Historic Trump impeachment case heads to the US Senate

THE US House of Representatives voted yesterday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, and approve House prosecutors, for only the third impeachment trial in American history.

The nearly party-line vote moved Mr Trump’s impeachment from Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate, where Mr Trump expects acquittal, even as new evidence is raising fresh questions about his Ukraine dealings.

The vote was 228-193, coming at the start of a presidential election year and one month after the House impeached Mr Trump.

The President is charged with abuse of power over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, using military aid to the country as leverage. Mr Trump (right) was also charged with obstructing Congress’ ensuing probe.

“We are here today to cross a very important threshold in American history,” Ms Pelosi said, addressing the House before the vote. Earlier she declared: “This is what an impeachment is about. The President violated his oath of office, undermined our national security, jeopardised the integrity of our elections.” Mr Trump, during an event at the White House, rejected the charges as a “hoax”.

The seven-member prosecution team will be led by the chairmen of the House impeachment proceedings — Adam Schiff of the intelligence committee and Jerry Nadler of the judiciary committee, two of Ms Pelosi’s top lieutenants — for only the third presidential impeachment in the nation’s history.

Ahead of yesterday’s session, Mr Schiff released new records from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, about the Ukraine strategy, including an exchange with another man about surveilling later-fired ambassador Maria Yovanovitch.

Mr Schiff said the new evidence should bring more pressure on Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, who is reluctant to allow witnesses to testify.

“If McConnell makes this the first trial in history without witnesses, it will be exposed for what it is and that is an effort to cover up for the President,” Mr Schiff said.

Last night the House managers walked the articles across the Capitol to the Senate in a dramatic procession. The Senate trial is set to begin today.