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Trump impeachment hearings to go public next week | Trump impeachment hearings to go public next week |
(32 minutes later) | |
Congressional Democrats have announced the first public hearings next week in their inquiry that could seek to remove President Donald Trump from office. | Congressional Democrats have announced the first public hearings next week in their inquiry that could seek to remove President Donald Trump from office. |
Three state department officials will testify first in the televised hearings, which have previously been held behind closed doors. | |
The inquiry centres on allegations that Mr Trump's administration withheld aid to Ukraine to prod it to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden. | The inquiry centres on allegations that Mr Trump's administration withheld aid to Ukraine to prod it to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden. |
Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing. | Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing. |
Three key House committees have already heard private testimony from more than two dozen witnesses. | Three key House committees have already heard private testimony from more than two dozen witnesses. |
The first public witness next week will be Bill Taylor, acting US ambassador to Ukraine. | The first public witness next week will be Bill Taylor, acting US ambassador to Ukraine. |
He has already told the inquiry that Mr Trump, a Republican, wanted Ukraine to investigate former Mr Biden, who is now a Democratic White House contender. | |
The US president has been touting unsubstantiated corruption claims about the former US vice-president, whose son, Hunter Biden, worked for a Ukrainian gas company. | |
Mr Taylor spoke of an "irregular, informal channel of US policy-making" that had "fundamentally undermined" relations with Ukraine. | Mr Taylor spoke of an "irregular, informal channel of US policy-making" that had "fundamentally undermined" relations with Ukraine. |
Also scheduled to testify publicly next Wednesday is career state department official George Kent. | |
Mr Kent reportedly told lawmakers that state department officials had been sidelined as the White House put political appointees in charge of Ukraine policy. | |
He also testified that he had been warned to "lay low" by a superior after expressing concern about Mr Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was lobbying Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. | |
Former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was recalled in May after falling from favour with the White House, is due to testify on Friday of next week. | |
She told the hearing last month that she felt threatened by Mr Trump's remark about her to Ukraine's president that "she's going to go through some things". | |
House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who is leading the inquiry, told reporters on Wednesday that an impeachment case was building against the president. | House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who is leading the inquiry, told reporters on Wednesday that an impeachment case was building against the president. |
He said: "We are getting an increasing appreciation for just what took place during the course of the last year. | He said: "We are getting an increasing appreciation for just what took place during the course of the last year. |
"And the degree to which the president enlisted whole departments of government in the illicit aim to get Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political opponent." |