Trump impeachment probe gains steam with briefing, depositions

[snoop1130]

Trump impeachment probe gains steam with briefing, depositions

By Patricia Zengerle

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a ceremonial swearing-in for Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two former officials who were engaged in the Trump administration's dealings with Ukraine will meet with U.S. congressional committees starting this week, as the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump gains steam.

 

Congressional staff was also due to attend a briefing at the Capitol on Wednesday by the State Department's inspector general, Steve Linick, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

 

Staff members from the Senate and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs and Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Oversight and Appropriations committees were invited to the briefing. The session was expected to address Ukraine-related documents that have been subpoenaed by House committees.

 

Following a whistleblower complaint last week, Democrats are looking into Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a July 25 phone call to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender in the Democratic race to run against Republican Trump in the 2020 election.

 

The unidentified whistleblower is said to be an intelligence agent who accused Trump of soliciting foreign interference for his personal political benefit.

 

Trump has denied wrongdoing and assailed the probe.

 

Kurt Volker, who resigned last week as Trump's special representative for Ukraine, was to go to Capitol Hill to give a deposition to House staff on Thursday, the day he had been asked to appear.

 

Marie Yovanovitch, who was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine until she was abruptly recalled in May, has agreed to appear on Oct. 11, not on Wednesday as originally requested.

 

With their deep knowledge of Ukraine, testimony by Yovanovitch and Volker could be especially important to the impeachment probe formally launched by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week.

 

The inquiry could lead to approval of articles of impeachment - or formal charges - against Trump in the House. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to remove him from office. But the president's fellow Republicans control that chamber and have shown little appetite for removing him.

 

Yovanovitch was ordered back to Washington two months before the end of her three-year tour in Kiev. The career diplomat, who had served during both Republican and Democratic administrations, had been the subject of attacks in right-leaning media and Democrats had suggested her recall was politically motivated.

 

MORE SUBPOENAS EXPECTED

 

Over the past few days, the Democratic chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees have issued subpoenas to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and scheduled depositions with a series of other current and former officials, as well as associates of Giuliani, as they seek to unearth more evidence of potential wrongdoing by Trump.

 

Trump asked Zelenskiy during the July call to investigate Biden and his son Hunter in coordination with U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Giuliani.

 

Announcements of more subpoenas and requests for depositions are expected.

 

The impeachment investigation has cast a pall over Trump's re-election effort.

 

On Twitter on Tuesday, Trump repeated his assertion that his call with Zelenskiy was "perfect," and attacked Pelosi and Representative Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee chairman.

 

"This is just another Fake News Media, together with their partner, the Democrat Party, HOAX!" the president tweeted.

 

On Tuesday, Pompeo took to Twitter to address the investigation. He posted a letter accusing Representative Eliot Engel, the House Foreign Affairs chairman, of requesting depositions as "an attempt to intimidate, bully and treat improperly" State Department employees.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-02

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[billd766]

All Trump has to do is to release the originals of his phone call and then get it compared with what has been claimed.

 

If they are the same then there is no problem.

 

If they are different or have been "adjusted" in any way...........

[quandow]

It's more about the cover up. THAT'S what got Nixon thrown out of office and that's what is happening here. And gawd help him and his family if he leaves office before certain statute of limitations expire.

[BTB1977]

And what Biden did was legal?  His son gets ahead and sets on company boards whenever daddy makes a deal with them.  So why is asking different governments to check in on these deals wrong.  Someone has to ask the hard questions.  I want to know what goes in behind the deal making.  So should Trump 

[quandow]

34 minutes ago, BTB1977 said:

And what Biden did was legal?  His son gets ahead and sets on company boards whenever daddy makes a deal with them.  So why is asking different governments to check in on these deals wrong.  Someone has to ask the hard questions.  I want to know what goes in behind the deal making.  So should Trump 

PLEEEEZE try and keep up. This has been debunked time and time again. Even Trump's advisers were telling him in July this was a nothing burger story. Also, red herring deflection - the topic is Trump's pending and ever more popular impeachment/removal from office.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

All Trump has to do is to release the originals of his phone call and then get it compared with what has been claimed.

 

If they are the same then there is no problem.

 

If they are different or have been "adjusted" in any way...........

Exactly.  That is all the world needs to know.

The transcript as provided is not damming in my totally bipartisan view (I am Scottish and living in Thailand).  BUT if the Ukrainians' or the Official White House version is different then I think there may be a "callgate" and case to answer! 

[Berkshire]

28 minutes ago, quandow said:

PLEEEEZE try and keep up. This has been debunked time and time again. Even Trump's advisers were telling him in July this was a nothing burger story. Also, red herring deflection - the topic is Trump's pending and ever more popular impeachment/removal from office.

Trump supporters will believe any story/lies fed to them by the right wing media. A good number of them still believe President Obama wasn't born in America.  There is something seriously wrong with these people.

[Barry343]

10 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Trump supporters will believe any story/lies fed to them by the right wing media. A good number of them still believe President Obama wasn't born in America.  There is something seriously wrong with these people.

You must be one of the far-left supporters who have been cheering so loud everytime a new allegation was made about Trump, and very frustrated and angry when all of them have been proven to be lies from the major media sources 5555

[rgraham]

Still just supposition, no proof other than that the Bidens were pulling a Bill and Hillary scheme.

[legend49]

12 hours ago, quandow said:

PLEEEEZE try and keep up. This has been debunked time and time again. Even Trump's advisers were telling him in July this was a nothing burger story. Also, red herring deflection - the topic is Trump's pending and ever more popular impeachment/removal from office.

Thankyou but obviously some bodies base are not readers.

[grumbleweed]

The impeachment of Trump doesn't go far enough. As it's implausible for anyone of sound mind to vote for him, what about certifying his supporters? 

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[Chomper Higgot]

13 hours ago, billd766 said:

All Trump has to do is to release the originals of his phone call and then get it compared with what has been claimed.

 

If they are the same then there is no problem.

 

If they are different or have been "adjusted" in any way...........

It’s not quite so easy as that.

 

There is the matter of why the transcripts were hidden and who gave the orders to hide them.

 

The involvement of the US AG and the head of the US State Department in running errands for Trump.

 

There is the matter of the legality of what Trump was doing.

 

And on top of all that there is evidence of other hidden transcripts of calls with other foreign leaders.

 

All the while other behaviors by Trump and his administration raise more legal difficulties for the President and those helping him.

 

Barr running errands for Trump in Italy, Pompeo threatening members of the State Department to dissuade them giving testimony to Congress, trump making threats against tge whistleblower and soliciting others to reveal the identity of the whistleblower.

 

The pile of criminality just keeps getting bigger.

[soalbundy]

27 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

The impeachment of Trump doesn't go far enough. As it's implausible for anyone of sound mind to vote for him, what about certifying his supporters? 

Most are on opiates so no sound minds to find

[soalbundy]

12 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Exactly.  That is all the world needs to know.

The transcript as provided is not damming in my totally bipartisan view (I am Scottish and living in Thailand).  BUT if the Ukrainians' or the Official White House version is different then I think there may be a "callgate" and case to answer! 

Suspending military help unless..... is not damning?

[Tug]

12 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Exactly.  That is all the world needs to know.

The transcript as provided is not damming in my totally bipartisan view (I am Scottish and living in Thailand).  BUT if the Ukrainians' or the Official White House version is different then I think there may be a "callgate" and case to answer! 

Trump is surrendering our sovereignty in order to rig the election he is pressuring a country in danger of invasion to help him in his quest that sir tends to <deleted> most of us off he is now in full meltdown mode I hope for all our sakes they get him some meds it is a dangerous time for us all

[scottiejohn]

12 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Suspending military help unless..... is not damning?

Where does it actually say "Suspending military help unless...." in the transcript that has been released?

[bendejo]

36 minutes ago, Tug said:

he is now in full meltdown mode

At the UN last week, when talking about this stuff, he seemed uncharacteristically calm in his speaking, he seemed sedated.  I guess he was literally off his meds Wednesday when he met with the President of Finland.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2019 by bendejo

[RPCVguy]

49 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Where does it actually say "Suspending military help unless...." in the transcript that has been released?

Trump personally put a hold on the release of the weapons and sent his personal lawyer to Ukraine to let it be widely known what he wanted. Then when the call is made and the conversation reaches the topic of those same anti-tank weapons, the NEXT sentence in the transcript released by the White House says:

‘I would like you to do us a favor though’

which is when Trump reminds the president of Ukraine that there is a condition he seeks resolved. After that call (one in which Sec. of State Pompeo was listening - but later deflected admitting knowledge of) the weapons deal is consummated. That chain of events, before, during and after the "THOUGH" is what looks highly suspicious and is being investigated. Even the IG for the DOD is investigating details of how the weapons hold was applied.
True to pattern, the White House, Barr and Pompeo are seeking to block all responses to the investigation. Their guilt is implied by the forcefulness of the obstruction now underway.

Beyond the usual personal enrichment of getting people and governments to stay at his hotels (Including the president of Ukraine, who even underlined that financial support in the same telephone conversation) this particular transaction delayed delivery of supplies deemed important to the US and NATO line of defense - all held up so as to gain/ extort help in gaining political advantage in the upcoming election. Trump only puts Trump first, other priorities have a lower value in his explicit actions. (With him, and many politicians, watch what they do - not what they say.)

Edited October 3, 2019 by RPCVguy

[quandow]

3 hours ago, Barry343 said:

You must be one of the far-left supporters who have been cheering so loud every time a new allegation was made about Trump, and very frustrated and angry when all of them have been proven to be lies from the major media sources 5555

This post is relative to the topic as it shows a history of the things Trump supporters have found acceptable. If people respond as trolls, that's not my problem.

 

We don't "cheer," we cringe in disbelief that otherwise seemingly intelligent people can find these behaviors acceptable:

 

That when you saw a man ridicule an American war hero, you said "Meh."

 

That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought "Fine."

 

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, "Okay."

 

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, "No problem."

 

That when he made up stories about seeing Muslim-Americans in the thousands cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center, you said, "Not an issue."

 

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn't care, you chirped, "He sure knows me."

 

That when you heard him illustrate his own character by telling that cute story about the elderly guest bleeding on the floor at his country club, the story about how he turned his back and how it was all an imposition on him, you said, "That's cool!"

 

That when you saw him mock the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw.

That when you heard him brag that he doesn't read books, you said, "Well, who has time?"

 

That when the Central Park Five were compensated as innocent men convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and he angrily said that they should still be in prison, you said, "That makes sense."

 

That when you heard him tell his supporters to beat up protesters and that he would hire attorneys, you thought, "Yes!"

 

That when you heard him tell one rally to confiscate a man's coat before throwing him out into the freezing cold, you said, "What a great guy!"

 

That you have watched the parade of neo-Nazis and white supremacists with whom he curries favor, while refusing to condemn outright Nazis, and you have said, "Thumbs up!"

 

That you hear him unable to talk to foreign dignitaries without insulting their countries and demanding that they praise his electoral win, you said, "That's the way I want my President to be."

 

That you have watched him remove expertise from all layers of government in favor of people who make money off of eliminating protections in the industries they're supposed to be regulating and you have said, "What a genius!"

 

That you have heard him continue to profit from his businesses, in part by leveraging his position as President, to the point of overcharging the Secret Service for space in the properties he owns, and you have said, "That's smart!"

 

That you have heard him say that it was difficult to help Puerto Rico because it was the middle of water and you have said, "That makes sense."

 

That you have seen him start fights with every country from Canada to New Zealand while praising Russia and quote, "falling in love" with the dictator of North Korea, and you have said, "That's statesmanship!"

 

That Trump separated children from their families and put them in cages, managed to lose track of 1500 kids and actually releasing some to sexual predators, has opened a tent city incarceration camp in the desert in Texas - he explains that they’re just “animals” - and you say, “well, OK then.”

 

That when you saw a man use the power of his office to strong arm another desperate country for his own political gain, you used every possible deflection within your grasp to deny actual treason.

 

That this president has been been proven to be the most horrendous liar in the history of presidents, you stand in lockstep and say "I believe."

 

That you have witnessed all the thousand and one other manifestations of corruption and low moral character and outright animalistic rudeness and contempt for you, the working American voter, and you still show up grinning and wearing your MAGA hats and threatening to beat up anybody who says otherwise.

 

This is nothing to "cheer" about, it's profoundly sad.

[quandow]

1 minute ago, RPCVguy said:

True to pattern, the White House, Barr and Pompeo are seeking to block all responses to the investigation. Their guilt is implied by the forcefulness of the obstruction now underway.

Remember that time Obama blocked all the Benghazi investigation requests for information? No? That's because he turned it all over as any guiltless person would!

[Sir Swagman]

15 minutes ago, quandow said:

Remember that time Obama blocked all the Benghazi investigation requests for information? No? That's because he turned it all over as any guiltless person would!

Oh c’mon, you aren’t seriously suggesting that blocking access to information that would prove your (always claimed) innocence isn’t a normal response from someone not guilty of anything are you?

[scottiejohn]

23 minutes ago, RPCVguy said:

Trump personally put a hold on the release of the weapons and sent his personal lawyer to Ukraine to let it be widely known what he wanted.

Which lawyer?  If you mean Giuliani there is no evidence yet that he had been to Ukraine

This is what has been published so far in relation to his involvement b4 the call

Late 2018 – Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani speaks to former Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Shokin via Skype. Shokin, widely accused of corruption, had been removed from his job in 2016.
Late January 2019 – Giuliani meets with then-Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko in New York, according to a Bloomberg report.
Mid-February – Giuliani meets with Lutsenko again, this time in Warsaw, according to the whistleblower complaint.
 

[metisdead]

A post containing a link from an unapproved source has been removed. 

[mtls2005]

55 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Which lawyer?  If you mean Giuliani there is no evidence yet that he had been to Ukraine

 

There are literally hundreds of photos and articles re: Giuliani in Ukraine. His "security firm", TriGlobal Strategic Ventures, had a $14 M USD contract in Ukraine, with some Ulranian and Russian oligarchs.

 

I'm honestly not sure what sources are approved here, so...

 

What we know about Rudy Giuliani's relationship with a shady Russian-Ukrainian oligarch

 

It wasn't clear why Rudy Giuliani took a day in November 2017 to travel to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

 

Now, more light has been shed on Giuliani and his oddball Ukrainian associates — according to a new profile of Russian-Ukrainian oligarch Pavel Fuchs, Giuliani is working to "create a US office for supporting investment in the city." The profile was published Nov. 12 in the Ukrainian magazine Novoye Vremya.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giulianis-corrupt-oligarch-ukraine-2018-11

Edited October 3, 2019 by mtls2005

[Thaidream]

There is more than enough evidence to impeach and convict Trump and if done- he will be indixted and convicted in a court of law for obstruction of justice.

 

If impeachment is voten , then it is up to the Senate to do their jobs and convict-  but the Senate leadership(Repubs) may want to visit Trump and lay it all out. The only way out for Trump is to resign- then Pence becomes President and is free to pardon  Trump.

 

As miserable a human being as Trump is; and as incompetent and self serving he is- I prefer to see Trump resign and be pardoned and return to his prior occupation of forcing the elderly out of their homes so he can build car parks.  Trying to force vengeance on him will only keep him in the limelight longer.

 

I have no problem with those who voted for Trump- they were expecting someone who actually cared about them and would make their lives better.  Instead, they got someone who hates everyone except himself- cares only about how to make more money off the backs of the poor- and is completely unqualified to negotiate with any foreign leader.

 

Trump has not made America Great Again- he has made America a pariah in an entwined World in which America needs all the help it can muster.

 

Time to send Donald Trump to the scrapheap of History and replace him with a real President.

[quandow]

15 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

The only way out for Trump is to resign- then Pence becomes President and is free to pardon  Trump.

Latest news shows Pence may be called out and impeached for HIS implication and cover up of this mess. If HE goes, guess who's next in line to take over?

(Hint: her first name is "Nancy," last name "Pelosi")

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, quandow said:

This post is relative to the topic as it shows a history of the things Trump supporters have found acceptable. If people respond as trolls, that's not my problem.

 

We don't "cheer," we cringe in disbelief that otherwise seemingly intelligent people can find these behaviors acceptable:

 

That when you saw a man ridicule an American war hero, you said "Meh."

 

That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought "Fine."

 

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, "Okay."

 

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, "No problem."

 

That when he made up stories about seeing Muslim-Americans in the thousands cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center, you said, "Not an issue."

 

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn't care, you chirped, "He sure knows me."

 

That when you heard him illustrate his own character by telling that cute story about the elderly guest bleeding on the floor at his country club, the story about how he turned his back and how it was all an imposition on him, you said, "That's cool!"

 

That when you saw him mock the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw.

That when you heard him brag that he doesn't read books, you said, "Well, who has time?"

 

That when the Central Park Five were compensated as innocent men convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and he angrily said that they should still be in prison, you said, "That makes sense."

 

That when you heard him tell his supporters to beat up protesters and that he would hire attorneys, you thought, "Yes!"

 

That when you heard him tell one rally to confiscate a man's coat before throwing him out into the freezing cold, you said, "What a great guy!"

 

That you have watched the parade of neo-Nazis and white supremacists with whom he curries favor, while refusing to condemn outright Nazis, and you have said, "Thumbs up!"

 

That you hear him unable to talk to foreign dignitaries without insulting their countries and demanding that they praise his electoral win, you said, "That's the way I want my President to be."

 

That you have watched him remove expertise from all layers of government in favor of people who make money off of eliminating protections in the industries they're supposed to be regulating and you have said, "What a genius!"

 

That you have heard him continue to profit from his businesses, in part by leveraging his position as President, to the point of overcharging the Secret Service for space in the properties he owns, and you have said, "That's smart!"

 

That you have heard him say that it was difficult to help Puerto Rico because it was the middle of water and you have said, "That makes sense."

 

That you have seen him start fights with every country from Canada to New Zealand while praising Russia and quote, "falling in love" with the dictator of North Korea, and you have said, "That's statesmanship!"

 

That Trump separated children from their families and put them in cages, managed to lose track of 1500 kids and actually releasing some to sexual predators, has opened a tent city incarceration camp in the desert in Texas - he explains that they’re just “animals” - and you say, “well, OK then.”

 

That when you saw a man use the power of his office to strong arm another desperate country for his own political gain, you used every possible deflection within your grasp to deny actual treason.

 

That this president has been been proven to be the most horrendous liar in the history of presidents, you stand in lockstep and say "I believe."

 

That you have witnessed all the thousand and one other manifestations of corruption and low moral character and outright animalistic rudeness and contempt for you, the working American voter, and you still show up grinning and wearing your MAGA hats and threatening to beat up anybody who says otherwise.

 

This is nothing to "cheer" about, it's profoundly sad.

 Thank you for the above post, Hard to keep track of all he has done in his short time in Office. He is not the problem. The idiots who elected him are the problem, he is a manifestation of such stupidity . One way or another he is going away.

but the "Idiots" not all bad people but nonetheless idiots for believing in him and for lowering their standards, They are here to stay.  trump will go away , but there are other trumps waiting in the wings.

The "idiots" are the problem, IMO the concern should not be so much about trump but about the idiots and how to deal with them.  

Edited October 3, 2019 by sirineou

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

His "security firm", TriGlobal Strategic Ventures, had a $14 M USD contract in Ukraine, with some Ulranian and Russian oligarchs.

 

My mistake, TGSV is the Ukrainian firm set up to funnel money to Giuliani. TGSV has gone dark in the past few days.

 

Do you like subpoena coladas,

 

Getting caught in Ukraine

 

 

 

 

[RPCVguy]

57 minutes ago, quandow said:

Latest news shows Pence may be called out and impeached for HIS implication and cover up of this mess. If HE goes, guess who's next in line to take over?

(Hint: her first name is "Nancy," last name "Pelosi")

Yep, a possibility. And helping make sure Pence goes under the bus is Trump.
►https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/wapo-trump-used-pence-in-ukraine-plot-70486085882

Now in a direct statement by Trump on TV
►https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari/watch/impeachment-jitters-prosecutor-says-rats-are-jumping-ship-from-trump-wh-70486085846