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| Impeachment live updates: House Democrats unveil two articles of impeachment against Trump | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| House Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump on Tuesday, saying he had abused the power of his office and obstructed Congress in its investigation of his conduct regarding Ukraine. | |
| “We must be clear: No one, not even the president, is above the law,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said at a news conference where he was flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House leaders. | |
| At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. | At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. |
| ●Five takeaways from the House Judiciary impeachment hearing. | ●Five takeaways from the House Judiciary impeachment hearing. |
| ●Trump lashes out at FBI director in wake of Justice Department inspector general’s report. | |
| ●In opening an investigation of the Trump campaign, the FBI felt it had reached a ‘tipping point,’ inspector general finds | ●In opening an investigation of the Trump campaign, the FBI felt it had reached a ‘tipping point,’ inspector general finds |
| The House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment inquiry report | Other key documents related to the inquiry | Key players on the House Judiciary Committee | The House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment inquiry report | Other key documents related to the inquiry | Key players on the House Judiciary Committee |
| Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale contended Tuesday that Democrats are pushing for impeachment of Trump because they don’t have a candidate who can beat him at the ballot box in November. | |
| “For months, Nancy Pelosi said she wouldn’t move forward on impeachment because it was too divisive and it needed bipartisan support,” Parscale said in a statement released shortly after Pelosi joined other Democrats in announcing the articles of impeachment. | |
| “Well, it is divisive and only the Democrats are pushing it, but she’s doing it anyway,” Parscale said. “Americans don’t agree with this rank partisanship, but Democrats are putting on this political theater because they don’t have a viable candidate for 2020 and they know it.” | |
| In a separate statement, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called the articles of impeachment “yet another partisan attempt to overthrow a duly-elected President and rob voters of the chance to re-elect him in 2020.” | |
| A narrower focus of just two articles of impeachment means Democrats will forgo a chance to lay out allegations of possible obstruction of justice as depicted in former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on Russian election interference. | |
| Some lawmakers, particularly on the House Judiciary Committee, had been pushing leadership to include obstruction of justice as a third charge, arguing that a focus on Ukraine alone would not establish a pattern of corrupt behavior stemming from the White House. | |
| Moderate Democrats, however, were wary of voting on charges that Trump obstructed justice since Mueller’s report was inconclusive on whether the president violated the law. Justice Department rules prohibit the indictment of a sitting president, one of the reasons Mueller said it was up to Congress to decide whether Trump violated his oath. | |
| Those moderate concerns won out in the end. However, several Democrats said it was possible that the articles could mention some of Mueller’s findings to try to show Trump’s actions on Ukraine did not occur in a vacuum. | |
| House Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against Trump, saying he had abused the power of his office and obstructed Congress in its investigation of his conduct regarding Ukraine. | |
| “We must be clear: No one, not even the president, is above the law,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said at a news conference where he was flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House leaders standing in front of a row of American flags. | |
| “The evidence of the president’s misconduct is overwhelming and uncontested,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said as he outlined a case against Trump and argued that his conduct was too grave to let stand until next year’s election. | |
| “The argument, ‘why don’t you just wait?’ comes down to this: Why don’t you just let him cheat in just one more election?” Schiff said, calling impeachment “a question of duty.” | |
| The Judiciary Committee plans to vote on the articles — the equivalent of a formal charge — on Thursday, and the full House is expected to vote next week. | |
| The Democratic leaders left the news conference without taking questions. | |
| Shortly before the announcement of articles of impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeted that Trump had “used the power of his office against a foreign country to corrupt our upcoming elections.” | Shortly before the announcement of articles of impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeted that Trump had “used the power of his office against a foreign country to corrupt our upcoming elections.” |
| “He is a continuing threat to our democracy and national security,” Pelosi said in a tweet that included a link to a live stream of the upcoming news conference. | “He is a continuing threat to our democracy and national security,” Pelosi said in a tweet that included a link to a live stream of the upcoming news conference. |
| Pelosi will join the five committee chairmen in announcing the articles of impeachment, her office indicated in an updated advisory on Tuesday morning. | Pelosi will join the five committee chairmen in announcing the articles of impeachment, her office indicated in an updated advisory on Tuesday morning. |
| As House Democrats move forward with impeaching Trump, they are also on the verge of handing him one of the largest legislative victories of his presidency: passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. | As House Democrats move forward with impeaching Trump, they are also on the verge of handing him one of the largest legislative victories of his presidency: passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) have scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference on the issue, a clear sign that a deal with the Trump administration is within reach. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) have scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference on the issue, a clear sign that a deal with the Trump administration is within reach. |
| “To Impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country’s history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness!” he wrote, adding a hashtag: “#2020Election” | “To Impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country’s history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness!” he wrote, adding a hashtag: “#2020Election” |
| As House Democrats press forward on impeachment, Trump plans to meet Tuesday afternoon with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White House before heading to Hershey, Pa., for an early evening campaign rally. | As House Democrats press forward on impeachment, Trump plans to meet Tuesday afternoon with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White House before heading to Hershey, Pa., for an early evening campaign rally. |
| Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in 2017 concluded in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other U.S. officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting. | Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in 2017 concluded in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other U.S. officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting. |
| U.S. officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State. | U.S. officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State. |
| The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.” | The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.” |
| Trump has used previous “Keep America Great” rallies to air grievances about the impeachment process and take aim at the Democrats leading it. | Trump has used previous “Keep America Great” rallies to air grievances about the impeachment process and take aim at the Democrats leading it. |
| Trump narrowly carried Pennsylvania over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, and the state is considered key to his election prospects in 2020 if he remains in office. | Trump narrowly carried Pennsylvania over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, and the state is considered key to his election prospects in 2020 if he remains in office. |
| President Trump lashed out Tuesday morning at FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, suggesting “he will never be able to fix the FBI” based on his reaction to a Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the bureau’s investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign. | |
| “I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,” Trump tweeted. “With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!” | “I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,” Trump tweeted. “With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!” |
| The 434-page report rebutted conservatives’ accusations that top FBI officials were driven by political bias to illegally spy on Trump advisers as part of the probe into Russian election interference, but also found broad and “serious performance failures” requiring major changes. | The 434-page report rebutted conservatives’ accusations that top FBI officials were driven by political bias to illegally spy on Trump advisers as part of the probe into Russian election interference, but also found broad and “serious performance failures” requiring major changes. |
| In a statement Monday, Wray, a Trump appointee, said he had ordered more than 40 corrective steps to address the report’s recommendations” and said he would not hesitate to take “appropriate disciplinary action if warranted.” | In a statement Monday, Wray, a Trump appointee, said he had ordered more than 40 corrective steps to address the report’s recommendations” and said he would not hesitate to take “appropriate disciplinary action if warranted.” |
| He noted to ABC News, though, that it was “important that the inspector general found that, in this particular instance, the investigation was opened with appropriate predication and authorization.” | He noted to ABC News, though, that it was “important that the inspector general found that, in this particular instance, the investigation was opened with appropriate predication and authorization.” |
| Read more here. | Read more here. |
| The leaders of five House Committees have scheduled a 9 a.m. news conference at which they are expected to unveil two articles of impeachment against Trump that will focus on abuse of power and obstructing Congress. | The leaders of five House Committees have scheduled a 9 a.m. news conference at which they are expected to unveil two articles of impeachment against Trump that will focus on abuse of power and obstructing Congress. |
| The event at the Capitol has been advertised as an opportunity for the five Democrats to “announce the next steps in the House impeachment inquiry.” | The event at the Capitol has been advertised as an opportunity for the five Democrats to “announce the next steps in the House impeachment inquiry.” |
| Those participating include Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (N.Y.), Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (Calif.) and House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (N.Y.). | Those participating include Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (N.Y.), Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (Calif.) and House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (N.Y.). |
| Leaving a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday night, Engel told reporters that he and the other chairs would announce specific articles at the 9 a.m. news conference. | Leaving a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday night, Engel told reporters that he and the other chairs would announce specific articles at the 9 a.m. news conference. |
| Under the current plan, the Judiciary Committee would vote on the articles Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter, setting up a floor vote next week. | Under the current plan, the Judiciary Committee would vote on the articles Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter, setting up a floor vote next week. |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will have an opportunity to weigh in on the impeachment proceedings late Tuesday morning when she appears at Politico’s Women Rule Summit. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will have an opportunity to weigh in on the impeachment proceedings late Tuesday morning when she appears at Politico’s Women Rule Summit. |
| “A Conversation With Nancy Pelosi” is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. with Anna Palmer of Politico serving as moderator. | “A Conversation With Nancy Pelosi” is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. with Anna Palmer of Politico serving as moderator. |
| Earlier Tuesday morning, other members of House Democratic leadership are scheduled to hold a news conference, as is the House GOP leadership team. | Earlier Tuesday morning, other members of House Democratic leadership are scheduled to hold a news conference, as is the House GOP leadership team. |