Thread by @lindsaypcohn

Ok, I heard a brief @NPR interview this afternoon w Rep Scott Perry on the Mulvaney comments (I don’t know who the interviewer was but she was 🌟🔥👑) and I feel the need to clarify some things.
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https://twitter.com/alex_mallin/status/1184906033183023106

There are currently three different explanations circulating for why the aid to Ukraine was held up:
1) bc Ukraine might be corrupt and we want them to investigate themselves plus specifically Hunter Biden to prove to us they’re not-corrupt enough to deserve our aid
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2) Ukr was supposed to be helping DOJ investigate the (totally baseless) theory that Russ interference in the 2016 election didn’t happen/was a false flag op by Obama, Clapper, Brennan, et al. Ukr stopped helping us investigate THAT, so we held up aid til they got back on it.
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(This was Scott Perry’s explanation)

3) bc Trump wanted Ukraine to find/manufacture some dirt on the Bidens in order to deploy it against JB in a general election to help himself (Trump) get re-elected.
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So, how do we think abt the plausibility/legitimacy of these explanations?
One at a time:
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1) Ukr corruption
Wanting Ukr to demo its commitment to fighting corruption is a legit reason to hold up aid if the pres wants. It’s a little weird, since that aid package already went through a massive process designed to ensure it complied w US laws/served US interests ...
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but the pres can still make those decisions. HOWEVER. There is no legitimate reason to mention the Bidens in that connection, and in this case the pres had all his advisors advising him that akshually Ukraine was doing pretty well on the fighting corruption front.
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2) DOJ needs Ukr help to find out WHAT RLLY HAPPENED IN 2016

DOJ says it has no idea what investigation Mick is talking abt.

The entire intel community AND the GOP-led Senate Intel Committee have confirmed multiple times that Russia really did interfere in the 2016 election
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There WAS an investigation into 2016 election stuff that involved asking Ukr for cooperation ... it was the Mueller investigation and the administration specifically pressured Ukr to STOP assisting ...
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Leaving 3) Trump wants dirt on a rival for an election campaign, an action he has repeatedly and publicly confirmed that he thinks is ok and would definitely do if presented w the opportunity (see e.g. the interview w Stephanopoulos)
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BTW, it’s probably true that the admin is pursuing #2, as well, since they clearly believe in the conspiracy theory AND clearly believe the entire intel community of the US is deliberately lying/fabricating evidence.
The problem is that #2 is delusional and #3 is illegal.
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