Ukraine Opens Investigation Into Claims U.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch Was Monitored
Ukraine's national police are investigating allegations that U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was under surveillance in Kyiv last spring — an allegation made in WhatsApp messages between a U.S. politician and Lev Parnas.
"Ukraine cannot ignore such illegal activities on the territory of its own state," the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine said in a statement Thursday. The ministry says it's asking the FBI to help its inquiry.
The texts between Parnas and Robert F. Hyde, a Trump supporter and retired Marine who is running for Congress in Connecticut, suggested Yovanovitch was being monitored both electronically and in person, in an apparent breach of diplomatic security.
"They are moving her tomorrow," Hyde wrote in one message. He added, "The guys over they asked me what I would like to do and what is in it for them."
Ukrainian authorities say the allegation that an ambassador was "under illegal surveillance and her electronic gadgets were interfered [with] by the private persons at the request of the US citizens" suggests a possible violation of both its own laws and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects diplomats on foreign soil.
The texts were part of a cache of documents released Tuesday night by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, who said the messages were collected from Parnas' phone as Democrats compiled evidence to support President Trump's impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction.
In one message, Hyde told Parnas that Yovanovitch had turned off her phone and computer and that his associates in Ukraine would send updates on the ambassador's movements. He added, "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price ... Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money ... what I was told."
Hyde did not provide details about where he was getting his information about Yovanovitch, other than citing "my guy." After the conversation became public, Hyde insisted he had been toying with Parnas, saying his comments were taken out of context.
Referring to House Democrats, Hyde wrote on social media, "For them to take some texts my buddy's and I wrote back to some dweeb we were playing with that we met a few times while we had a few drinks is definitely laughable."
Parnas has been indicted in New York for alleged campaign finance violations. He is a close associate of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer who sought a meeting with the new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy last year, and who has said he was working on Trump's behalf in Ukraine.
In an interview Wednesday night, Parnas sought to portray his exchanges with Hyde in a similar light. In an interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, Parnas said he never took Hyde's texts seriously.
Ukraine's internal affairs ministry says the national police "has initiated criminal proceedings" to investigate two potential crimes: violating the secrecy of telephone conversations and other communications, and the unlawful collection of confidential personal information, in a breach of privacy.
Ukraine says its minister of internal affairs, Arsen Avakov, has asked the FBI to take part in the investigation — and to share "all the information and materials" it has about people who may have broken the law. But Ukraine also noted that it's possible no illegal surveillance took place.
"Our goal is to investigate whether there actually was a violation of Ukrainian and International law, which could be the subject for proper reaction," the ministry said. "Or whether it is just a bravado and a fake information in the informal conversation between two US citizens."
The investigation adds yet another wrinkle to a U.S.-Ukraine relationship that's become increasingly complicated since last summer, when Trump asked the Ukrainian president to help investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. The U.S. president and his supporters also repeatedly vilified Yovanovitch, who was abruptly recalled from her post roughly two months after Hyde discussed her movements with Parnas.
"Ukraine's position is not to interfere in the domestic affairs of the United States of America," the ministry said Thursday. It concluded its statement by saying, "Ukraine expects the United States of America to respond promptly and looks forward to cooperation." [Copyright 2020 NPR]
