CORRUPTION
Ukraine Scandal Couldn’t Have Happened Without Pompeo Knowing: Ex-State Department Official

In light of a series of damning text messages revealing the scope of the effort by the Trump administration to pressure Ukraine to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, former State Department official Phillipe Reines told MSNBC’s David Gura that there’s no way any of this went on without Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s knowledge.
“I worked there for four years,” said Reines. “I worked with hundreds, if not more than a thousand foreign service officers like Bill Taylor, I worked with the secretary. This doesn’t go on without a few things. First, without the secretary knowing. No one’s calling Rudy Giuliani on their own, because they feel like involving him in Ukrainian policy. People are not writing text messages where they’re saying, hey, I don’t think this is a good idea. They know, they’re memorializing it, they were what we call papering it. This is not how things are done. And we say that about everything, but this is so beyond the pale, it’s why they are getting caught every step of the way.”
“And by the way, there is so much more than this,” added Reines. “I mean, this is going to document itself up the ladder to Pompeo. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind. As someone who had tens of thousands of their email out in the public domain and having to explain what it means if I’m telling Hillary Clinton that ‘Homeland’ is on Showtime at 10:00. I mean, it is crazy to look at these texts and have to interpret them. There’s nothing to interpret!”
RELATED STORIES:
A Second Ukraine Whistleblower Is Considering Coming Forward. They Have Even More Direct Knowledge.
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |