Ukraine to fire prosecutor who led investigations into company Biden’s son advised: report

The Ukrainian prosecutor who led the investigation into the company where former Vice President Joe Biden’s son previously served on the board is expected to be fired, Reuters reported Monday.

The prosecutor Kostiantyn Kulyk had previously met with President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani as Giuliani made efforts to get the country to investigate Biden’s son Hunter. A source told Reuters the prosecutor will be fired for failing to attend an exam last month required of all General Prosecutor’s Office employees and neglecting to provide justification for his absence. 

{mosads}The office is requiring all employees to pass the exam to keep their jobs, as part of the country’s corruption cleanup efforts. Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka has fired about a third of the office’s staff thus far, and several people protested the office’s mandate on the exam and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by not showing for the test, according to Reuters. 

Zelensky has pushed for a cleanup effort in the office, saying the country has a wide distrust of the office.

Kulyk’s expected firing comes at a time when Ukraine is trying to distance itself from the impeachment inquiry into the White House’s relationship with the country. The prosecutor had put together a seven-page document on Hunter Biden and his role on the board for Burisma Holdings earlier this year, according to Reuters.

Giuliani told Reuters recently that Kulyk backed up the allegations that Joe Biden attempted to stop Ukraine’s then-chief prosecutor Viktor Shokin from examining the company, allegations the former vice president adamantly denies.

“[Kulyk] was another prosecutor somewhat lower level who told me the same thing: that there was collusion and Biden had [the] prosecutor fired to kill case on [his] son and Burisma,” Reuters reported Giuliani said.

The White House, Biden’s presidential campaign and Giuliani did not immediately return requests from The Hill to comment.

Trump’s request that Ukraine investigate Joe and Hunter Biden is at the center of the House’s impeachment inquiry.