Thread by @ilyamarritz

This week, the House subpoenaed docs on Rudy Giuliani's activity in Ukraine.

Rudy says he was investigating “corruption” there

As it happens, I landed in Kyiv 10 days ago, for a long-planned reporting trip. Dumb luck!

What Rudy’s saying is *wrong* /1

wnycstudios.org/podcasts/trump…

With the help of some Ukrainians, Rudy was pushing two conspiracy theories:

VP Joe Biden got a prosecutor fired as a favor to his son
Ukraine intervened in the 2016 election

We found no evidence to support either idea /2

Rudy has been collaborating w/ 3 Ukrainian prosecutors who all have VERY questionable backgrounds. In Kyiv, they’re seen here as ineffective, unreliable, or corrupt. One...is not even a lawyer /3
kyivpost.com/article/conten…

Another prosecutor Giuliani worked with had been CAUGHT ON TAPE coaching a witness to give false testimony and tipping off suspects to police raids /4

propublica.org/article/trump-…

While I was in Ukraine, I decided to tour the home of deposed corrupt President Viktor Yanukovych. Paul Manafort worked for him before he went to work for Trump /5

It’s called Mezhihirya, and it’s OPULENT

Please note the gold taps /6

bowling alley✅
thai massage parlor ✅
stuffed lion ✅
crystal-encrusted elevator (Swarovski) ✅
lab for testing food ✅
Ukraine says it was paid for w/ stolen public money /7

Trump said he held up military aid to Ukraine over the summer because he was concerned about *corruption* in Ukraine. Manafort prob could tell him something about that🤔/8

I spoke w/ anti-corruption activist @dkaleniuk as the Trump-Zelensky readout was published. Her take:

“So is that is it OK 4 the president of the United States to have the attorney general of the United States to call the president of Ukraine to discuss investigation?” /9

@dkaleniuk The crazy thing about this story, is so much was happening in the open. Back in JULY @AubreyBelford & @TaniaKozyreva (& @MikeSallah7) had this piece / 10 buzzfeednews.com/article/mikesa…

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 Meanwhile, Rudy’s disinformation may have done real harm to the cause of fighting corruption.
Meet @Leshchenkos, a leading investigative journalist & fmr member of parliament. Rudy accused him of supplying a *fake* ledger to implicate Manafort /11

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko told me “Whistleblowers or anti-corruption activists who are ready to fight against the system to provide this information now will remember what happened with people like me or like @ANTAC” /12

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko @AntAc To prep myself for this trip, I watched “Servant of the People,” starring the now-President Volodymyr Zelensky. You can watch it too/ 13
netflix.com/title/80119382

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko @AntAc In the show, Zelensky plays an average guy who is elected prez of Ukraine, more or less by accident. He finds himself in all kinds of absurd situations.

None as bizarre as the reality he is living now/ 14

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko @AntAc One more thing: Ukraine is a lovely place to visit. Friendly ppl. Coffee stands on every corner. A ride on the metro costs 33 cents (and it’s clean!) I created this little Kiev studio for myself using 2 chairs and a comforter/15

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko @AntAc Trump, Inc. comes out every 2 weeks. Listen for free here, sign up for the newsletter, rate and review us. Tell your friends!
trumpincpodcast.org
/16

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko @AntAc lastly,
THIS STORY ISN’T OVER.
Know something?
Get in touch with your tips!
wnycstudios.org/podcasts/trump…
/END

@dkaleniuk @AubreyBelford @TaniaKozyreva @MikeSallah7 @Leshchenkos @leshchenko @AntAc OK one PS:

many talented people pulled this one together from NYC

@Meg_Cramer

@AndreaWNYC

@katherrun

@Alice_Wilder

@ericuman

@JakePearsonProP

@nickvarchaver

@katiezavadski

& more...if I left you out, I apologize!