The House Judiciary Committee said Thursday that it will hold its next impeachment inquiry hearing on Monday, the same day that the Justice Department inspector general’s Russia probe report is scheduled for release.
The announcement comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) directed the panel, chaired by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), to begin drawing up articles of impeachment over President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine. Pelosi argued the president’s July 25 telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was an abuse of power that undermined U.S. national security. A partisan CIA analyst’s mischaracterization of the call — in which the president floated the idea of Ukraine probing allegations of corruption against former Vice President Joe Biden — was detailed in a “whistleblower,” later prompting the inquiry.
“The facts are uncontested: the president abused his power for his own personal, political benefit at the expense of our national security, by withholding military aid and a crucial Oval Office meeting in exchange for an announcement of an investigation into his political rival,” Pelosi said in a press conference.
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee heard from four law professors on the merits of whether to impeach the president. Monday’s hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. EST and feature presentations from Democrat and Republican counsels on the House Judiciary and Intelligence panels. – READ MORE