Newly obtained emails from former Vice President Joe Biden’s office reveal that the “whistleblower” who triggered Donald Trump’s first impeachment was deeply involved in the political maneuverings behind Biden-family business schemes in Ukraine that Trump wanted to investigate. Four years earlier, the whistleblower, Eric Ciaramella, was working as a national security analyst attached to Biden’s office and acted as a close adviser when Biden threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Ukraine unless it fired its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma Holdings, a company that was paying Biden’s son, Hunter, millions of dollars.
The emails also show Ciaramella’s involvement in high-level discussions with top Biden aides and Ukrainian prosecutors, shedding new light on his role. The emails reveal that Ciaramella expressed shock at Biden’s move to withhold aid from Kyiv and was drawn into White House communications regarding Hunter’s controversial role on Burisma’s board. Despite witnessing questionable Biden family business activities firsthand, Ciaramella did not raise any alarms at the time, unlike in 2019 when he accused Trump of a corrupt quid pro quo.
Ciaramella’s role in advising Biden’s office potentially intersects with the current House impeachment inquiry into President Biden. He was involved in discussions concerning the massive U.S. aid package to Ukraine, which Biden conditioned on the removal of Shokin, who was investigating Burisma. Ciaramella also arranged and participated in White House talks with Ukrainian prosecutors visiting from Shokin’s office.
In light of these revelations, some former congressional investigators suggest that Ciaramella helped cover up a scandal far worse than what Trump was impeached over and failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest. Ciaramella’s involvement in Biden’s Ukraine policies, including meetings with top officials, raises questions about his role in the impeachment inquiry.
Moreover, White House emails show that Ciaramella was looped into messages from Biden’s communications team, who were concerned about the optics of Hunter Biden’s position on Burisma’s board. Ciaramella tried to downplay Trump’s concerns about Biden pressuring Poroshenko to fire Shokin and the implications regarding Burisma. Ciaramella’s interactions with Biden and Ukrainian officials may be relevant to the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
As the whistleblower for Trump’s impeachment, Ciaramella could now be a key witness in Biden’s impeachment proceedings. The House may be compelled to hold hearings on the matter, considering the potential conflicts of interest and the involvement of key players in Biden’s Ukraine dealings. This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and written by investigative journalist Paul Sperry.
