Senior Democrat says next step underway in Trump impeachment probe

By Doina Chiacu

 

FILE PHOTO: Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks during a House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry hearing into U.S. President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. lawmakers have begun the next step in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump - writing a report on their findings - but still could take more testimony and hold additional hearings, the chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said on Sunday.

 

Representative Adam Schiff, whose committee is leading the inquiry that threatens Trump's presidency, said the panel has started work on the report after two weeks of public hearings with testimony from current and former U.S. officials. The panel has held five public hearings and has no more scheduled.

 

The report is an important step toward a possible vote in the Democratic-led House on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against the Republican president. If those are approved, the Senate, controlled by Republicans, would then hold a trial on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans have shown little inclination toward removing Trump, who is seeking re-election in 2020.

 

The inquiry centers on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Hunter Biden had worked for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company.

 

"We don't foreclose the possibility of more depositions, more hearings. We are in the process of getting more documents all the time. So that investigative work is being done," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union."

 

"What we're not prepared to do is wait months and months while the administration plays a game of 'rope a dope' in an effort to try to stall. We're not willing to go down that road." Schiff said.

 

Democrats have accused Trump of abusing his power by pressuring a vulnerable U.S. ally to interfere in an American election by digging up dirt on his domestic political opponents. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the November 2020 election.

 

With the first party nominating contests set for February, "there's an urgency to make sure the election and the ballot box have integrity," Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, an Intelligence Committee member, told the "Fox News Sunday" program.

 

Trump's administration has refused to provide documents requested by House Democrats and blocked witnesses from testifying, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. The president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, also has refused to cooperate.

 

Bolton and other officials have sought court rulings on whether they should comply with a congressional subpoena or honor the Trump administration's order not to testify, a process that could take months.

 

REPUBLICANS DEFEND TRUMP

Trump has said he did nothing wrong and dismisses the inquiry as politically motivated. Many Republicans in Congress have rallied to his defense and assailed the Democrats leading the inquiry.

 

There were "no impeachable offenses" and no direct evidence against the president, Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican Intelligence Committee member, told the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures."

 

Schiff said the committee is learning more every day but the evidence already collected is so "overwhelming and uncontested" that Democratic lawmakers decided to begin writing a report on the findings for transmission to the House Judiciary Committee, which would draft any articles of impeachment.

 

"Even as we compile this report, even as we submit evidence to the Judiciary Committee, we're going to continue our investigation," Schiff said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

 

The Judiciary Committee could conduct more proceedings if needed, including hearings, that allow Trump and his counsel to participate. The panel would draft any articles of impeachment against Trump before they would go to the full House for a vote.

 

Democrats also are looking into whether Trump's decision to withhold $391 million in security aid to Ukraine was intended to pressure Kiev into conducting the two investigations that could benefit Trump politically.

 

The money - approved by the U.S. Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Kiev in September after the controversy had spilled into public view.

 

Schiff said his committee has been in touch with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of getting witness testimony from Lev Parnas, an indicted Ukrainian-American businessman who has ties to Giuliani.

 

Parnas, who has already been subpoenaed for documents, had worked with Giuliani at a time when Trump's lawyer was pushing for Ukraine to conduct the two investigations. A lawyer for Parnas has said he would comply with the document request and is willing to appear before the House panel.

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Linda So and Tim Ahmann in Washington and Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Will Dunham)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-25

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1 minute ago, webfact said:

The inquiry centers on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Hunter Biden had worked for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company.

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

Wrong again.

1 minute ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

You seem to be missing the fact that the whole of the EU, and many in the US, not just Mr. Biden were trying to get the prosecutor fired, because he was notoriously corrupt.

I have seen absolutely zero evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever by either of the Bidens, only unsubstantiated allegations, which have been debunked as utter rubbish.

If you are in a position to provide any evidence, not hypothesis and general slander, please share it with us.

I am making no judgment on the issue regarding Mr. Trump. It is not my prerogative. The general rule of law is that when someone is suspected of committing a crime, that action is investigated, which is what is happening here. When all of the facts are in, a call will be made.

Trying to smear others while suggesting a legitimate inquiry should not happen, flies in the face of adherence to the legal system.

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

Well, your boy Nunes (the Republican clown who was the minority leader in the inquiry) just got implicated in the Ukraine/Biden fiasco during the "Friday dump." He should have recused himself. If there were no Faux Noise spewing lies, this would have been a slam dunk. It's a shame the Fairness Doctrine was killed by Saint Ronald Reagan, and now we see the results. Orwellian doublespeak come to life.

26 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

As one of those observers of this "fiasco"  I would say that it is  inevitable that the names of the primary targets incidental  in an investigation of the actions by Trump and his  subservients for internal political advantage, as opposed to historical claims about previous foreign policy, be mentioned as members of a now extended list made party to those actions.

Unsubstantiated claims and accusations against specific target subjects have no relevance by comparison to the incredibly overwhelming evidence revealed in the "subject matter" of the investigation of the POTUS and the real intent of his actions.

You use the  analogy of  fly paper! Oh dear !

 

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

It's about Trump and minions raising the issue of the Bidens. Not about the Bidens per se.

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr.

 

This type of deflection is what the GOP is best at.  Basically saying, 

"The articles of Impeachment should be dropped, because of what we think the Bidens did 5 years ago."  Perfect GOP logic in their minds

Edited November 25, 20196 yr by Skallywag

I suspect the next step will include the investigation of other crimes.

 

We shall today get the court ruling on McGahn giving testimony, a ruling that will equally apply to Bolton. 

 

Lav Parnas has handed documents and recordings to Congress and expressed a desire to give testimony.

 

Trump’s tax records court battle is nearing an end.

 

And in the background NY has a Grand Jury in process examining Trump’s businesses.

 

Trump’s impeachment hearings have only just started.

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's funny, we keep getting told by posters here that this fiasco has nothing to do with the Bidens, and yet every article that covers it makes mention of both Biden sr and jr. It is problematic that the only hard evidence of extortion/bribery/quid pro quo concerning the Ukraine comes from Biden sr with his boasting of witholding aid money until the Ukrainians fired the prosecutor. 

 It's the sticky fly paper syndrome that 3rd graders are familiar with, the harder they try make it off limits to discus the Bidens corruption and extortion, the more it gets mentioned. Oh dear!

Uhhhh Incase you missed it this whole thing started with trump using the powers of the office of the presidency to smear a political rival but I think you know that 

White House review turns up emails showing extensive effort to justify Trump’s decision to block Ukraine military aid

"A confidential White House review of President Trump’s decision to place a hold on military aid to Ukraine has turned up hundreds of documents that reveal extensive efforts to generate an after-the-fact justification for the decision and a debate over whether the delay was legal, according to three people familiar with the records.

 

The research by the White House Counsel’s Office, which was triggered by a congressional impeachment inquiry announced in September, includes early August email exchanges between acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House budget officials seeking to provide an explanation for withholding the funds after the president had already ordered a hold in mid-July on the nearly $400 million in security assistance, according to the three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.

 

One person briefed on the records examination said White House lawyers are expressing concern that the review has turned up some unflattering exchanges and facts that could at a minimum embarrass the president.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-review-turns-up-emails-showing-extensive-effort-to-justify-trumps-decision-to-block-ukraine-military-aid/2019/11/24/2121cf98-0d57-11ea-bd9d-c628fd48b3a0_story.html

18 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

White House review turns up emails showing extensive effort to justify Trump’s decision to block Ukraine military aid

"A confidential White House review of President Trump’s decision to place a hold on military aid to Ukraine has turned up hundreds of documents that reveal extensive efforts to generate an after-the-fact justification for the decision and a debate over whether the delay was legal, according to three people familiar with the records.

 

The research by the White House Counsel’s Office, which was triggered by a congressional impeachment inquiry announced in September, includes early August email exchanges between acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House budget officials seeking to provide an explanation for withholding the funds after the president had already ordered a hold in mid-July on the nearly $400 million in security assistance, according to the three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.

 

One person briefed on the records examination said White House lawyers are expressing concern that the review has turned up some unflattering exchanges and facts that could at a minimum embarrass the president.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-review-turns-up-emails-showing-extensive-effort-to-justify-trumps-decision-to-block-ukraine-military-aid/2019/11/24/2121cf98-0d57-11ea-bd9d-c628fd48b3a0_story.html

Ahhh. But but but bidens.

 

GOP really digging more holes to bury themselves. There is certainly a lot of repubs that have lost all credibility.

2 hours ago, bristolboy said:

White House review turns up emails showing extensive effort to justify Trump’s decision to block Ukraine military aid

"A confidential White House review of President Trump’s decision to place a hold on military aid to Ukraine has turned up hundreds of documents that reveal extensive efforts to generate an after-the-fact justification for the decision and a debate over whether the delay was legal, according to three people familiar with the records.

 

The research by the White House Counsel’s Office, which was triggered by a congressional impeachment inquiry announced in September, includes early August email exchanges between acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House budget officials seeking to provide an explanation for withholding the funds after the president had already ordered a hold in mid-July on the nearly $400 million in security assistance, according to the three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.

 

One person briefed on the records examination said White House lawyers are expressing concern that the review has turned up some unflattering exchanges and facts that could at a minimum embarrass the president.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-review-turns-up-emails-showing-extensive-effort-to-justify-trumps-decision-to-block-ukraine-military-aid/2019/11/24/2121cf98-0d57-11ea-bd9d-c628fd48b3a0_story.html

Somebody has decided they can’t win the impeachment battle and Mulvaney is the live bait to try to put the hounds off their scent.

 

Trump will follow this with statements along the lines ‘Mulvaney went rogue, I had no idea what he was doing’.

 

Mulvaney needs to come in, swear an oath and testify.

 

 

It is about time the Democrat's started working on other needy projects as they have wasted enough time, money & resources chasing a shadow...

7 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

It is about time the Democrat's started working on other needy projects as they have wasted enough time, money & resources chasing a shadow...

You mean all those projects waiting for a Senate vote?

Currently doesn't look as though trump will be convicted due to the partisan political roadblock of the Senate. The 2020 election is for the Dems to win. One hopes Dems don't stuff up the elections as it will be a disaster for the West for trump to be re-elected.

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

You mean all those projects waiting for a Senate vote?

Yes, exactly. 

 

https://www.rollcall.com/news/house-dems-mourn-bills-buried-mcconnells-legislative-graveyard

31 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

It is about time the Democrat's started working on other needy projects as they have wasted enough time, money & resources chasing a shadow...

The Democrats overriding TDS won't permit them to focus on anything else. 

It's all very pathological. They know that they are going to lose big-time in next years elections but they keep flailing away losing any independent voters left. 

52 minutes ago, simple1 said:

One hopes Dems don't stuff up the elections as it will be a disaster for the West for trump to be re-elected.

 

It will not be a disaster for anyone unless you're an illegal alien or china. 

9 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

It will not be a disaster for anyone unless you're an illegal alien or china. 

Myopic underpinning of Trump Administration missing in action from the World Stage.

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

You seem to be missing the fact that the whole of the EU, and many in the US, not just Mr. Biden were trying to get the prosecutor fired, because he was notoriously corrupt.

I have seen absolutely zero evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever by either of the Bidens, only unsubstantiated allegations, which have been debunked as utter rubbish.

If you are in a position to provide any evidence, not hypothesis and general slander, please share it with us.

I am making no judgment on the issue regarding Mr. Trump. It is not my prerogative. The general rule of law is that when someone is suspected of committing a crime, that action is investigated, which is what is happening here. When all of the facts are in, a call will be made.

Trying to smear others while suggesting a legitimate inquiry should not happen, flies in the face of adherence to the legal system.

Extremely well stated!

Some more "Faux Noise" troll posts have been removed. 

15 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

It will not be a disaster for anyone unless you're an illegal alien or china. 

It will be a disaster if you are a veteran.

It will be a disaster if you are a farmer.

It will be a disaster if you are a woman.

It will be a disaster if you are a news reporter (even Shepherd Smith from Fox News got fired).

It will be a disaster if you are not white.

It will be a disaster if you get sick.

And the list goes on and on and on and . . .

15 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

The Democrats overriding TDS won't permit them to focus on anything else.

I thought we rid ourselves of the "TDS" name calling. That's a term used by those who can't come up with a cogent argument.

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

You seem to be missing the fact that the whole of the EU, and many in the US, not just Mr. Biden were trying to get the prosecutor fired, because he was notoriously corrupt.

I have seen absolutely zero evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever by either of the Bidens, only unsubstantiated allegations, which have been debunked as utter rubbish.

If you are in a position to provide any evidence, not hypothesis and general slander, please share it with us.

I am making no judgment on the issue regarding Mr. Trump. It is not my prerogative. The general rule of law is that when someone is suspected of committing a crime, that action is investigated, which is what is happening here. When all of the facts are in, a call will be made.

Trying to smear others while suggesting a legitimate inquiry should not happen, flies in the face of adherence to the legal system.

Still waiting....for the "facts".

 

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Somebody has decided they can’t win the impeachment battle and Mulvaney is the live bait to try to put the hounds off their scent.

 

Trump will follow this with statements along the lines ‘Mulvaney went rogue, I had no idea what he was doing’.

 

And then the Trump classic "I hardly know the guy, I'm not sure I ever met him!".

14 minutes ago, howbri said:

Still waiting....for the "facts".

 

Then I'm afraid there's absolutely no hope for you.

31 minutes ago, J Town said:

It will be a disaster if you are a veteran.

It will be a disaster if you are a farmer.

It will be a disaster if you are a woman.

It will be a disaster if you are a news reporter (even Shepherd Smith from Fox News got fired).

It will be a disaster if you are not white.

It will be a disaster if you get sick.

And the list goes on and on and on and . . .

"It will be a disaster if you are not white."

I beg to differ. The Trump presidency is just as toxic for whites as it is for other groups. Trump's "special relationship" with the world's despots (especially Putin of course from whom he quite likely takes orders), his lack of any kind of morals, his complete incompetence and lack of focus damages the whole nation and all of the US' natural allies.

 

Link: House Intelligence Committee in possession of video, audio recordings from Giuliani associate Lev Parnas

 

"The House Intelligence Committee is in possession of audio and video recordings and photographs provided to the committee by Lev Parnas, an associate of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who reportedly played a key role in assisting him in his efforts to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and Ukraine, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

The material submitted to the committee includes audio, video and photos that include Giuliani and Trump. It was unclear what the content depicts and the committees only began accessing the material last week."

22 minutes ago, Becker said:

Link: House Intelligence Committee in possession of video, audio recordings from Giuliani associate Lev Parnas

 

"The House Intelligence Committee is in possession of audio and video recordings and photographs provided to the committee by Lev Parnas, an associate of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who reportedly played a key role in assisting him in his efforts to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and Ukraine, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

The material submitted to the committee includes audio, video and photos that include Giuliani and Trump. It was unclear what the content depicts and the committees only began accessing the material last week."

 

Schiff passing trash to thirsty reporters I see.