Democrats may go public with their impeachment inquiry
DEMOCRATS leading the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump are reportedly considering taking their proceedings public as early as mid-november amid escalating attacks from the Republicans over how the process is being handled.
The three congressional committees leading the inquiry, all controlled by Democrats, have been hearing dozens of hours of testimony behind closed doors, leading to growing criticism from political rivals that the investigation is too secretive.
Mr Trump yesterday appeared to endorse a move – critics called it a stunt – by around two dozen Republican members of the House of Representatives to storm the secure room where witnesses were giving evidence on the Ukraine scandal.
The US president tweeted: “Thank you to House Republicans for being tough, smart, and understanding in detail the greatest Witch Hunt in American History. It has been going on since long before I even got Elected (the Insurance Policy!). A total Scam!”
Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina senator affiliated to the Republican Party, who is close to the president, tabled a resolution in the US Senate condemning the impeachment inquiry. By yesterday afternoon it was unclear whether a vote on the resolution would take place.
The Republicans control the Senate by 53 seats to the 47 held by Democrats and independents. Mr Graham told The Washington Post that the impeachment inquiry amounted to a “shadow process” which is “denying basic fairness” to the president. Republicans on Capitol Hill who have largely stayed quiet on Mr Trump’s behaviour over the Ukraine scandal have instead rallied around criticising the process which the Democrats have adopted.
The Washington Post reported that Democrats were considering making their proceedings public by the middle of next month.
The central allegation that triggered the inquiry is that Mr Trump held back almost $400million in military aid to Ukraine in order to secure an investigation into Joe Biden, the Democrat he could face at the 2020 presidential election.
‘Thank you Republicans for being tough, smart, and understanding in the greatest Witch Hunt’
Mr Trump has not denied either pausing the aid or lobbying for the probe. However, he has said that there was no “quid pro quo” – in other words no agreement that the aid would only be released if an investigation were announced.
Yesterday, Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser, declined to answer whether investigations into Mr Biden and his son Hunter had come up during trade discussions with China. Hunter Biden once had financial interests in the country.
When asked, “did you bring up investigating the Bidens as part of the negotiations?” by a CNN interviewer, Mr Navarro said: “It’s not an appropriate question, in my judgment.”