War always tends to be an opportunistic endeavor for prior military and defense officials. Business is always booming when a “righteous” war is on, with billions of American greenbacks flowing toward contractors to help bolster war machine production.
The war in Ukraine is no different, and has proven fruitful for quite a few entrepreneurial individuals, including a key witness against President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial.
The phone call
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman either sought or was thrust into the spotlight in 2019 during President Trump’s first impeachment, depending on your political flavor. During the hearings, Mr. Vindman alleged that he witnessed a phone call between the then-President and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two leaders discussed President Trump’s desire for President Zelensky to investigate the Biden family business dealings in Ukraine. His reasoning for the investigation was to get to the bottom of the allegations associated with the connection between then-candidate Joe Biden’s son’s entanglements with the gas firm Burisma Holdings and actions Mr. Biden took as Vice President to have a Ukrainian prosecutor fired who was looking into that same gas firm.
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During this infamous phone call, military aid to Ukraine was frozen. Then Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman claimed what President Trump was doing was a form of quid pro quo – foreign aid in exchange for investigating a political rival.
Yes and no. Foreign aid is always a quid pro quo. Uncle Sam isn’t just your friendly neighborhood ATM machine. When funds go out, certain things are expected in return.
Since his retirement, Mr. Vindman has used his connection to Ukraine and the defense industry to try to get a seat at the trough of the copious amounts of aid flowing to Ukraine.
Call it what it is
Human Events published a report earlier this year detailing information they had uncovered regarding dealings Mr. Vindman was working on with the Ukrainian government. According to the report, Mr. Vindman had been pitching the Ukrainian government to enter into a contract with Trident International LLC.
Mr. Vindman is the CEO of Trident International LLC. The $12 million contract would set up a Weapons Systems Sustainment Center in Ukraine.
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Sold as a way to cut out the middleman between NATO and Ukraine, the center would be operated by:
“highly experienced former soldiers or contractors in Iraq and/or Afghanistan.”
These former soldiers and contractors would help speed up the repair of weapons because the center would be closer to the front lines of the war effort. A since-deleted tweet from Mr. Vindman confirms that he at least was working with Ukraine to get this center up and running:
“Thanks for the advert. I’m trying to get logistics in place to help Ukraine win the war and secure America. Looking for philanthropic contributions to get it going. Reach out if you support the cause of democracy and US National Security.”
A selfless act to try to protect democracy, or an opportunity to line pockets with some extra cash and open the possibility for more lucrative prospects?
The bottom line
Senator Marsha Blackburn commented on Mr.Vindman’s attempt to further his name, pointing out the beginning of his self-promotion to this recent revelation:
“Alexander Vindman has always been a political activist and opportunist masquerading behind his career. He saw an opening for personal fame and profited by exploiting the media’s outrage against President Trump.”
She goes on to say:
“Vindman has spent the last three years on MSNBC and CNN attacking Republicans. Now, new revelations suggest Vindman could be profiting off the war in Ukraine, just as he did by speaking out against the Trump administration.”
To bring this full circle, the same man who testified that President Trump was withholding aid to a country that had business dealings with the Biden family is now trying to solidify a defense contract with that same country that has been and is on track to continue to receive billions of dollars worth of aid from the Biden administration.
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