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Alexander Vindman, the “man who would be king-maker” aka the man who blew a whistle on Trump’s “perfect” call, is back in the news for allegedly profiting off of America’s funding of the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Vindman became a public figure when he was Lt. Col Vindman and was tasked to the White House during Trump’s presidency. As an Army NSC staffer, he listened in as Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vindman didn’t like the tone of the call and was the catalyst behind Trump’s first impeachment. Vindman labeled the call improper coercion. Trump claimed that call was “perfect.”
After Vindman testified about the call, he was removed from his White House post and escorted off the property. He later retired. Vindman sued Trump and others claiming, among other things that they defamed and smeared him and kept him from being promoted to full Colonel. In November 2022, his lawsuit was summarily dismissed with the court telling Vindman that he hadn’t proved his case. But the judge still took a swipe at Trump and his allies saying:
[Vindman’s] pled facts, taken as true, certainly suggest that Defendants leveled harsh, meanspirited, and at times misleading attacks against him. But political hackery alone does not violate” the law.
In short, Orange Man Bad isn’t a cause of action.
What Vindman is doing for a living now, is an open question. His book tanked so he has to do something for money. Jack Posobiec and Human Events recently published an article that suggests Vindman has, as the CEO of something called Trident International LLC (or “Trident Systems”), been profiting or attempting to profit off of the Ukrainian War. The article alleges that the company, and thus Vindman as its CEO, have pitched a “deck” for a Ukranian weapons system worth 12 million dollars. Human Events alleges:
Documents recently obtained by Human Events show that Alexander Vindman has been pitching the government of Ukraine to obtain lucrative defense contracts. In August 2022, Vindman, operating as CEO of Trident Support, pitched a deck on a Ukraine Weapons Systems Sustainment Center to address problems with Ukraine’s weapons management, namely readiness, repair, and maintenance.
Vindman proposed that for $12 million in initial funding, his company Trident Support would bring support closer to the front lines by providing a logistical midpoint from which equipment could be distributed.
The deck is reproduced in the Human Events article as a PDF, so it’s easy to see what is proposed, but is less clear to whom the pitch is directed.
I found no business link for “Trident Support” and “Trident International LLC,” identified by Fox News, pulled information for an apparel exporter. There is no link to Vindman. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a “Trident Support” or an LLC or some other iteration hiding in the weeds with Vindman as the CEO. It’s not unheard of for companies wanting to be war profiteers, to hide behind layers of shell or dummy companies or LLCs.
Marsha Blackburn went on the attack, but Vindman responded to Fox News:
“Ooh, Blackburn. She’s an idiot, an agent of chaos promoting disinformation. She has never said one true thing about me. Her attacks in 2019/20 contributed to an environment that made it impossible for me to continue my nonpartisan military service,” Vindman said.
“More importantly, it’s the politicization of Ukraine, by the fringe right, that brought about this war, imperiling Ukraine, Europe, and most importantly the U.S.,” he added.
What makes this very interesting is that Vindman seems to have confirmed that he and his company (whatever it may be named) is, indeed trying to contract with Ukraine and profit from the war. In a now-deleted Tweet Vindman wrote:
“Thanks for the advert. I’m trying to get logistics in place to help Ukraine win the war and secure America. Looking for philanthropic contributions to get it going. Reach out if you support the cause of democracy and US National Security,”
Since then and since the “Human Events” article was published, Vindman speculates that the claims are a defaming lie. He tweeted:
Attorneys, is there a defamation suit here? pic.twitter.com/LOn8NE1lcg
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) March 3, 2023
Vindman had plenty of takers, like this guy, to whom I responded. Twitter lawyers are the best.
About zero chance you’re a lawyer and if you are you’re garbage at it. You write like a 12 yr old regurgitating something you read off your girlfriends notebook.
The tell? you speculated that he might be a public figure. He wrote book and gave public testimony, you clown
— Jim Thompson (@JimmySportToons) March 4, 2023
Vindman is a public figure and as such he would have to first prove that the statements by Human Events are false and that Human Events acted with actual malice — i.e., published them knowing they were false or with reckless disregard as to whether they were false or not. Since Vindman seems to have already confirmed his involvement and was looking to “partner” with others to get it going, it seems Vindman’s next defamation lawsuit might end dashed on the rocks, right next to his first attempt.
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