Investigation involving company where son of U.S. Vice President Biden worked halted because of fear of Washington – ex-PGO chief Shokin

Former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin has said he was forced under pressure to terminate the investigation of the Burisma company, whose board member, Hunter Biden, at that time, was the son of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, according to Fox News.

Shokhin, according to Fox News, at the beginning of this year, told U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that the investigation was terminated "because of fear of the United States."

According to Fox News, Shokin tried to continue the investigation, but in June or July 2015, U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt told him that the investigation should be handled "in white gloves," which, Mr. Shokin understand as meaning to do nothing."

Shokin said he was told that Vice President Biden ordered that U.S. assistance to Ukraine be delayed.

Giuliani's notes, Fox News said, were transmitted to Congress by the U.S. State Department's Inspector General on Wednesday.

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have initiated impeachment hearings against Trump.

The reason was Trump's conversation (on July 25, 2019) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump asked Zelensky to step up an investigation into the activities of Hunter Biden in Ukraine. Joe Biden is Trump's most likely opponent in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Democrat lawmakers consider such actions a serious violation. They say Trump's attempts to use his position to achieve political goals and discredit his political opponent are grounds for impeachment. Trump has said Biden and the Democratic Party as a whole are involved in corruption in Ukraine.

Republican Senators Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley have sent Attorney General William Barr a letter urging them to investigate possible ties between the Democratic Party and Ukraine in the context of the 2016 presidential election, the Washington, D.C.-based The Hill ezine has reported.

"The Justice Department has yet to inform Congress and the public whether it has begun an investigation into links and coordination between the Ukrainian government and individuals associated with the campaign of Hillary Clinton or the Democratic National Committee," the letter said.