Betrayed nation: Dems

Politics Bolstering ‘impeachment’ case, panel unveils report

WASHINGTON, Dec 16, (AP): Bolstering its case for impeaching President Donald Trump, a House panel released a lengthy report Monday detailing its rationale for the charges and accusing Trump of betraying the nation for his own political gain.

Trump faces two articles of impeachment by House Democrats: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. They point to Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate 2020 political rival Joe Biden while withholding as leverage military aid the country relies to counter Russia as well as his efforts to block the House investigation.

The House will vote Wednesday on the impeachment articles approved last week by the House Judiciary panel. The vote is all but certain to result in Trump’s impeachment, though he’s expected to be acquitted in a Senate trial.

Detailing its case against the nation’s 45th president, the Judiciary panel chaired by Rep Jerrold Nadler, D-NY, released a 650-page report just after midnight. It said Trump “betrayed the nation by abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in corrupting democratic elections.”

The panel summarized the evidence for impeachment compiled by the House intelligence committee, and said Trump “has demonstrated he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.”

Trump, by refusing to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry, violated the Constitution’s system of checks and balances, the report said.

In dissent, Republicans on the panel denounced the materials submitted by Democrats as “paltry.”

“The paltry record on which the majority relies is an affront to the constitutional process of impeachment and will have grave consequences for future presidents,” said Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the panel’s top Republican. “The quicker the majority report and the majority’s actions are forgotten, the better.”

Nadler