Donald Trump impeachment probe: What we know so far
As the House Judiciary Committee is set to take over the impeachment investigation of US President Donald Trump next week, the allegation that Trump asked a foreign country to investigate a political opponent as he enters his re-election campaign has been proved beyond doubt.
Why Donald Trump is being impeached?
After a whistleblower alleged that President Donald Trump had abused the power of the presidency by pressuring the president of Ukraine to help Trump in the 2020 election by ordering them to publicly announce investigations intended to damage his political rivals, an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump was initiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
It was later revealed that Trump asked the Ukrainian president to announce investigations of his political rival Joe Biden, Biden's son Hunter Biden, and the Ukrainian company Burisma, as well as support a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Who are involved in Trump's impeachment inquiry?
George Kent: The deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, Kent is a career State Department official who oversees U.S. policy on Ukraine. In October, he testified that the White House plan to pressure Ukraine to investigate “corruption” in the country was code for its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to look for compromising information on Trump’s political opponents. Kent testified publicly on Wednesday, November 13.
Bill Taylor: A career diplomat and the acting ambassador to Ukraine, Taylor expressed his concerns over the president’s quid pro quo in September, writing, “I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign” in text messages to U.S. ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland. Taylor testified publicly on Wednesday, November 13.
Marie Yovanovitch: A diplomat who served under the Bush and Obama administrations, Yovanovitch was recalled from her position as ambassador to Ukraine in May. Prior to her removal, she was a major force supporting anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, which helps explain why Trump got rid of her in order to push the quid pro quo, an entry-level move of corrupt politicians. Yovanovitch testified publicly on Friday, November 15.
Alexander Vindman: The top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, Vindman told the impeachment inquiry last month that “outside influencers [promoted] a false narrative of Ukraine,” referring to the team of Rudy Giuliani. Vindman was on the July 25 call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden. Vindman testified publicly on Tuesday, November 19.
Jennifer Williams: A State Department official and special advisor to Mike Pence on European and Russian affairs, Williams was in the White House Situation Room listening to the July 25 call in which Trump pressured President Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden. Williams testified publicly on Tuesday, November 19.
Kurt Volker: The former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, Volker resigned following the whistle-blower’s report which mentioned that he served as a conduit for Ukrainian officials to communicate with Rudy Giuliani. Texts that Volker provided to Congress also establish that President Zelensky understood that a potential visit to the White House depended upon an investigation into the conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, not Russia. Volker testified publicly on Tuesday, November 19.
Tim Morrison: The top National Security Council expert on Russia until he resigned before his closed-door testimony last month, Morrison confirmed the account of acting ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, who testified that Trump wanted the Ukrainian government to publicly announce an investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings before aid would be released. Morrison testified publicly on Tuesday, November 19.
Gordon Sondland: The U.N. ambassador’s testimony was the most dramatic of the House impeachment hearings so far. Sondland threw the president and multiple top Trump administration officials under the bus, saying there was a “clear quid pro quo” in their efforts to make President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with Trump contingent on announcing investigations into his political rivals.
Fiona Hill: The National Security Council’s former top adviser on Russia, who resigned in August, Hill is expected to rebut the “fictional narrative” pushed by Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and other Republicans about Ukraine’s involvement in 2016 election meddling.
David Holmes: A high-ranking staffer at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, Holmes overheard a July 26 call from U.N. Ambassador Gordon Sondland to President Trump the day after Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy to investigate the Bidens.
What happened in the House intelligence committee hearing?
The whole inquiry entered a new phase on November 13 when the House Intelligence Committee held its first public hearing on the matter. As reported by Associated Press, in the most anticipated testimony, Gordon Sondland, the European Union ambassador, repeatedly described the administration’s dealings with Ukraine as a quid pro quo — one thing in return for another.
According to Gordon, the deal involved arranging a White House visit for Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in return for Zelenskiy’s announcing investigations of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, and a discredited conspiracy theory that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Democrat Joe Biden’s son Hunter was a Burisma board member.
The testimony of Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who last spring was abruptly recalled from Kyiv and directed to return home on the next possible flight, was barely underway when Trump ridiculed her on Twitter, saying without evidence that things “turned bad” wherever she went during her decades-long career.
What is the role of whistleblowers in Trump's impeachment inquiry?
Between July 25 and August 12 an unidentified CIA officer files a complaint with the agency alleging misconduct during the president's July 25 call. The complaint was addressed to Sen. Richard Burr and Rep. Adam Schiff who is the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence.
It does not reach them until more than a month later. On August 14 the original complaint to the CIA is brought up by Courtney Simmons Elwood during a call involving U.S national security officials.
What was trumps response to whistleblower's complaint?
After the whistleblower's complaint was filed, President Donald Trump begins responding to published reports about his phone call, tweeting that he understands many people from various U.S. agencies listen in. On, September 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces that the House is moving forward with official impeachment inquiry saying--"No one is above the law".
Later, the House Intelligence Committee releases a redacted version of the whistleblower complaint at the center of Democrats' impeachment probe.
How many US presidents have been impeached so far?
Till now, only two US President has been impeached by the US Congress--Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. In addition to Johnson and Clinton, only two other U.S. presidents have faced formal impeachment inquiries in the House of Representatives: Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. Many other presidents have been threatened with impeachment by political foes without gaining any real traction in Congress.
