6 chapters across the catalog
Joe Biden is heard in a 2018 clip describing how he pressured Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire State Prosecutor Viktor Shokin by withholding a $1 billion loan guarantee. The legality of a Vice President unilaterally withholding Congressionally approved funds is questioned in the context of institutional "backsliding" in Ukraine.
Joe Biden, 2018 Council on Foreign Relations Remarks
A 2018 clip from the Council on Foreign Relations features Joe Biden recounting how he threatened to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees from Ukraine unless they fired Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. Biden describes giving the Ukrainian government a six-hour deadline to remove the official.
Joe Biden, Ukraine Prosecutor Firing Controversy
Footage from the Council on Foreign Relations shows Joe Biden recounting how he pressured Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire a state prosecutor by threatening to withhold a $1 billion loan guarantee. While Biden maintains the action was part of an international effort to curb corruption, critics point to his son Hunter Biden's role on the board of Burisma as a potential conflict of interest. The timeline of the prosecutor's investigation into Burisma remains a central point of political debate.
Tunisia Loan Guarantees, October Surprise and Barack Obama
President Barack Obama met with Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa, providing $500 million in loan guarantees to support the country's democratic transition. The hosts link this to their "October Surprise" thesis, suggesting Tunisia's role in regional stability is being bought by the U.S. government following the Arab Spring.
Green Energy Bankruptcies, Solyndra and First Solar
A CBS report highlights that 12 clean energy companies received over $6.5 billion in federal assistance, with five already filing for bankruptcy. The hosts focus on First Solar's $3 billion loan guarantee and Nevada Geothermal's ties to Senator Harry Reid as examples of "crony capitalism."
Solyndra Loan Investigation, Department of Energy Hearing
Congressional hearings investigated the $535 million government loan to the failed solar company Solyndra. Representatives Griffin and Murphy grilled Jonathan Silver of the Department of Energy regarding the decision to subordinate taxpayer money to private investors during the company's restructuring.
