California Rep. Jackie Speier Berates The Hill Reporter John Solomon For Getting the Truth About Ukraine
Speier’s Ministry of Truth now ‘reviewing’ and ‘updating’ Solomon’s columns
By Katy Grimes, November 19, 2019 3:04 pm
“I’m not speaking to The Hill anymore. Sorry,” California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier said to a senior writer for The Hill late last week. Why won’t the California Congresswoman talk to The Hill anymore? Because the news publication employed reporter John Solomon, who’s coverage of Ukraine has been smashing.
“Rep. Jackie Speier upbraided a reporter for The Hill and ripped the outlet’s publication of columns by John Solomon, the conservative journalist whose work is at the center of what Yovanovitch described as a ‘smear campaign’ against her,” Politico reported.
Speier’s beef with John Solomon is that he reported in March that Obama’s Ukraine Ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, had been caught bad-mouthing President Trump, and that she had provided Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko with a “do not prosecute list.”
Solomon is an old school reporter who tracks down witnesses, has a Rolodex of reliable sources, and is willing to dig through volumes of data and documents for the truth.
Solomon is also now being called a “Conservative” journalist, largely because his reporting is so damning to Democrats, and the only news outlets who have used and relied on his reports are Fox News, One America News,, and Conservative radio show hosts.
Solomon said in a statement to POLITICO: “I stand by each and every one of the columns that I wrote and that The Hill (both editors and lawyers) carefully vetted. All facts in those stories are substantiated to original source documents and statements.”
John Solomon is the textbook style reporter journalism schools used to hold up as the model… back when being a media watchdog meant ethical, fact-based, well-sourced and truthful reporting.
Ministry of Truth
Politico reported Speier said it was “shocking” that The Hill “would have someone engaged in that paper that would conduct themselves in that manner and that he would be allowed to do so for as long as he has.”
State officials acknowledge US embassy in Kiev exerted pressure on Ukraine prosecutors not to pursue cases against two government officials who attacked Paul Manafort, a journalist aligned with George Soros and a nonprofit funded by Soros. Anyone see a pattern?
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) November 13, 2019
Now The Hill Editor in Chief Bob Cusack announced (below) that they were “reviewing” and “updating” Solomon’s columns – rewriting the news to please Rep. Jackie Speier?
John Solomon, who also worked at The Washington Post and The Associated Press, left The Hill in September. But last year, under pressure from Jackie Speier types, The Hill moved Solomon to the “Opinion” side, despite that his articles and reporting are not opinion. Solomon recently left The Hill and is now working at Fox News.
My favorite old journalist Robert Novak used to advise young reporters, “Don’t become too enamored of invitations to the White House or embassy parties.” He also said, “read the documents other journalists don’t.” John Solomon does.
The 15 essential questions for Marie Yovanovitch, America’s former ambassador to Ukraine
Solomon also posted on his website The 15 essential questions for Marie Yovanovitch, America’s former ambassador to Ukraine, ahead of Yovanovitch’s testimony:
“After nearly two years of reporting on Ukraine issues, here are 15 questions I think could be most illuminating to every day Americans if the ambassador answered them,” Solomon wrote. I’ve posted the first five questions. If you want to read all 15, they are HERE.
- Ambassador Yovanovitch, at any time while you served in Ukraine did any officials in Kiev ever express concern to you that President Trump might be withholding foreign aid assistance to get political investigations started? Did President Trump ever ask you as America’s top representative in Kiev to pressure Ukrainians to start an investigation about Burisma Holdings or the Bidens?
- What was the Ukrainians’ perception of President Trump after he allowed lethal aid to go to Ukraine in 2018?
- In the spring and summer of 2019, did you ever become aware of any U.S. intelligence or U.S. treasury concerns raised about incoming Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his affiliation or proximity to certain oligarchs? Did any of those concerns involve what the IMF might do if a certain oligarch who supported Zelensky returned to power and regained influence over Ukraine’s national bank?
- Back in May 2018, then-House Rules Committee chairman Pete Sessions wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggesting you might have made comments unflattering or unsupportive of the president and should be recalled. Setting aside that Sessions is a Republican and might even have donors interested in Ukraine policy, were you ever questioned about his concerns? At any time have you or your embassy staff made comments that could be viewed as unsupportive or critical of President Trump and his policies?
- John Solomon reported at The Hill and your colleagues have since confirmed in testimony that the State Department helped fund a nonprofit called the Anti-Corruption Action Centre of Ukraine that also was funded by George Soros’ main charity. That nonprofit, also known as AnTac, was identified in a 2014 Soros foundation strategy document as critical to reshaping Ukraine to Mr. Soros’ vision. Can you explain what role your embassy played in funding this group and why State funds would flow to it? And did any one consider the perception of mingling tax dollars with those donated by Soros, a liberal ideologue who spent millions in 2016 trying to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump?
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John Solomon was obtuse when I knew him. As my editor many years ago, he questioned whether the state school superintendent was an elected official. I referred him to the Blue Book, but he wouldn’t accept that. He asked me to confirm that with someone on the phone. I did, feeling somewhat sheepish. Now he’s an “expert” on Ukraine. God help us.
Papa88
I regard Mr. Solomon an excellent and trusted reporter which I follow on Fox and other respected venues.
I would bet money that Pelosi is the hand which causes Speier’s ire to come out publicly. There is a group of top Ds who have monetary interests in the Ukraine. Now the news is out that one of Pelosi’s son sits on the board of an Ukranian oil company, just like Hunter Biden had been doing. There is also some serious talk of hundreds of millions of US aid dollars being misdirected/misused with Hunter maybe playing a part in that. No wonder so many have been screaming “No need to investigate. Only an idiot would believe Ukranian conspiracies, etc ,etc. The more all of these liars shout the public sees through their lies/deception. All driven by greed, and/or the desire for power. There is no greater danger to our nation than people like this gaining power over all of us, imo.