Declassified CIA Email Reveals Biden's Request to Suppress Ukraine Corruption Report
A newly declassified email and records from the CIA revealed that then-Vice President Joe Biden requested that an intelligence report detailing concerns about his family's ties to corrupt business deals in Ukraine not be disseminated. CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified the records, citing it as an example of the politicization of intelligence. The declassified documents were discovered during a CIA review of historical agency records.
The email, dated February 10, 2016, indicated Biden's preference for the report not to be shared. The report highlighted Ukrainian officials' views on the Biden family's alleged corrupt business practices in Ukraine. Despite meeting the dissemination threshold, the report was not shared outside of the CIA due to Biden's request.
The intelligence report, titled "NON-DISSEMINATED INTEL INFORMATION: Reactions of Ukrainian Government Officials to the Early December Visit of Senior United States Government Official," detailed Ukrainian officials' disappointment with Biden's visit to Kiev in December 2015. They expected substantive discussions on personnel matters but felt Biden's visit was primarily for a generic public speech.
Biden's speech in Ukraine addressed corruption and the need for reform in the country's energy sector. He emphasized the importance of transparency and the removal of conflicts of interest in government responsibilities. The speech coincided with Biden's successful pressure on Ukraine to remove Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden served on the board.
President Trump's impeachment in 2019 stemmed from a phone call pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Bidens' actions in Ukraine. Trump was acquitted in 2020. The declassified intelligence report warned against further distribution without approval and highlighted the sensitivity of the information.
CIA officials stressed the importance of transparency and declassifying information in the public interest. Ratcliffe condemned the politicization of intelligence and emphasized the need to eliminate such practices. The House of Representatives launched an impeachment inquiry against Biden, concluding that he engaged in impeachable conduct and abused his office for personal gain.