Sen. Chuck Grassley disclosed a shocking FBI informant file on Thursday that contained a $10 million bribery allegation against Vice President Joe Biden and his son. The document revealed that a Ukrainian oligarch claimed he was “coerced” into making the payment.
The source then reportedly asked Zlochevsky if Joe or Hunter Biden had advised him to “retain” the younger Biden, to which Zlochevsky reportedly said, “They both did.”
The source informed investigators that Zlochevsky allegedly claimed to have 17 recordings of discussions with the Bidens, including two that involved Joe, in an addition to the article from June 2020.
The source added that Zlochevsky was convinced the recordings and other evidence show he was “somehow coerced into paying the Bidens to ensure Ukraine Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was fired.”
Who is Viktor Shokin?
Viktor Shokin is a Ukrainian lawyer and former government official who served as the Prosecutor General of Ukraine from February 2015 to March 2016. He was appointed to this position by then-President Petro Poroshenko.
During his tenure as Prosecutor General, Viktor Shokin was heavily criticized for his perceived failure to combat corruption effectively and for not pursuing high-level corruption cases vigorously. Many people, both within Ukraine and internationally, accused him of being part of the problem of corruption rather than the solution.
One of the key controversies involving Viktor Shokin is related to his handling of corruption investigations involving the energy company Burisma Holdings. Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company, employed Hunter Biden, the son of then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, on its board of directors. Shokin was accused of not properly investigating Burisma’s alleged corruption, leading to accusations of political interference.
In March 2016, Viktor Shokin was dismissed from his position as Prosecutor General after facing pressure from international leaders, including the United States and the European Union, who viewed his removal as necessary to advance anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine.
