House committee chairs say White House readout confirms worst fears: 'This was a shakedown'

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday September 25, 2019 · 10:38 AM PDT

2019/09/25 · 10:38

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff speaks alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Judiciary Committee Chair Jerold Nadler (D-NY), at a news conference after the former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's testimony on July 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified today before the House Judiciary Committee and dismissed President Trump's claims of total exoneration. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)

In a blistering new joint statement, House committee chairmen Adam Schiff, Jerrold Nadler, Elijah Cummings, and Eliot Engle are calling Donald Trump's July call with the Ukrainian president an "unambiguous, damning, and shocking abuse of the Office of the Presidency for personal political gain."

This is a clear breach of trust placed in the President to faithfully execute the laws and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.
The record of the call released by the White House confirms our worst fears: that the President abused his office by directly and repeatedly asking a foreign country to investigate his political rival and open investigations meant to help the President politically. Not once, not twice, but more than half a dozen times during one telephone call. This was a shakedown. The President of the United States asked for a 'favor' after the Ukrainian President expressed his country's need for weapons to defend against Russian aggression. The transcript also shows that the President promised follow-up by Attorney General William Barr or the President's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani at least nine times.

It now seems inevitable that the House will vote to send articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate. It also seems almost certain that Trump Attorney General William Barr will now face impeachment proceedings as well—possibly launched before the end of the week. The evidence of Trump’s betrayal of his office is irrefutable.

Rep. Adam Schiff’s press conference Wednesday morning:

YouTube Video

House committee chairs say White House readout confirms worst fears: 'This was a shakedown'

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