Calls for Trump’s impeachment grow
WASHINGTON, D.C.: More Democrats have moved toward impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump and even called the attention of rivals belonging to the Republican Party.
More than a dozen Democrats, including some in House leadership, added their names to those calling for impeachment proceedings.
The sudden rush of activity shows the extent to which Trump’s call to Ukraine’s leader, and his subsequent comments about the conversation, are raising further questions about whether the president improp
another country as a way of helping his own reelection prospects.
“We do not arrive at this conclusion lightly,” the lawmakers wrote in a WashingtonPost op-ed.
The lawmakers include Representatives Gil Cisneros of California, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Elaine Luria of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
“These new allegations are a threat to all we have sworn to protect.
We must preserve the checks and balances envisioned by the Founders and restore the trust of the American people in our government.
And that is what we intend to do.”
“These allegations are stunning, both in the national security threat they pose and the potential corruption they represent,” wrote the seven freshmen, who include a former Navy pilot, soldiers, officers and intelligence analysts.
The fresh calls for impeachment proceedings come as House Democrats are heading into a closed- door meeting Tuesday with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi and her leadership team on the various oversight committees are considering bringing forward a resolution that will put the House on the record on this matter, according to a Democratic leadership aide unauthorized to discuss the private talks. The aide was granted anonymity.
Congress on Monday pressed for full disclosure of a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump and pushed the White House to release a transcript of Trump’s call with the Ukraine president.
The lawmakers’ views, as centrist lawmakers from previously Republican- held districts where Trump has been popular, hold sway with party leadership.
At issue is a summer phone call with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump is said to have pushed for investigations into former vice president Joe Biden’s son.
Trump, however, swatted away mounting pressure from Democrats demanding his impeachment, rejecting accusations he had offered aid to Ukraine only if it investigated his political rival Biden.
Battered by the burgeoning scandal during his first full day at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump tried to shift the controversy toward Biden, accusing the former vice president, without evidence, of engaging in corruption in Ukraine.
Democrats have fumed as Trump’s administration has blocked Congress from obtaining a whistleblower’s secret complaint allegedly detailing the president’s actions, and they ramped up their demands for the document that sparked the latest crisis.
In a startling admission, Trump acknowledged addressing alleged corruption involving Biden and son Hunter on the call.
“Joe Biden and his son are corrupt,” he said in a bald attack, providing few details other than to say Hunter Biden, who once served on a Ukrainian natural gas company’s board, “took money from Ukraine.”
He also insisted that, in his call with the Ukrainians, “I put no pressure on them whatsoever,” and “I did not make a statement that you have to do this or I won’t give you aid.”
Biden fired back on Twitter: “So release the transcript of the call then.” To date, there has been no evidence of illegal conduct in Ukraine by the Bidens.