House panel seeks testimony from Ukrainian prosecutor whom Biden got fired

At issue is the claim that Burisma paid both Bidens $5 million to get Shokin fired in order to stop the probe into the company.

By Ben Whedon

Published: August 28, 2023 9:26pm

The House Judiciary Committee is looking to secure testimony from former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, whom former President Joe Biden got fired by threatening to withhold a loan guarantee from then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2016.

Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson confirmed the panel's desire to speak with Shokin on Monday, the Washington Times reported. His remarks follow Shokin's appearance in an interview with Fox News in which he asserted that Biden sought his firing due to his investigation of Burisma, an energy firm that had Hunter Biden on its board.

"I think he could be a key witness in this, of course," Johnson said. "And you see the White House pushing back … and suggesting that he’s not a trustworthy witness. They say that about everyone involved in this — the idea that the president would be engaged in a pay-to-play scheme like this."

At issue is the claim that Burisma paid both Bidens $5 million to get Shokin fired in order to stop the probe into the company. An FBI FD-1023 form details allegations of the bribes and describes meetings in which a confidential human source discussed the scheme with Burisma executives.

Biden has previously admitted to making the threat to withhold the loan guarantee, but contends that he was following existing U.S. policy. Recently uncovered memos published by Just the News, however, show that the Interagency Policy Committee had affirmed its confidence in Shokin and recommended that Ukraine receive the loan guarantee before Biden made the threat to Poroshenko.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.