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Democrats to consider Trump Twitter smear in articles of impeachment – live Democrats to consider Trump Twitter smear in articles of impeachment – live
(32 minutes later)
The president tweets attacks against the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine while she is testifying to the House impeachment inquiry President tweets attacks against the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine as she testifies to the House impeachment inquiry – follow live
As Maria Yovanovitch continues her testimony at the public impeachment hearing, a report has emerged that federal prosecutors are probing Rudy Giulaini’s ties to Ukrainian energy projects.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
If prosecutors find that Giuliani did attempt to personally profit off Ukrainian energy interests, it would be particularly ironic given that the president’s personal lawyer has trumpeted claims that Hunter Biden’s involvement with an energy company was indicative of corruption.
A staffer in House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office shared a tweet outlining the procedures approved by the House for public impeachment hearings, noting that every Republican on the intelligence committee received it.
The staffer called Devin Nunes’ illegitimate attempt to yield time to another Republican committee member a “pure, disingenuous stunt.”
Asked about Trump’s tweet disparaging Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat testified at the impeachment hearing, Nancy Pelosi said she had not yet seen the tweet but noted that “witness intimidation is a crime.”
The House speaker also mocked the president when asked if the tweet was appropriate. “Appropriate and president in the same sentence? Come on. Why would we start making that judgment now?” Pelosi said.
Republicans on the intelligence committee began their questioning of Maria Yovanovitch by attempting to violate the House resolution outlining procedures in the impeachment inquiry.
According to the resolution, only the ranking member or the minority counsel may speak for the initial 45 minutes of Republican questioning. The ranking member, Devin Nunes, instead tried to yield to representative Elise Stefanik, the only Republican woman on the panel -- marking a clear violation of the resolution.
The second public impeachment hearing, featuring testimony from former US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch, has now resumed.The second public impeachment hearing, featuring testimony from former US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch, has now resumed.
Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, and the GOP counsel will now be allowed to pose questions to the longtime diplomat.Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, and the GOP counsel will now be allowed to pose questions to the longtime diplomat.
But the hour-long recess to allow committee members to vote may be beneficial to Democrats’ arguments in the impeachment inquiry.But the hour-long recess to allow committee members to vote may be beneficial to Democrats’ arguments in the impeachment inquiry.
Trump has reacted to the conviction of his former associate Roger Stone, blaming the jury’s guilty verdict on a “double standard.”Trump has reacted to the conviction of his former associate Roger Stone, blaming the jury’s guilty verdict on a “double standard.”
The president argued some of his political enemies, including Hillary Clinton and special counsel Robert Mueller, were much more worthy of jail time than Stone.The president argued some of his political enemies, including Hillary Clinton and special counsel Robert Mueller, were much more worthy of jail time than Stone.
Now that Roger Stone’s trial has concluded, sections of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report related to the former Trump associate’s actions during the 2016 campaign may be unredacted.Now that Roger Stone’s trial has concluded, sections of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report related to the former Trump associate’s actions during the 2016 campaign may be unredacted.
Roger Stone, who previously served as an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign, was facing seven charges and was found guilty on all of them.Roger Stone, who previously served as an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign, was facing seven charges and was found guilty on all of them.
The AP has more:The AP has more:
Former Trump associate Roger Stone has been found guilty on all counts, including lying to the same House committee currently holding impeachment hearings.Former Trump associate Roger Stone has been found guilty on all counts, including lying to the same House committee currently holding impeachment hearings.
Stone becomes the latest member of the president’s circle to be convicted -- joining the likes of Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn.Stone becomes the latest member of the president’s circle to be convicted -- joining the likes of Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn.
Representative Justin Amash, a former Republican who left the party due to his criticisms of Trump, predicted that witness tampering would be included in the articles of impeachment after the president sent a disparaging tweet about Maria Yovanovitch as she testified.Representative Justin Amash, a former Republican who left the party due to his criticisms of Trump, predicted that witness tampering would be included in the articles of impeachment after the president sent a disparaging tweet about Maria Yovanovitch as she testified.
House Republicans criticized Democrats’ questioning of Maria Yovanovitch, with one congressman claiming Adam Schiff and the Democratic counsel were trying to make the longtime diplomat “cry for the cameras” about her removal as US ambassador to Ukraine.House Republicans criticized Democrats’ questioning of Maria Yovanovitch, with one congressman claiming Adam Schiff and the Democratic counsel were trying to make the longtime diplomat “cry for the cameras” about her removal as US ambassador to Ukraine.
Another of Trump’s congressional allies dismissed allegations that the president engaged in witness intimidation as a “Democrat narrative” and said he respected Yovanovitch in her “previous position and certainly in her nice job at Georgetown right now.”Another of Trump’s congressional allies dismissed allegations that the president engaged in witness intimidation as a “Democrat narrative” and said he respected Yovanovitch in her “previous position and certainly in her nice job at Georgetown right now.”
Yovanovitch is currently teaching at Georgetown University after Trump recalled the diplomat from Kyiv early, a decision that she testified had “shocked” and “devastated” her.Yovanovitch is currently teaching at Georgetown University after Trump recalled the diplomat from Kyiv early, a decision that she testified had “shocked” and “devastated” her.
Despite the White House’s claim that the president would not be tuning in, Trump has just sent another tweet reacting to today’s impeachment hearing, defending the many vacancies at the state department.Despite the White House’s claim that the president would not be tuning in, Trump has just sent another tweet reacting to today’s impeachment hearing, defending the many vacancies at the state department.
In her opening statement, Maria Yovanovitch warned that the state department’s many vacancies were jeopardizing America’s reputation on the world stage.In her opening statement, Maria Yovanovitch warned that the state department’s many vacancies were jeopardizing America’s reputation on the world stage.
“Moreover, the attacks are leading to a crisis in the State Department as the policy process is visibly unravelling, leadership vacancies go unfilled, and senior and midlevel officers ponder an uncertain future and head for the doors,” the longtime diplomat said.“Moreover, the attacks are leading to a crisis in the State Department as the policy process is visibly unravelling, leadership vacancies go unfilled, and senior and midlevel officers ponder an uncertain future and head for the doors,” the longtime diplomat said.
“The crisis has moved from the impact on individuals to an impact on the institution. The State Department is being hollowed out from within at a competitive and complex time on the world stage. This is not a time to undercut our diplomats.”“The crisis has moved from the impact on individuals to an impact on the institution. The State Department is being hollowed out from within at a competitive and complex time on the world stage. This is not a time to undercut our diplomats.”
Representative Eric Swalwell, one of the Democratic members of the House intelligence committee, said that Trump’s attack on Maria Yovanovitch “will be considered” for one of the articles of impeachment.Representative Eric Swalwell, one of the Democratic members of the House intelligence committee, said that Trump’s attack on Maria Yovanovitch “will be considered” for one of the articles of impeachment.
One of Swalwell’s fellow Democrats on the panel, Andre Carson, similarly said the committee would “look into” whether Trump engaged in witness intimidation.One of Swalwell’s fellow Democrats on the panel, Andre Carson, similarly said the committee would “look into” whether Trump engaged in witness intimidation.
Asked about Trump’s tweet smearing the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch, Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, said, “I don’t comment on committee business.”
This is the same Devin Nunes that was forced to recuse himself from the panel’s Russia investigation in 2017 after he told reporters that Trump transition officials had been caught up in American spy agencies’ surveillance of foreign officials.
That announcement prompted an ethics investigation over concerns that Nunes “may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information.” He was later cleared of wrongdoing.
Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican member of the House intelligence committee who has criticized Adam Schiff’s handling of the impeachment hearings, voiced disapproval of Trump’s tweet smearing Maria Yovanovitch’s reputation as the longtime diplomat testified.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris weighed in on Trump’s tweet smearing Maria Yovanovitch’s reputation as the longtime diplomat testified, accusing the president of witness intimidation.
Fox News anchors described the testimony of Maria Yovanovitch as a “turning point” in the impeachment inquiry against Trump.
Anchor Bret Baier predicted that Trump’s tweet smearing Yovanovitch’s reputation as the longtime diplomat testified would lead to a new article of impeachment against the president.
Host Chris Wallace insisted it was impossible for any viewer of the hearing not to be affected by Yovanovitch’s testimony.
Chairman Adam Schiff called for a brief recess in the impeachment hearing to allow House intelligence committee members to cast votes.
Republicans present in the hearing room to hear the testimony of Maria Yovanovitch seemed to imply they thought the recess was a strategic move on Schiff’s part to pause before the GOP members of the committee can question the longtime diplomat.
That must be a first. Maria Yovanovitch is testifying about Trump and, with a quiet day on his schedule, the president seems to be listening. He responded with a tweet that began: “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad.”Blaming her for the conflict in Somalia appears a stretch, even for him.Chairman Adam Schiff interrupted the hearing to point out the tweet. “As we sit here, the president is attacking you on Twitter,” he said, asking the former ambassador to respond.Looking bemused, Yovanovitch said, “I don’t think I have such powers”, adding that she and her colleagues made things better, not worse.Schiff rejoined: “The president is attacking you in real time... Some of us here take witness intimidation very, very seriously.”Such a moment was probably inevitable in the reality TV-Twitter presidency.
After reading Trump’s tweet attacking the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch, Adam Schiff asked the longtime diplomat whether she thought the tweet was meant to intimidate her as she testified at the impeachment hearing.
Yovanovitch responded, “I can’t speak to what the president is trying to do, but I think the effect is to be intimidating.”
Schiff ominously replied, “I want to let you know, ambassador, that some of us here take witness intimidation very, very seriously.”
Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, has just read Trump’s tweet disparaging Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat testifies in the impeachment hearing.
Reacting to Trump’s claim that “everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad,” Yovanovitch joked, “I don’t think I have such powers.”
Yovanovitch went on to assert that, through their work, she and her fellow diplomats had “demonstrably made things better, both for the US and for the countries I’ve served in.”
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch delivered a stinging rebuke to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
She described a “crisis” in the state department “as the policy process is visibly unravelling, leadership vacancies go unfilled, and senior and midlevel officers ponder an uncertain future and head for the doors”.Yovanovitch added: “The state department is being hollowed out from within at a competitive and complex time on the world stage. This is not a time to undercut our diplomats.”Such sentiments have been aired frequently during the tenures of both Rex Tillerson and Pompeo, but never on such a prominent stage for all the world to hear.
It looks like the Democrats on the House intelligence committee intend to incorporate Trump’s disparaging tweet about Maria Yovanovitch into today’s impeachment hearing.
Ironically, Trump’s tweet came shortly after the White House issued a statement claiming the president would not watch the hearing beyond the opening statement of Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the intelligence committee.