Oh: Mr. Bearclaw -- I'm Sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Bearclaw -- Admits That Ukraine Asked Him to... Be Their Defense Minister

Apparently the Ukranians had absolutely no questions about Vindman's national loyalties. They offered him one of the highest-ranking positions in government -- three times.

White House official Lt. Col. [Big Boy Bearclaw] testified Tuesday as part of the House impeachment inquiry that he was asked to serve as Ukraine’s defense minister -- but repeatedly denied the offers -- when he traveled to Kiev for the inauguration of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Minority counsel Steve Castor asked Vindman about the offer made by Ukraine's Defense Council Oleksandr Danylyuk earlier this year.

[Lt. Col. Bearclaw] testified Tuesday that Danylyuk offered him the position "three times."

"Every single time, I dismissed it," [Bearclaw] said. "Upon returning, I notified my chain of command and the appropriate counterintelligence folks about this offer."

This strikes me as almost certainly true, and it would explain why Shifty Schiff keeps threatening anyone who asked who Vindman talked to. Not about the whistleblower per se, but whenever anyone asks who Vindman started talking to (outside of permitted protocol), Schiff brings the gavel down.

I wouldn't say he "admitted" it, but I also wouldn't say he didn't not admit it.

Here's Schiff working hard to protect the whistleblower, whose identity he claims he does not know.

And yet, whenever Vindman is asked whether he spoke to someone who might resemble Eric Ciaramella, Schiff rushes in to end any questioning "that might reveal the identity of the whistleblower."

And Vindman himself says he will not answer, to protect the whistleblower.

But Vindman also swore, under oath, that he did not know who the whistleblower is.

How does he know what questions could lead to his identity if he doesn't know his identity?

How does he know he shouldn't name the man he tattled about the Zelensky call to -- a man whose identity he obviously does know -- unless he knows, despite his sworn testimony to the contrary, that that man is in fact the fake whistleblower?

If he's lying about this, why... um, why should we believe anything that comes out of his mouth?

A question I really want to hear the answer to is: Was Lt. Col. Bearclaw on the #Resistance secret comms listserv? Was Ciaramella?

Was Brennan?

Update from Tami:

@IvanPentchoukov 23 minutes ago

In a verbal slip, Alexander Vindman described the unnamed intelligence community official as "an individual from the Office of In-"

Could it be the Office of Inspector General @ CIA?

Source: see the first exchange with @DevinNunes

posted by Ace of Spades at 02:42 PM

| Access Comments