggs and Co-Chairwoman Hayward: We write to request that the Office of Congressional Ethics (“OCE”) investigate whether Representative Devin Nunes is receiving free legal services in violation of the Rules of the House of Representatives (“House rules”). Specifically, Representative Nunes retained an attorney who represents him in several defamation lawsuits in various courts where he seeks a total of nearly $1 billion in damages. House rules prohibit a Member from receiving free legal services, unless the Member establishes a Legal Expense Fund (“LEF”). According to the House Legislative Resource Center, Representative Nunes has not filed any of the required reports to establish an LEF. The relevant facts detailed below establish that the OCE Board should authorize an investigation of Representative Nunes. Representative Nunes’s overt involvement with the highly-publicized lawsuits threatens to establish a precedent that the Legal Expense Fund (“LEF”) regulations no longer apply to Members. Although Representative Nunes is entitled to legal representation and he may pursue any legal action to protect and defend his interests, he must comply with House rules. An OCE investigation will preserve Representative Nunes’s legal right to counsel while upholding well-established House rules and precedent. House Rules Prohibit Members from Receiving Discounted or Free Legal Services A Member of the House of Representatives “may not knowingly accept a gift” with limited exceptions.1 A “gift” is defined to include “a gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value.
    [Show full text]
  • Donald Trump 72 for Further Research 74 Index 76 Picture Credits 80 Introduction
    Contents Introduction 4 A Bet Th at Paid Off Chapter One 8 Born Into a Wealthy Family Chapter Two 20 Winning and Losing in Business Chapter Th ree 31 Celebrity and Politics Chapter Four 43 An Unconventional Candidate Chapter Five 55 Trump Wins Source Notes 67 Timeline: Important Events in the Life of Donald Trump 72 For Further Research 74 Index 76 Picture Credits 80 Introduction A Bet That Paid Off n June 16, 2015, reporters, television cameras, and several hun- Odred people gathered in the lobby of Trump Tower, a fi fty-eight- story skyscraper in Manhattan. A podium on a stage held a banner with the slogan “Make America Great Again!” All heads turned as sixty-nine-year-old Donald John Trump made a grand entrance, rid- ing down a multistory escalator with his wife, Melania. Trump biogra- pher Gwenda Blair describes the scene: “Gazing out, they seemed for a moment like a royal couple viewing subjects from the balcony of the palace.”1 Trump fl ashed two thumbs up and took his place on the stage to proclaim his intention to campaign for the Republican nomination for president. Unlike the other politicians hoping to be elected president in No- vember 2016, Trump was a billionaire and international celebrity who had been in the public eye for decades. Trump was known as a negotia- tor, salesman, television personality, and builder of glittering skyscrap- ers. He was involved in high-end real estate transactions, casinos, golf courses, beauty pageants, and the reality show Th e Apprentice. Trump’s name was spelled out in shiny gold letters on luxury skyscrapers, golf courses, resorts, and other properties throughout the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Open Hearing: Nomination of Gina Haspel to Be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
    S. HRG. 115–302 OPEN HEARING: NOMINATION OF GINA HASPEL TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HEARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018 Printed for the use of the Select Committee on Intelligence ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 30–119 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE [Established by S. Res. 400, 94th Cong., 2d Sess.] RICHARD BURR, North Carolina, Chairman MARK R. WARNER, Virginia, Vice Chairman JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California MARCO RUBIO, Florida RON WYDEN, Oregon SUSAN COLLINS, Maine MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico ROY BLUNT, Missouri ANGUS KING, Maine JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia TOM COTTON, Arkansas KAMALA HARRIS, California JOHN CORNYN, Texas MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky, Ex Officio CHUCK SCHUMER, New York, Ex Officio JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona, Ex Officio JACK REED, Rhode Island, Ex Officio CHRIS JOYNER, Staff Director MICHAEL CASEY, Minority Staff Director KELSEY STROUD BAILEY, Chief Clerk (II) VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER CONTENTS MAY 9, 2018 OPENING STATEMENTS Burr, Hon. Richard, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina ................ 1 Warner, Mark R., Vice Chairman, a U.S. Senator from Virginia ........................ 3 WITNESSES Chambliss, Saxby, former U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Cyber-Conflict Between the United States of America and Russia CSS
    CSS CYBER DEFENSE PROJECT Hotspot Analysis: Cyber-conflict between the United States of America and Russia Zürich, June 2017 Version 1 Risk and Resilience Team Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich Cyber-conflict between the United States of America and Russia Authors: Marie Baezner, Patrice Robin © 2017 Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich Contact: Center for Security Studies Haldeneggsteig 4 ETH Zürich CH-8092 Zurich Switzerland Tel.: +41-44-632 40 25 [email protected] www.css.ethz.ch Analysis prepared by: Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich ETH-CSS project management: Tim Prior, Head of the Risk and Resilience Research Group; Myriam Dunn Cavelty, Deputy Head for Research and Teaching; Andreas Wenger, Director of the CSS Disclaimer: The opinions presented in this study exclusively reflect the authors’ views. Please cite as: Baezner, Marie; Robin, Patrice (2017): Hotspot Analysis: Cyber-conflict between the United States of America and Russia, June 2017, Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich. 2 Cyber-conflict between the United States of America and Russia Table of Contents 1 Introduction 5 2 Background and chronology 6 3 Description 9 3.1 Tools and techniques 9 3.2 Targets 10 3.3 Attribution and actors 10 4 Effects 11 4.1 Social and internal political effects 11 4.2 Economic effects 13 4.3 Technological effects 13 4.4 International effects 13 5 Consequences 14 5.1 Improvement of cybersecurity 14 5.2 Raising awareness of propaganda and misinformation 15 5.3 Observation of the evolution of relations between the USA and Russia 15 5.4 Promotion of Confidence Building Measures 16 6 Annex 1 17 7 Glossary 18 8 Abbreviations 19 9 Bibliography 19 3 Cyber-conflict between the United States of America and Russia Executive Summary Effects Targets: US State institutions and a political The analysis found that the tensions between the party.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluating Federal Gang Bills
    December 2008 SPECIAL REPORT Analysis from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency Evaluating Federal Gang Bills Linh Vuong Fabiana Silva Introduction The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007 (S. Sen. Feinstein’s and Rep. Schiff ’s legislation respond to 456) was introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein in January, an assumed rise in gang violence. The bills’ provisions 2007, and subsequently passed the following October. call for suppression-heavy strategies, increasing pun- Its companion bill, the Gang Prevention, Intervention, ishments for gang crimes, and expanding the types of and Suppression Act (H.R. 3547), sponsored by Rep. crimes that can be categorized as such. Years of research Adam Schiff, has been introduced in the House. The and evaluation have shown that these types of suppres- bills expand the current penal code regarding criminal sion strategies are not the solution to the gang problem. street gangs, resulting in an over-reaching de nition of Yet, these bills propose more than $1 billion in dupli- both gangs and gang-related crimes. Additionally, they cative suppression, prosecution, and incarceration of create an entirely new section of penalties pertaining to “gangs” and “gang members,” leaving little money for gang crimes, increasing the enhanced-sentences that are community-based prevention and intervention programs already in place. Both bills are referred to as the “Gang that have been proven to work. Rep. Schiff ’s bill has been Abatement Act” in this text. However, distinction will cosponsored by 25 fellow legislators. However, 8 have be made between the Senate and House versions when withdrawn their support due to concerns of dispro- they differ signi cantly.
    [Show full text]
  • Resilient Ukraine Resilient
    Resilient Ukraine: Safeguarding Society from Russian Aggression Russian from Society Ukraine: Safeguarding Resilient Research Paper Mathieu Boulègue and Orysia Lutsevych Ukraine Forum | June 2020 Resilient Ukraine Safeguarding Society from Russian Aggression Mathieu Boulègue and OrysiaLutsevych Chatham House Contents Summary 2 1 Introduction 3 2 The Impact of the Armed Conflict 13 3 Creating Resilience Dividends: Case Studies 27 4 Recommendations 33 5 Conclusion 37 About the Authors 38 Acknowledgments 39 1 | Chatham House Resilient Ukraine: Safeguarding Society from Russian Aggression Summary • Despite military conflict and an increasingly adversarial relationship with Russia, Ukraine has largely maintained its democratic reforms thanks to its resilience and determination to decide its own future. The country is gradually developing the capacity of its state institutions and civil society to address the political and social consequences of Russian aggression. • Russia’s three main levers of influence in Ukraine include the ongoing armed conflict, corruption, and the poor quality of the political sphere. The Kremlin seeks to exploit these vulnerabilities to promote polarization and encourage a clash between Ukraine’s citizens and its governing elite by taking military action, manipulating the corruption narrative, supporting pro-Russia parties, and fuelling religious tensions through the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). • The ramifications of the military operation in Donbas reverberate strongly across the country and domestic politics. The most prominent spillover effects include the circulation of firearms and the weakened capacity of authorities to reintegrate internally displaced people (IDPs) and war veterans. • With no clear way to end the armed conflict, there is a growing risk of societal polarization. This could have negative consequences for any prospective peace agreement.
    [Show full text]
  • Interview Transcript of Andrew Brown
    1 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERVIEW OF: ANDREW BROWN Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Washington, D.C. The interview in the above matter was held in Room HVC-304, the Capitol, commencing at 10:04 a.m. UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE Appearances: For the PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: For ANDREW BROWN: MARK ELIAS, ESQ. GRAHAM M. WILSON, ESQ. PERKINS COIE POLITICAL LAW GROUP 700 13TH Street NW Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20005 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE Good morning. This is a transcribed interview of Mr. Andrew Brown. Thank you for coming in and speaking with us today. For the record, I'm a staff member with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for the majority. Also with me is -- from the majority staff. And -- with the minority staff. So before we begin, I just want to state a few things for the record. The questioning will be conducted by staff, as you see. During the course of this interview, members -- members will not -- staff will ask questions during their allotted time period. Some questions may seem basic, but that is because we need to clearly establish facts and understand the situation. Please do not assume we know any facts you have previously disclosed as part of any other investigation or review. During the course of this interview, we will take any breaks that you desire.
    [Show full text]
  • Chairman Devin Nunes Biography Ranking Member Adam Schiff
    P a g e | 1 Chairman Devin Nunes Biography Devin Nunes (born October 1, 1973) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. He currently represents California's 22nd congressional district, which is located in the San Joaquin Valley and includes portions of Tulare and Fresno Counties. He and his wife have three daughters. Nunes is Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, having previously served as Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. He is the author of the book Restoring the Republic, which was published in September 2010. Early life, Education, and Career Nunes was born in Tulare, California. His family is of Portuguese descent, having emigrated from the Azores to California. From childhood, he worked on a farm that his family has operated in Tulare County for three generations. He raised cattle as a teenager, used his savings to begin a harvesting business, and then bought his own farmland with his brother. Nunes graduated from Tulare Union High School. He is the second Member of Congress to attend Tulare Union, following Olympic gold medalist Bob Mathias, who served in the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975. After associate's work at College of the Sequoias, Nunes graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and a master’s degree in agriculture. Nunes was first elected to public office as one of California’s youngest community college trustees in state history at the age of 23.
    [Show full text]