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| The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates | The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates |
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| John R. Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, did not show up Thursday for a voluntary interview as part of the House impeachment inquiry, but Democratic investigators said they would not subpoena him and would instead use his refusal to appear as evidence of Mr. Trump’s attempt to obstruct Congress. | John R. Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, did not show up Thursday for a voluntary interview as part of the House impeachment inquiry, but Democratic investigators said they would not subpoena him and would instead use his refusal to appear as evidence of Mr. Trump’s attempt to obstruct Congress. |
| Mr. Bolton, who regularly interacted with Mr. Trump directly as his top national security aide in the White House, would have been one of the most high-profile advisers to testify in the impeachment inquiry. Several other witnesses have described Mr. Bolton as being angry about the idea of holding up military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a demand that the country open an investigation into the president’s political rivals. | Mr. Bolton, who regularly interacted with Mr. Trump directly as his top national security aide in the White House, would have been one of the most high-profile advisers to testify in the impeachment inquiry. Several other witnesses have described Mr. Bolton as being angry about the idea of holding up military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a demand that the country open an investigation into the president’s political rivals. |
| But an official with the House Intelligence Committee said Mr. Bolton’s lawyer had told them that the former national security adviser would file a lawsuit in federal court if he was subpoenaed, a legal challenge that would most likely take months to resolve. The official said that the committee did not want to allow the Trump administration to “play rope-a-dope with us” in the courts and slow down their inquiry. | But an official with the House Intelligence Committee said Mr. Bolton’s lawyer had told them that the former national security adviser would file a lawsuit in federal court if he was subpoenaed, a legal challenge that would most likely take months to resolve. The official said that the committee did not want to allow the Trump administration to “play rope-a-dope with us” in the courts and slow down their inquiry. |
| In the first month of the impeachment investigation, Democrats made headway through the testimony of National Security Council officials and State Department diplomats who were involved in Ukraine policy. But unlike Mr. Bolton, those officials infrequently interacted with Mr. Trump. | In the first month of the impeachment investigation, Democrats made headway through the testimony of National Security Council officials and State Department diplomats who were involved in Ukraine policy. But unlike Mr. Bolton, those officials infrequently interacted with Mr. Trump. |
| Much of that testimony painted a damning picture of a president outsourcing America’s foreign policy to his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, but gave little insight into what Mr. Trump said behind closed doors. Some Democrats and impeachment experts believe that if Senate Republicans are going to turn on Mr. Trump and convict him at an impeachment trial, investigators will need to develop new evidence about Mr. Trump’s involvement. | Much of that testimony painted a damning picture of a president outsourcing America’s foreign policy to his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, but gave little insight into what Mr. Trump said behind closed doors. Some Democrats and impeachment experts believe that if Senate Republicans are going to turn on Mr. Trump and convict him at an impeachment trial, investigators will need to develop new evidence about Mr. Trump’s involvement. |
| Had the investigators decided to compel Mr. Bolton’s testimony with a subpoena, it probably would have set off a lengthy court battle similar to one initiated by Charles M. Kupperman, Mr. Bolton’s deputy, who filed a lawsuit last month when faced with a subpoena from the committee and an order from Mr. Trump to not cooperate with investigators. On Wednesday, House Democrats pulled their subpoena of Mr. Kupperman out of concern that the litigation would slow down the impeachment investigation. | Had the investigators decided to compel Mr. Bolton’s testimony with a subpoena, it probably would have set off a lengthy court battle similar to one initiated by Charles M. Kupperman, Mr. Bolton’s deputy, who filed a lawsuit last month when faced with a subpoena from the committee and an order from Mr. Trump to not cooperate with investigators. On Wednesday, House Democrats pulled their subpoena of Mr. Kupperman out of concern that the litigation would slow down the impeachment investigation. |
| Mr. Kupperman’s lawyer, Charles J. Cooper, also represents Mr. Bolton.— Michael D. Shear and Michael S. Schmidt | Mr. Kupperman’s lawyer, Charles J. Cooper, also represents Mr. Bolton.— Michael D. Shear and Michael S. Schmidt |
| Jennifer Williams, a national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence, appeared on Capitol Hill as planned on Thursday for a closed-door deposition in the House impeachment inquiry. Ms. Williams, a longtime State Department employee with expertise in Europe and Russia who is detailed to Mr. Pence’s national security staff, was among the officials listening to the July 25 call between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. | Jennifer Williams, a national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence, appeared on Capitol Hill as planned on Thursday for a closed-door deposition in the House impeachment inquiry. Ms. Williams, a longtime State Department employee with expertise in Europe and Russia who is detailed to Mr. Pence’s national security staff, was among the officials listening to the July 25 call between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. |
| Impeachment investigators will press Ms. Williams about what she thought about the July 25 call, as well as details about how much Mr. Pence knew about it and the extent of his understanding about the president’s attempts to pressure Ukraine to commit to investigations of his political rivals. Her testimony could draw Mr. Pence, who has defended the July 25 call, further into the inquiry. House Democrats subpoenaed Ms. Williams this morning after the White House attempted to keep her from testifying, according to an official working on the inquiry. | Impeachment investigators will press Ms. Williams about what she thought about the July 25 call, as well as details about how much Mr. Pence knew about it and the extent of his understanding about the president’s attempts to pressure Ukraine to commit to investigations of his political rivals. Her testimony could draw Mr. Pence, who has defended the July 25 call, further into the inquiry. House Democrats subpoenaed Ms. Williams this morning after the White House attempted to keep her from testifying, according to an official working on the inquiry. |
| According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms. Williams has spent most of her adult life in government service, including 13 years at the State Department. | According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms. Williams has spent most of her adult life in government service, including 13 years at the State Department. |
| One of the witnesses who previously testified, Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was also at the Capitol for a routine review of the transcript of his testimony. Impeachment investigators have been releasing transcripts of witness testimony in recent days, and are expected to continue on Thursday. | One of the witnesses who previously testified, Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was also at the Capitol for a routine review of the transcript of his testimony. Impeachment investigators have been releasing transcripts of witness testimony in recent days, and are expected to continue on Thursday. |
| Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry officially invited Republicans on Thursday to request witnesses to appear in public hearings that will begin next week, but warned that witnesses must be directly relevant to the focus of the inquiry. | |
| Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said witnesses could be called to address whether the president used the power of his office to pressure a foreign government for his own political gain, or to address whether there were attempts to conceal or obstruct evidence of the president’s actions. | |
| Mr. Schiff gave Republicans three days to provide a list of witnesses they would like to appear. Under a resolution passed by the House in October, Republicans have the right to request witnesses to appear in the public phase of the impeachment inquiry, but the decision is subject to a vote of the committee, which is controlled by Democrats. | |
| The resolution was accompanied by a report by the House Rule Committee, which set out guidelines for the relevance of witnesses. | |
| Republicans have repeatedly complained that Mr. Schiff and the Democrats leading the inquiry have not been conducting a fair process as they interviewed current and former government officials behind closed doors. Democrats have countered that many Republican members of the committees conducting the inquiry have been part of the questioning. Some Republicans have suggested publicly that they would request public testimony from the anonymous whistle-blower whose internal report first raised concerns about Mr. Trump’s July 25 call with the president of Ukraine and incited the Democratic impeachment inquiry. | |
| Mr. Schiff is highly unlikely to agree to that request. He has accused Republicans of trying to reveal the name of the whistle-blower in violation of laws that are supposed to protect an individual’s identity if they come forward. In his letter to Republicans, Mr. Schiff said that Democrats do not intend to call all of the witnesses whom they interviewed behind closed doors. | |
| Mr. Trump made his own witness request Thursday morning, declaring in a tweet that both former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son Hunter Biden “must testify.”— Michael D. Shear | |
| With the House Intelligence Committee preparing for the start of public impeachment hearings next week, Mr. Trump revived familiar complaints on Thursday aimed at portraying the investigative process as a “scam” denying him due process rights. | With the House Intelligence Committee preparing for the start of public impeachment hearings next week, Mr. Trump revived familiar complaints on Thursday aimed at portraying the investigative process as a “scam” denying him due process rights. |
| “I get NO LAWYER & NO DUE PROCESS,” Trump tweeted, describing the inquiry as a “Scam against the Republican Party and me” and some of those who have been interviewed as “Never Trumpers.” | “I get NO LAWYER & NO DUE PROCESS,” Trump tweeted, describing the inquiry as a “Scam against the Republican Party and me” and some of those who have been interviewed as “Never Trumpers.” |
| Setting aside Mr. Trump’s unsubstantiated claim about the political leanings of career foreign service officers whom Democrats have called as witnesses, the president’s representation of the process was highly misleading. | Setting aside Mr. Trump’s unsubstantiated claim about the political leanings of career foreign service officers whom Democrats have called as witnesses, the president’s representation of the process was highly misleading. |
| First, Mr. Trump’s complaints rest on the false claim that next week’s hearings constitute a “trial” and therefore he should be able to mount a defense. They do not. The impeachment process, as laid out in the Constitution, involves both chambers of Congress. The House initiates the process and determines whether to bring charges against the president, somewhat like a prosecutor in a criminal case. Only then does the Senate hold a trial to determine guilt or innocence. | First, Mr. Trump’s complaints rest on the false claim that next week’s hearings constitute a “trial” and therefore he should be able to mount a defense. They do not. The impeachment process, as laid out in the Constitution, involves both chambers of Congress. The House initiates the process and determines whether to bring charges against the president, somewhat like a prosecutor in a criminal case. Only then does the Senate hold a trial to determine guilt or innocence. |
| Right now, the House is still in a fact-finding phase akin to a grand jury investigation. Democrats argue that just as someone under investigation would never be allowed into a grand jury, Mr. Trump and his legal representatives should not be allowed to influence the present stage of the inquiry. House Republicans who sit on one of the three committees conducting the inquiry have also been allowed to take part in the fact-finding phase, and some have. | Right now, the House is still in a fact-finding phase akin to a grand jury investigation. Democrats argue that just as someone under investigation would never be allowed into a grand jury, Mr. Trump and his legal representatives should not be allowed to influence the present stage of the inquiry. House Republicans who sit on one of the three committees conducting the inquiry have also been allowed to take part in the fact-finding phase, and some have. |
| The impeachment inquiry is about to undergo a significant shift starting with next week’s public hearings. Under rules adopted last week by the House to govern the inquiry’s public phase, the Intelligence Committee plans to write and present a report of its findings to the House Judiciary Committee, which will then decide whether to bring impeachment charges against Mr. Trump. The rules say that once the process reaches the Judiciary Committee, the president and his lawyers will be able to present his defense to lawmakers, including cross-examining witnesses and recommending their own witnesses to be called. If the House votes to impeach Mr. Trump, he will almost certainly be given the same rights in the Senate’s trial.— Nicholas Fandos | The impeachment inquiry is about to undergo a significant shift starting with next week’s public hearings. Under rules adopted last week by the House to govern the inquiry’s public phase, the Intelligence Committee plans to write and present a report of its findings to the House Judiciary Committee, which will then decide whether to bring impeachment charges against Mr. Trump. The rules say that once the process reaches the Judiciary Committee, the president and his lawyers will be able to present his defense to lawmakers, including cross-examining witnesses and recommending their own witnesses to be called. If the House votes to impeach Mr. Trump, he will almost certainly be given the same rights in the Senate’s trial.— Nicholas Fandos |
| Impeachment investigators on Wednesday released the testimony of William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine, who provided a detailed explanation of his understanding of a quid pro quo linking military aid for Ukraine and a White House meeting for its president to investigations of Mr. Trump’s political rivals. Mr. Taylor said that Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, came up with the plan to have Mr. Zelensky make a public pledge to conduct the investigations. | Impeachment investigators on Wednesday released the testimony of William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine, who provided a detailed explanation of his understanding of a quid pro quo linking military aid for Ukraine and a White House meeting for its president to investigations of Mr. Trump’s political rivals. Mr. Taylor said that Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, came up with the plan to have Mr. Zelensky make a public pledge to conduct the investigations. |
| Much of the testimony across a swath of witnesses has focused on private meetings, communications, and detailed analysis of text messages, as impeachment investigators push to understand the context of the July 25 phone call and the shifting policies on Ukraine. | Much of the testimony across a swath of witnesses has focused on private meetings, communications, and detailed analysis of text messages, as impeachment investigators push to understand the context of the July 25 phone call and the shifting policies on Ukraine. |
| Mr. Trump repeatedly pressured President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to investigate people and issues of political concern to Mr. Trump, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Here’s a timeline of events since January. | Mr. Trump repeatedly pressured President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to investigate people and issues of political concern to Mr. Trump, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Here’s a timeline of events since January. |
| A C.I.A. officer who was once detailed to the White House filed a whistle-blower complaint on Mr. Trump’s interactions with Mr. Zelensky. Read the complaint. | A C.I.A. officer who was once detailed to the White House filed a whistle-blower complaint on Mr. Trump’s interactions with Mr. Zelensky. Read the complaint. |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in September that the House would open a formal impeachment inquiry in response to the whistle-blower’s complaint. Here’s how the impeachment process works and here’s why political influence in foreign policy matters. | Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in September that the House would open a formal impeachment inquiry in response to the whistle-blower’s complaint. Here’s how the impeachment process works and here’s why political influence in foreign policy matters. |
| House committees have issued subpoenas to the White House, the Defense Department, the budget office and other agencies for documents related to the impeachment investigation. Here’s the evidence that has been collected so far. | House committees have issued subpoenas to the White House, the Defense Department, the budget office and other agencies for documents related to the impeachment investigation. Here’s the evidence that has been collected so far. |
| Read about the Democrats’ rules to govern impeachment proceedings. | Read about the Democrats’ rules to govern impeachment proceedings. |