Lyla Lindsey
Viktor Shokin, the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, submitted an affidavit on September 4, 2019, in Austria, in support of an extradition case involving oligarch Dmytro Firtash. Shokin's affidavit, dated September 4, 2019, was also used to back his previous claims of investigating Burisma Holdings, a company linked to Hunter Biden, son of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Shokin alleged that Biden pressured the Ukrainian administration to fire him and block Firtash's return to Ukraine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Viktor Shokin's affidavit | 4 September 2019 |
| Who the affidavit was submitted for | Dmytro Firtash, in an extradition case |
| Who the affidavit was against | Joe Biden, for pressuring the Ukrainian administration to block the return of Firtash to Ukraine |
| Who the affidavit supported | Trump's narrative that Shokin was fired for investigating a company that Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was on the board of |
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What You'll Learn
- Viktor Shokin's affidavit was dated September 4, 2019
- Shokin claimed he was investigating Burisma Holdings
- Shokin's affidavit was used in an extradition case involving oligarch Dmytro Firtash
- Shokin alleged that Joe Biden pressured the Ukrainian administration to block Firtash's return to Ukraine
- Shokin's affidavit was submitted in an Austrian court
Viktor Shokin's affidavit was dated September 4, 2019
Viktor Shokin, the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, submitted an affidavit dated September 4, 2019, in an unconnected extradition case involving oligarch Dmytro Firtash. In the affidavit, Shokin claimed that he was forced out of office because he was leading a "wide-ranging corruption probe" into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm where Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the board of directors. Shokin alleged that then-President Petro Poroshenko asked him several times to wind down the investigation into Burisma, but he refused, leading to his dismissal.
The affidavit was submitted as part of legal proceedings in Austria, where Firtash was fighting extradition to the U.S. on bribery charges. Firtash, an oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was accused of conspiring to bribe officials in India to secure permits for mining titanium. Shokin's affidavit supported Firtash's defence, which argued that the extradition was politically motivated. According to Austrian law, extradition is not possible if the prosecution is deemed to be politically motivated.
Shokin's affidavit sparked controversy due to its implications in the Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory. Shokin claimed that Joe Biden pressured Poroshenko to fire him to protect his son, Hunter, and to block Firtash's return to Ukraine. However, others countered that Shokin was removed from office due to his failure to adequately pursue corruption in Ukraine and his perceived softness on corruption. Shokin's tenure as Prosecutor General of Ukraine, from 2015 to 2016, was marked by accusations of blocking major corruption cases and hindering the fight against corruption in the country.
The affidavit dated September 4, 2019, contributed to the ongoing discussions and investigations into the Biden–Ukraine scandal and the impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Donald Trump, who had described Shokin as "that very good prosecutor" during his infamous call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Shokin's affidavit, along with other memos and documents, added complexity to the narrative surrounding Joe Biden's role in Shokin's dismissal and the investigation into Burisma Holdings.
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Shokin claimed he was investigating Burisma Holdings
Viktor Shokin, the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, claimed in an affidavit submitted in September 2019 that he was forced out of office because he was investigating Burisma Holdings, a natural gas company. Shokin alleged that his dismissal was due to his refusal to heed the advice of then-President Petro Poroshenko to drop the investigation. He claimed that Poroshenko asked him to "consider the possibility of winding down the investigative actions" against Burisma Holdings, but he refused to do so.
Shokin's affidavit, dated September 4, 2019, was submitted for a court in Austria and supported his prior claims of investigating Burisma Holdings. In the affidavit, he stated that he was conducting a wide-ranging corruption probe into the company, which was active in Ukraine. Shokin's investigation into Burisma Holdings pertained to events that occurred before Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, joined the board of directors.
However, there are conflicting narratives surrounding Shokin's dismissal. Some allege that Shokin actually stopped investigating Burisma Holdings, countering his claims. Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Kyiv-based Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), stated that Shokin "dumped important criminal investigations on corruption associated with [former President Viktor] Yanukovych, including the Burisma case." Additionally, Ukrainian prosecutors and anti-corruption advocates claimed that the probe into Burisma Holdings had been dormant long before Biden's demand for Shokin's removal.
Shokin's dismissal played a central role in the Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory. It was falsely claimed that then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden extorted the Ukrainian government into firing Shokin to thwart an investigation into Burisma Holdings, due to its connection to his son, Hunter Biden. However, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, European diplomats, and anti-corruption advocates in Ukraine stated that Shokin was removed because he failed to pursue Ukrainian politicians for corruption. The European Union praised Shokin's dismissal due to a lack of tangible results from his office's investigations and because people in Shokin's office were themselves being investigated.
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Shokin's affidavit was used in an extradition case involving oligarch Dmytro Firtash
On September 4, 2019, Viktor Shokin, the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, submitted an affidavit in Austria. This affidavit was used in an extradition case involving Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash. Firtash was arrested in March 2014 in Vienna, Austria, and was released on bail, pledging to remain in Austria until the end of his extradition proceedings.
Firtash is a billionaire natural gas magnate who made his fortune in the post-Soviet era. He is facing extradition to the U.S. on bribery and corruption charges. Firtash's defense team has hired attorneys Joe DiGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are also connected to former U.S. President Donald Trump.
In his affidavit, Shokin claimed that he was forced out of office because he refused to drop an investigation into Burisma Holdings, where Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the board of directors. Shokin alleged that Joe Biden pressured the administration of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire him and to illegally block Firtash's return to Ukraine. Shokin also claimed that there was no evidence that Firtash had committed any crime.
The affidavit was used by Firtash's lawyers as evidence of political subtext in his prosecution. According to Austrian law, extradition is not possible if the prosecution is politically motivated. In June 2024, Austria's Supreme Court initially ruled that Firtash could be extradited to stand trial in Chicago. However, this ruling was later suspended as a new proceeding was requested by Firtash's legal team based on newly submitted evidence, including Shokin's affidavit.
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Shokin alleged that Joe Biden pressured the Ukrainian administration to block Firtash's return to Ukraine
Viktor Shokin, a former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, submitted an affidavit in September 2019 in an extradition case involving oligarch Dmytro Firtash. In the affidavit, Shokin claimed that Joe Biden, along with former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and other top Ukrainian officials, took steps to prevent Firtash's return to Ukraine.
Firtash, an oligarch, had helped a pro-Russia/Putin president, Viktor Yanukovich, get elected in Ukraine. After Yanukovich fled to Russia following demonstrations, Firtash wanted to launch a plan for the modernisation of Ukraine. Shokin alleged that Biden and Ukrainian officials stated that Firtash could face criminal charges if he returned to the country.
Shokin's allegation is part of a wider narrative regarding his dismissal as Prosecutor General. Shokin claims he was forced out of office because he was leading a "wide-ranging corruption probe" into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas company with ties to Ukraine, whose board of directors included Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. However, others refute this narrative, stating that Shokin was removed due to a lack of tangible results from his office's investigations and because he failed to pursue Ukrainian politicians for corruption. There are also claims that Shokin had stopped investigating Burisma.
Joe Biden has publicly claimed that he was responsible for Shokin's dismissal, stating that he told Ukraine's new leadership that Shokin needed to be removed. However, Biden denied accepting bribes or having any knowledge of his son's foreign business dealings. The European Union, the United States, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank welcomed Shokin's removal.
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Shokin's affidavit was submitted in an Austrian court
Viktor Shokin, the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, submitted an affidavit in an Austrian court on September 4, 2019. Shokin's affidavit was prepared in support of legal proceedings in Austria for Dmitry Firtash, an oligarch and close ally of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Firtash was facing extradition to the United States, where he was accused of conspiring to bribe officials in India.
In his affidavit, Shokin claimed that he was forced out of office because he was leading a "wide-ranging corruption probe" into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas company with ties to Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Shokin alleged that President Poroshenko asked him to consider winding down the investigation into Burisma but that he refused. Shokin's removal played a central role in the Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory, with some claiming that Joe Biden sought Shokin's removal to thwart the Burisma investigation.
However, others, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, European diplomats, and anti-corruption advocates in Ukraine, asserted that Shokin was removed due to his failure to pursue Ukrainian politicians for corruption. There were also street protests demanding Shokin's resignation, and he faced criticism for blocking major corruption cases and hindering the fight against corruption in Ukraine.
Shokin's affidavit gained attention in the context of a July 2019 phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate allegations of interference by Ukrainian officials in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and claims surrounding the Bidens and Burisma. Shokin's affidavit was shared online by John Solomon, contributing to the allegations surrounding the Bidens and Ukraine.
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Frequently asked questions
Viktor Shokin gave his affidavit in Austria on September 4, 2019.
Viktor Shokin was the Prosecutor General of Ukraine from 2015 to 2016.
Viktor Shokin's affidavit was about his dismissal as Prosecutor General of Ukraine. He claimed that he was forced out of office because he refused to drop an investigation into Burisma Holdings, where Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the board.
