The shadow Ukraine-policy team had it in for Marie Yovanovitch

An eye-opening development if there ever was one:

An associate of Rudy Giuliani appeared to discuss with another man the surveillance of US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch before she was ousted from her post last year, according to a tranche of documents made public Tuesday as part of the House impeachment inquiry. 

The documents introduced a colorful new participant -- Connecticut congressional candidate Robert F. Hyde -- in the push by Giuliani and his allies to remove Yovanovitch, an effort that is at the center of impeachment proceedings in Washington and federal investigations in New York.

In a series of text messages with Giuliani associate Lev Parnas in March 2019, Hyde, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump who has donated thousands of dollars to Republican politics and the Trump campaign, discussed Yovanovitch's whereabouts in Ukraine.

Using coarse language, Hyde suggested to Parnas that Yovanovitch should be removed from her position, and Hyde implied he or his allies were monitoring her.

"F**k that bitch," Hyde told Parnas on March 22, 2019, in response to a series of articles and tweets Parnas sent him. The following day, Hyde continued: "Wow. Can't believe Trump (sic) hasn't fired this bitch. I'll get right in that."

In a cryptic message, Hyde later wrote to Parnas: "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price." Hyde added: "Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money...what I was told."

I'm not under any illusion that this revelation moves the needle. Dems have handled the whole impeachment business so poorly, and the field of Dem presidential candidates is so off-the-charts leftist (and, as it narrows, increasingly old and white) and the economy is relatively healthy and will continue to be so through at least November that the Very Stable Genius's odds look good.

But let's be realistic about what kind of associates he hangs out with.

UPDATE: Just came across this photo: