Impeachment Witnesses Admit Hunter Biden on Burisma Board a Potential 'Conflict of Interest'
Witnesses testifying in the House impeachment inquiry stated Tuesday that Hunter Biden’s position on the board of the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Hunter Biden’s father, former Vice President Joe Biden, was the Obama administration’s point man on Ukrainian policy.
GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York pressed both Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, who serves as an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, on the subject of Biden’s lucrative position.
“Every witness who has testified and has been asked this has answered yes,” Stefanik began, according to Fox News.
“Do you agree that Hunter Biden on the board of Burisma has the potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest?”
“Certainly the potential, yes,” Vindman replied.
Williams then responded, “Yes.”
Stefanik tweeted afterward that the witnesses attested to some “very important facts.”
VERY IMPORTANT FACTS:
✅Both witnesses confirmed that defensive lethal aid was provided to Ukraine by President Trump, not President Obama.
✅Both witnesses confirmed that Hunter Biden serving on the board of Burisma had the appearance of a conflict of interest. pic.twitter.com/EWe4uREXIN
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) November 19, 2019
“Both witnesses confirmed that defensive lethal aid was provided to Ukraine by President Trump, not President Obama,” the congresswoman wrote.
Moreover, she added, “Both witnesses confirmed that Hunter Biden serving on the board of Burisma had the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
Stefanik had a similar exchange last week with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
Yovanovitch testified that she had been prepped by the Obama administration on the subject of Hunter Biden’s position with Burisma after she was nominated to be ambassador in May 2016.
“For the millions of Americans watching, President Obama’s own State Department was so concerned about potential conflicts of interest from Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma that they raised it themselves while prepping this wonderful ambassador nominee before her confirmation,” Stefanik said.
“And yet, our Democratic colleagues and the chairman of this committee cry foul when we dare ask that same question that the Obama State Department was so concerned about,” the congresswoman added.
“But we will continue asking it.”
Later in the hearing, Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas further questioned Yovanovitch about the preparation she received regarding answering questions related to Hunter Biden and Burisma.
“You specifically recall Burisma,” Ratcliffe said. “Out of thousands of companies in the Ukraine, the only one that you recall the Obama-Biden State Department preparing you to answer questions about was the one where the vice president’s son was on the board. Is that fair?”
“Yes,” Yovanovitch replied.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff has denied Republicans’ request for Hunter Biden to testify in the impeachment inquiry.
Trump’s mention of him and Joe Biden during his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is central to the Democrats’ claim of wrongdoing by the commander in chief.
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