Maine Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), a top proponent of sending billions of US tax dollars to the Ukrainian regime, denied on Friday that any of the over $113 billion in aid transferred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the U.S. has been misused, stolen, or embezzled.
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“I know of no such allegations,” said Sen. King, when questioned by The Maine Wire, “The data that I’ve seen is that it’s been very carefully handled, and most of the money for Ukraine is going into the U.S. economy.”
King, 79, has been a fixture on cable television, advocating for increased transfers of U.S. dollars to the Zelenskyy regime.
Here is the man “carefully handling” the aid sent to Ukraine:
Despite widespread reports of Ukrainian embezzlement from mainstream news outlets, including CNN, and Ukraine’s very public arrest of its own defense minister for embezzling $40 Million intended to purchase artillery shells, King claimed to have no knowledge of any embezzlement.
King’s claim of ignorance about the misuse of U.S. aid to Ukraine raises serious questions about how closely he’s examined the issue, especially considering his nearly constant advocacy for more foreign aid to the country.
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King also claimed that, if the U.S. stops sending aid to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin will invade large swaths of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) territory, and will attempt to take Moldova, which is not part of NATO.
“If Putin isn’t stopped now, he will keep going, Moldova, Poland, the Baltic States. And if you doubt that, why did the Finns and Swedes decide to join NATO after 80 years,” said King.
The suggestion that Finland and Sweden were neutral before Russia invaded Ukraine is technically true, inasmuch as the countries did not formally join NATO, but is somewhat misleading, because both countries were close allies of NATO for decades before joining.
Although Finland was technically neutral, and maintained independence from NATO until 2023, the country often partnered with NATO in operations since 1996, including operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Finland was considered an “Enhanced Opportunity Partner” of NATO before its decision to officially join, showing that, although the country chose to join NATO fully after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was an ally of NATO long before it voted to join officially.
Like Finland, Sweden was considered an “Enhanced Opportunity Partner” years before it joined NATO in February, and, though technically neutral, joined NATO operations in Kosovo and Iraq.
Despite King’s claims that the Kremlin has designs on invading Poland, Putin has repeatedly denied that he has any intention of seizing NATO territory after the war in Ukraine.
“It is complete nonsense – and I think President Biden understands that,” said Putin in a December interview, “Russia has no reason, no interest – no geopolitical interest, neither economic, political nor military – to fight with NATO countries.”
King, who is seeking his second term as Maine’s junior senator, is a member of the Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs, and Intelligence Committees. He was speaking Friday at a press event in Sanford to tout a new group, the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA), aimed at increasing war spending as a tool for economic development.
During his statements to The Maine Wire, he claimed that Ukraine aid benefits the U.S. economy by funding the domestic military-industrial companies producing the weapons sent to Ukraine.
“Two-thirds of the funds in the Ukraine bill that we just passed will be spent here in the United States to rebuild the munitions and weaponry that we have already sent to Ukraine,” said King, “We’re not writing Ukraine a check, we’re providing mostly, almost entirely military support.”
King’s comments, while not explicit, suggests that the U.S. military has depleted and weakened American military resources as part of its effort to fund Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Despite King’s insistence that aid to Ukraine is spent with American companies — a common claim among proponents of increasing foreign aid to Ukraine — the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has said U.S. funding for Ukraine has been used to prop up numerous aspects of the Ukrainian economy, allowing it to continue various public services, and helping it pay its civil-servants, including public pensions.
Over the years, King has received $529,300 from defense contractors in campaign finance contributions, including $20,000 recently from General Dynamics, a company involved in the MDIA, and $12,500 from General Dynamics employees in 2023. He’s also received $47,000 in recent payments from defense related political action committees (PACs).
King did not disclose any of these campaign contributions on Friday while advocating for increased taxpayer spending with the military-industrial complex. Many of the defense contractors who have contributed to King would benefit from the Ukraine spending packages he has voted for and advocated for.
King, who has been vocal in his support of sending aid to Ukraine recently, was relatively silent in 2014 when Russia successfully annexed Crimea.
U.S. military-industrial companies profited far less from the annexation of the Crimea, because, although the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia, it did not send billions in foreign aid and weapons to fund a proxy war.
King’s close partnerships with large multinational corporations came under scrutiny last year when Elon Musk’s disclosure of Twitter’s internal communications revealed that King’s campaign staff had special, high level access to social media companies.
That access allowed King to provide Facebook and Twitter with lists of people who had criticized him on social media, including criticism of his hawkish foreign policy, and those lists were subsequently used to ban individual voters permanently from using the social media services.
King has never apologized for using his position on the Intelligence Committee to censor his critics on social media, nor has he disavowed using similar tactics in the future in order to protect his political power.
He’s up for re-election this November.
And no Embezzling went on in Vietnam, Iraq, Afganistan….. Come on Anus, we understand that you don’t have the guts to come out and admit that you’re a demoKKKrat but we also know you’re not flat out stupid. Or is this another windmill scam.
Going into the Industrial Military Complex and fed back to the politicians with campaign contributions.
Excellent reporting Seamus, Well done!! King Agnus as Democrat Caucusing deceiver, is attempting to divert from the issue to a Poland Invasion. I have thought for a long time that Putin will get around to that, but not before he depletes our resources as much as he can via “useful idiots” like King Angus.
If so confident demand an audit. If not that makes you a lying POS.
He’s insane.
What happened to the liberal treehugger we used to know and love.
Ou ou, let me be the first tin foil hat to point out that Angus the Marxist along with Pelosi, Schumer, Mitch(the china bitch) PROBABLY are taken payola from the Ukraine/U.S. military complex in the form of overseas kickbacks that they will not declare. It will take a couple of years to PROVE me right, just look at what we have found out about our deep state govt. in the last couple of years.
Anus, the crony capitalist, is a useless human being.
Isn’t this the same vaccined guy that after getting hospitalised for covid immediately told everyone to go get the jab?
Angus King Endorses Eliot Cutler
Comrade King speaks only the truth lol.
Says the guy who ripped of Maine taxpayers for millions with his wind farm deals.
Carpetbagger
How does he know that Russia wants to invade Poland? That’s pretty clairvoyant. He wouldn’t recognize stealing and skimming for the simple reason he does it himself. Come on Anus King, give back the loot you steal from the American people through those nice big juicy donations you receive from the MIC. Keep up your warmongering fear spreading bs. You’ve been mooching off the public trough for way too long. Go away!
Angus, what is the goal of your support of Ukraine? Do you expect them to defeat Russia? When will this happen? You do realize that Russia has a legitimate claim to Kiev right?
This blithering old idiot needs to be put out to pasture in the next election. Angus has overstayed his welcome and used up all his political clout but more importantly he is blind to the obvious and more than likely is a card carrying member of the WEF and wants a New World Order as opposed ot anything a true Mainer wants and deserves.
And why did the Demo Hillery pay for the RUSAN cheat sheet to use against Trump. Big Rusan lie by a lier.
Did you say Independent yet?
Did you say her name yet?
Putin isn’t going invade anywhere else for a good long time. Russia has lost too many troops, tanks, artillery, command staff. Russia has exhausted their supply of rockets and missiles and are depending on other countries to provide ammunition for Ukraine. Russia has already drafted everyone available in country and will have to wait for current teenagers to become of age before they can restaff the military.
Hard to know where to start here. I think ol Angus is losing his marbles. Most anyone with a brain knows that the government of Ukraine is one of the most corrupt on the planet and that the Biden Apparatchik has certainly cashed in on that corruption. One could ask Hunter Biden about it. Why should American taxpayers fund wars that puts billions into the pockets of America’s defense industry? Ever since Vietnam in my younger years we have been pouring tons of money into the defense industry, and thousands of American lives……..for nothing for the rest of us but to just bend over and keep sending us your money. Angus ought to just stick to windmills. What he said here was patently offensive.
Hey AK,
Have you looked at your face, especially your eyes, in the mirror lately? Looks like all of those Covid jabs and boosters are really taking a toll on you. .
Maybe Mr. King is taking kickbacks from Zelensky? 113 BILLION dollars!!!! It is paying for the Ukranian government and their pensions. It is also going up Zelensky’s nose.
Nooo, there is no embezzling — and I know this because I’m Angus the magical knower of things.
Angus says he’s seen no data to support corruption of monies being sent to Ukraine. I recommend Angus, that you watch what is on record of JB demanding a prosecutor, that was looking into potential business dealings between companies in the Ukraine and the Biden Syndicate, be fired or else over a billion dollars in US aid would not happen. Here is the direct link you seem to be unwilling to accept.
I am getting pretty sick and tired of the Liberal arguments stating “There is no evidence of” blah blah blah. That schtick is getting old. They don’t look for evidence, that is why they can say that. The liberal media pulls that crap all the time. That is why the FBI’s main function now is to suppress evidence and cover up investigations that don’t suit the liberal or deep state agenda. Easy to say there is no evidence if they purposefully shut down any oversight and investigation.
He was a big believer in a fiasco called the Arab Spring. When does failure become a disqualification? Ever ?
Answer some questions Mr know it all. Dropping Yemen from terror watch list or sanctions on Iran
By the way, there are a number of counties south of what was once the border that are doing more damage than to America than Russia.What do you think ?
Don’t worry the GOP will run a dummy
You’ll win.
“ China “ King, The guy who sold out Maine’s beautiful mountains for Chinese wind turbines. This is the same guy who put us on censoring lists at Google and Twitter.
King’s a dirty old man.
❤️ Putin 🇷🇺
80 years old and still in office, There’s the problem. These people will lie and steal taxpayers’ money as long as they can. Lie about being an impendent, when he never sides with any conservative values, He’s a Democrat and will spend steal and support anything that will get more of your money to the hands of big government and the military industrial complex so it can filter right back into his and his friends pockets.