Congressional Candidate and Veteran Aja Smith Questions Rep. Mark Takano’s Role In Ukraine

A Congressional Candidate for California’s 41st District is questioning the role of incumbent Rep. Mark Takano in Ukraine.

In an attempt to impeach President Donald J. Trump, the Democrats’ recent star witness was Ambassador Bill Taylor.

Questions are being raised, according to public documents obtained by the California Globe, that Takano (D-CA) recently sent congressional staff to Ukraine. Aja Smith, who is running against Takano, is questioning the veracity of the taxpayer-funded travel. The local veteran says the timelines make it reasonable to consider that Adam Schiff and his staff, as well as others who traveled to Ukraine, helped coach and write the whistleblower’s complaint.

The California Globe obtained public documents that show Congressman Takano directed staff to travel to Ukraine close to 90 days ago. Takano’s team joined with the leader of the impeachment process Adam Schiff.

Smith said during her investigation of Takano’s public records, she found several glaring issues. “On August 26, 2019, documents show the group met with Trump accuser Ambassador Bill Taylor. One week after the meeting, Taylor sends a text to the President’s EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland falsely claiming a quid-pro-quo,” Smith said.

The trip to Ukraine for Adam Schiff’s Intelligence Committee staffer, Takano’s Deputy Chief of Staff and eight other Congressional staffers, was paid for by an organization called “The Atlantic Council,” an American Atlanticist international affairs think tank, which “shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world,” according to its website.

The Atlantic Council has ties to the Clinton Foundation and Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity firm that the DNC hired to investigate the alleged DNC email hack, and Clinton Campaign Manager John Podesta, Smith said.

Dmitri Alperovitch, the co-founder and CTO of Crowdstrike, the cyber security firm that the DNC hired to investigate the alleged hacks, also serves as a senior fellow to the Atlantic Council.

The Atlantic Council works in partnership and receives funding by Burisma, the natural gas company at the center of allegations regarding Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

In addition, Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, who provided key testimony to the Democrats’ controversial impeachment inquiry, has a close relationship with the Atlantic Council think tank, even writing Ukraine policy pieces with the organization’s director and analysis articles published by the Council.

Smith said, “This trip to Ukraine around 90 days ago was organized by the Burisma-funded Atlantic Council. The most senior level Congressional staff members on the trip (Adam Schiff’s House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence staff member Thomas Eager, Mark Takano’s Deputy Chief of Staff Yuri Beckelman (CA), Katie Porter’s Legislative Director Brieana Marticorena (CA), Jennifer Wexton’s Legislative Director (VA) and Jose Serrano’s Legislative Director Angel Nigaglioni (NY) held a meeting during the trip with Taylor. The pre-planned trip took place after the so-called whistleblower officially filed his August 12 complaint and reportedly after a Schiff aide was contacted by the so-called whistleblower.”

Smith provided California Globe with timeline information questioning Takano’s role with Ukraine.

Takano’s staffer filed paperwork with the House for this trip on July 17 just 8 days before the President’s July 25th call and the same day Schiff was contacted by “Whistleblower. ”

Schiff’s contact with the “Whistleblower” also explains how Mr. Schiff knew to press for the complaint when the Trump administration initially blocked lawmakers from seeing it.

“It is interesting to note that Rep. Takano sent his second highest ranking staff member on the trip and Takano’s staffer was the highest ranking staff member on the trip. No other Congress office sent their Deputy Chief of Staff,’ said Smith.

Smith wants Takano to answer the following questions:

• Was this trip to cover up corruption by Joe Biden’s son?
• Was it to cover up Ukraine election interference to help Hillary Clinton?
• Was it preparing the next whistleblower?

“The public has a right to know what was discussed at these meetings.” said Smith.

Southern California Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff has already been caught secretly working with the so-called “whistleblower.”

The New York Times documented that Schiff knew about the so-called “whistleblower” for a month before the staff trip to Ukraine to meet with acting Ambassador to Ukraine William “Bill” Taylor on Aug. 25 and former Ukraine President Poroshenko on Aug 26.

Since in the summer of 2018, Schiff met Glenn Simpson in Aspen and also in February 2019, Schiff’s team prepped Michael Cohen for over 10 hours before a Congressional hearing.

After the Democrat staff members met with Taylor on Aug. 25th, 14 days later (Sept. 9th) William “Bill” Taylor [former Executive Vice President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, previously served on the staff of Democrat Senator Bill Bradley] sends an email to United States Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland pretending that he thinks the President is withholding “security assistance for help with a political campaign.”

“Did the group of staffers talk to Bill Taylor about the so-called “whistleblower” on Aug 26th, before it the “whistleblower” claims were made public on September 13, 2019 when Adam Schiff subpoenaed the acting spy chief to hand over the ‘urgent’ whistle-blower complaint,” asked Smith.

Smith further accuses Takano and Schiff staffers’ trip to the Ukraine to be a coordinated effort with the “whistleblower”.

“We have all seen the transcript and know that Schiff and the so-called “whistleblower” both lied in their original accounts of the President’s call with the President of Ukraine. They both told the SAME lie as well – that the President had asked 8 times was a detail that both Schiff and the “whistleblower” both told that was false – which to me shows that they coordinated before hand.”

Smith wants to know if they go to Ukraine to brief the Poroshenko administration staff and holdovers on how to react to the new Ukraine collusion hoax, or even just that he hoax collusion scheme is going to happen?

“The more you dig into the details, the more likely it seems that Takano’s Deputy Chief of Staff was involved. If this trip is not examined and the participants questioned, Riverside County Democrat Mark Takano’s impeachment lies are only going to get worse,” said Smith.

Smith said she started to look into Takano’s public records when she was running against him the first time in 2018.

”I came across an article from FrontPage, that listed him having two Awan Brothers IT staffers working for him and were monitoring his offices,” said Smith. Then I found out his chief of staff who use to work for Anthony Weiner went to Ukraine and found it odd that a so-called ‘non-mainstream, non-targeted seat’ Congressional Rep is sending and approving a trip that leads to the Ukraine investigation.”

Read the travel documents, meeting schedule, and disclosure forms HERE and below.