The latest: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi asked the House to proceed with articles of impeachment.
What happens next: The Judiciary Committee has authority to write articles of impeachment and will vote on whether to refer them to the full House. If they’re approved, they’ll go to the House floor, where a simple majority is needed to formally impeach President Trump.
Possible Senate trial: If Trump is impeached, the Senate will hold a trial to decide if he should be removed from office.
Turley, a law professor with nearly 30 years of teaching experience under his belt at George Washington University, was one of four scholars called before the House Judiciary Committee to provide insight into the complicated and rare constitutional maneuvering.
Turley was called by the committee’s Republicans. The other three witnesses — all called by the committee’s Democrats — spoke out in favor of Trump’s impeachment while Turley, who was also an expert witness during Bill Clinton’s impeachment proceedings, leaned on his previous testimony in the 1990s to explain his opposition to it.
What Turley said Wednesday: During his testimony, Turley consistently pointed to his worries about the speed and scope of the impeachment inquiry, saying, “Fast and narrow is not a good recipe.” He also argued that the record against Trump is “one of the thinnest records ever to go forward on impeachment” and that it “has left doubts in the minds of people” about what happened.
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Questions emerge about House investigator report showing calls between Giuliani and budget office
From CNN's Lauren Fox and Pamela Brown
Rudy Giuliani’s phone calls with a number that House investigators say is associated with the Office of Management and Budget, may have simply been calls to and from the White House, according to information obtained by CNN.
CNN has learned that the number the House Intelligence Committee’s report said was “associated” with the OMB is a number that could go to multiple officials within the White House complex including the White House itself.
The new details cast doubt on whether Giuliani was talking to the OMB in the spring, a critical time in which the ousted US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was facing a barrage of now-discredited rumors that she wasn’t loyal enough to the President. The calls, which occurred in April 2019, were well before any known action by the White House to hold Ukrainian military aid raising questions as to whether there were discussions earlier than previously know. The OMB designation appears again, according to the report, in calls with Giuliani on Aug. 8 when US military aid to Ukraine had already been held back.
The House Intelligence Committee’s report makes clear that “Giuliani had three phone calls with a number associated with OMB” on April 23. And the report detailed that in August Giuliani had a call with a number associated with OMB for 13 minutes.
After the House Intelligence Committee published their report, one senior committee official told CNN that a number that had been associated with the OMB in the report had been “based on public directories,” but that they are “continuing to investigate these call records as part of our ongoing work, including to assess whether that number, associated with OMB landlines, may also indicate calls received from elsewhere within the White House.”
After the call logs emerged Tuesday in the intelligence committee’s report, questions arose about why Giuliani was speaking with someone at OMB.
A spokesperson for OMB told CNN that no one from the agency was ever in contact with Giuliani.
One possibility was that the phone was connected to acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who still held his position at OMB. A White House official told CNN on Wednesday that Mulvaney and Giuliani had not discussed Ukraine and Mulvaney’s call records never showed he spoke to the President’s personal attorney by phone on the dates listed in the report.
Giuliani also said he wasn’t involved in withholding the aid to Ukraine and that he never discussed the issue on any call to OMB.
“(I) don’t remember calling OMB and not about military aid never knew anything about it,” he told CNN via text on Wednesday.
The call log still reveals Giuliani was in regular contact with the White House at a time that House intelligence investigators say was critical to the withholding of US military aid.
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Democratic congresswoman calls President Trump a "corrupt executive"
From CNN's Morgan Stoviak
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, discussed the next steps in the impeachment process on CNN’s “The Lead” this afternoon, calling President Trump a “corrupt executive.”
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Podcast: "Don't mess with me" about "hate" Pelosi says after green lighting impeachment
There’s no turning back now.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi instructed her House colleagues to draft articles of impeachment in an announcement today. So what will those articles look like? Will obstruction of justice related to the Mueller investigation play a role?
Pelosi also had a heated exchange with a reporter about whether or not she hates President Trump during her weekly news conference today. “I pray for the President all the time,” she told the reporter. “So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”
In today’s episode of “The Daily DC: Impeachment Watch” podcast: CNN political director David Chalian previews the consequential days ahead with CNN senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson and CNN legal analyst Michael Zeldin.
This Democrat says he plans to vote against all articles of impeachment
From CNN's Manu Raju
Rep. Jeff Van Drew
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, one of two Democrats to vote against formalizing the impeachment inquiry, said he plans to vote against all the articles of impeachment “unless there’s something that I haven’t seen, haven’t heard before.”
He warned Democrats to “be careful what you wish for” and he added that impeachment “is tearing the nation apart. … And I want to bring people together.”
Van Drew said he would have preferred a censure vote so they could “move on.”
Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, the other Democrat who also opposed the inquiry, was also asked if he’d vote to impeach.
“I don’t have an idea what they’re doing,” Peterson said.
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Catch up: 5 key developments today in the impeachment inquiry
If you’re just tuning in, here are the key developments today in House impeachment inquiry into President Trump:
“Don’t mess with me”: Pelosi reacted angrily at the end of her press conference to a shouted question about whether she hated the President, returning to the podium to condemn the implication. She responded, “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word ‘hate’ in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone.” Pelosi added, “So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”
Another hearing has been set: The House Judiciary Committee announced today that its next impeachment hearing will be Monday, Dec. 9, at 9 a.m. ET., where it will hear evidence from the staff counsels of both the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
Republicans slam Pelosi’s decision: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the “nation is weaker” because Democrats have put impeachment ahead of “all the other things that the American people want.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also tweeted that Pelosi is rushing a partisan impeachment process.
Trump wants a fair trial: The President tweeted a lot today about the impeachment inquiry and called for a fast and fair trial in the Senate. Trump said, “Therefore I say, if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business.”
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Schiff: Pelosi's announcement is a "significant milestone"
From CNN's Jeremy Herb
Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement today to bring forward articles of impeachment was a “significant milestone.”
Schiff would not comment on what those articles might contain or if Democrats should include charges related to the Mueller investigation.
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What we're expecting next in the impeachment inquiry
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced today that she’s asked the House to move forward with articles of impeachment against President Trump.
Monday: The House Judiciary Committee will hold its next impeachment hearing, where it will hear evidence from the staff counsels of both the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
After that timing, it gets a little unclear, but here’s a general sense of how the impeachment process will work:
Committee vote: After articles are complete, the committee will vote on whether to refer them to the full House. We’re not sure when this will happen, but it could happen sometime next week.
House vote: If they’re approved, the articles will go to the House floor, where a simple majority is needed to formally impeach Trump. This vote could happen the week of Dec. 16.
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White House: Pelosi's announcement moves country towards "illegitimate subversion of the Constitution"
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham released a statement today criticizing Speaker Pelosi’s decision to move forward with articles of impeachment.
Grisham said that Pelosi’s announcement “moves this Country toward the most partisan and illegitimate subversion of the Constitution in our history.”
Read the full statement below:
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GOP senator on Pelosi's impeachment push: "So much for being prayerful and thoughtful"
From CNN's Ali Zaslav
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Reacting to Speaker of House House Nancy Pelosi’s announcement today that Democrats will proceed with articles of impeachment against President Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham said: “So much for being prayerful and thoughtful.”
Graham continued:
Graham added he doesn’t plan to subpoena House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff’s phone records, saying “ No, I don’t have any desire to subpoena Adam Schiff’s phone records, we’re not going to do that,” adding “I wouldn’t want my phone records subpoenaed.”
Asked if Schiff crossed a line subpoenaing phone records, he said, “I think what he’s doing is setting a very bad precedent.”
“Now, none of us are above the law so if you had a special counsel or a grand jury…you would be subject like every other citizen, but you can invoke defenses of being a member of Congress, you’ll have a certain status there. But when we start looking into each other’s phone records and who we talk to that gets to be chaos and I will have no part of it”
Graham was also asked about Rudy Giuliani being in Ukraine, responding “I don’t know what he’s doing. I don’t know who he’s meeting with and if he can find something, he certainly can share it with us.”
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Trump lawyers ask Supreme Court to block House subpoena for financial documents
From CNN's Ariane de Vogue
President Trump asked the Supreme Court today to block a subpoena for his financial documents, arguing that the House exceeded its authority when it ordered Trump’s long time accounting firm to turn over his personal records.
The justices have already put a temporary freeze on the subpoena while they consider in the coming days and weeks whether to take up the appeal from the President’s personal lawyers.
What this means: The fate of Trump’s attempts — on multiple fronts — to shield his financial records, is now squarely before the highest court in the land.
The justices have already announced they will meet behind closed doors on Dec. 13 to discuss a similar petition concerning a New York grand jury subpoena for Trump’s tax returns. In addition, Trump’s lawyers are likely to appeal a separate case they lost concerning a subpoena to Deutsche Bank for similar documents. Until the court acts one way or another the documents will not be released.
McCarthy dodges questions and criticizes Democrats on impeachment
From Manu Raju, Laurie Ure and Haley Byrd
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy holds a press conference on Capitol Hill
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said today that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has “weakened” the country after announcing Democrats will proceed with articles of impeachment.
He reiterated Republican complaints about the impeachment inquiry process and said he expects some Democrats to oppose articles of impeachment, as two Democrats opposed the inquiry procedures resolution. He dodged several questions about the President’s conduct and about White House officials defying subpoenas.
CNN asked if it is ever appropriate for a president to ask a foreign country to investigate a domestic political rival. McCarthy dodged the question.
“The President asked a country to participate in a case that happened in 2016. That’s 100% legal,” said McCarthy, before going off on a tangent and attacking Democrats. CNN tried to follow up specifically on the Bidens, but McCarthy ended the presser and left the room without answering.
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What's on Trump's schedule today
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to the White House on December 4, 2019.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
President Trump has two public appearances today — but it’s unclear if he will address impeachment.
At 1 p.m. ET, the President will welcome the Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Security Council to the White House.
At 5 p.m. ET, the President and the First Lady will attend the 97th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in President’s Park. This ceremony is one of America’s oldest holiday traditions, dating back to 1923.
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GOP leader: I have "a hard time believing" Pelosi
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was just asked about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s assertion that she doesn’t hate President Trump.
First some background: Moments ago, when asked if she hates Trump, Pelosi forcefully pushed back. “I don’t hate anybody,” she said, before saying impeachment is “about the Constitution of the United States.”
McCarthy said he’ll take Pelosi “at her word,” but said if she listened to what Jonathan Turley, the GOP witness at yesterday’s hearing, said, she would not have called for articles of impeachment. Turley, a law professor, argued that the inquiry against Trump is too fast and too narrow.
He was again asked: “So you don’t accept what she said just now?”
“I think I have a hard time believing it,” he said.
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Sen. McConnell says Pelosi is rushing a partisan impeachment process
From CNN's Allison Gordon
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted today that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is rushing a partisan impeachment process.
Here’s his tweet:
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Trump attacks Pelosi on Twitter claiming she "just had a nervous fit"
President Donald Trump criticized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Twitter shortly after the Speaker rebuked claims of bias against the President.
He said that he doesn’t believe Pelosi’s comments that she “prays for the President.”
The President added Pelosi should “help the homeless” in her district. He also seemingly referenced “USMCA”, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, which he and Pelosi have clashed over before.
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GOP leader: Democrats "don’t even have a budget" but are going forward with impeachment
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the “nation is weaker” because Democrats have put impeachment ahead of “all the other things that the American people want.”
“They don’t even have a budget,” he added.
Congress passed stopgap legislation, known as a continuing resolution, last month to avert a government shutdown, but it only extends funding through Dec. 20. They lawmakers do not act before then, the government will shut down.
Remember: Moments ago, at her weekly news conference, Pelosi said the impeachment inquiry is about the Constitution, not politics.
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Nancy Pelosi: "Don't mess with me"
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
As Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was walking away from the microphone at her weekly press conference, a reporter asked her: “Do you hate the President, Mrs. Speaker?”
Pelosi stopped and said: “I don’t hate anybody.”
She then walked back to the microphone, and said that while she believes Trump is a “coward,” that’s only about his political positions.
She continued: “This is about the Constitution of the United States and the facts that lead to the President’s violation of his oath of office. And as a Catholic, I resent your using the word ‘hate’ in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone.”
“So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that,” she said before walking off the podium.
Watch the moment:
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Pelosi: Impeachment is about protecting the Constitution, not politics
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was just asked if she’s concerned that some congressional Democrats could face a backlash if they vote for articles of impeachment.
Every member of the House will face reelection next year.
Pelosi said the impeachment inquiry against President Trump has “absolutely nothing to do with politics” — instead it’s about “the oath of office we take to protect and defend the Constitution.”
So, she said, she’s “not concerned.”
Here’s her full answer:
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Pelosi calls Trump's court fight over his records "an obstruction of justice"
Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked about the ongoing fight over Trump’s financial documents that the House has subpoenaed as part of its investigation.
She said the President’s actions of “bumping them up in court” — or continuing to appeal to a higher court — “is an obstruction of justice.”
She added that the House is “winning” these cases — indeed this week a federal appeals court in New York ruled that Trump needs to turn over his records from Deutsche Band and Capital One.
On House Democrats’ decision to push forward and not wait for a final judicial decision in several of the cases, Pelosi said, “We’re not going to be accomplices to his obstruction of justice.”
Pelosi noted that these cases may wind up in front of the Supreme Court.
“So we’re waiting to see if the [Supreme Court] will even take up something that is so in defiance of their precedent that says yes, Congress has the right to subpoena and oversight over the executive branch.”
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There will be another impeachment hearing on Monday
The House Judiciary committee has just announced that on Monday, they will have a hearing at 9 a.m. ET.
The hearing is “to receive presentations from counsels to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and House Judiciary Committee.” Lawyers for the Democrats and the Republicans will present, according to the announcement.
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NOW: Pelosi takes reporters' questions
Speaker of the House is holding her weekly news conference, where she’ll answer reporters’ questions.
Earlier today, she announced that she has asked the House to proceed with articles of impeachment against President Trump.
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House Republican: Pelosi's announcement is “completely unsurprising”
From CNN's Suzanne Malveaux and Ali Zaslav
Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement today that the House is moving forward with articles of impeachment was “completely unsurprising.”
Asked about whether the President and his allies should start participating in the inquiry, Perry said, “Here’s what I think: everybody should be participating and that means the White House should be participating.”
He continued, “What we should be getting after is the truth, and the facts, all of them, not just some of them.”
Perry, who is on the Foreign Affairs committee, said he still believes Trump did nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat, told CNN that Pelosi couldn’t just “sit on this evidence. She had to do what she did this morning.”
Norton added: “History would hold this House responsible if we let that go.”
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House Judiciary Democrats have been asked to stay in DC this weekend
From CNN's Manu Raju
After her speech this morning, Speaker Pelosi met with a small group of House Democrats in the basement of the Capitol and discussed the necessity of moving forward.
She was greeted with enthusiasm and no dissent, according to attendees.
CNN was also told that the House Judiciary Democrats have been asked to stay in town this weekend to prep for a possible hearing next week.
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Trump on impeachment: "We will win!"
President Trump continued to attack the impeachment process on Twitter this morning.
Moments ago, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would move forward with articles of impeachment. The President said that impeachment will “be used routinely to attack future Presidents” — which is not “what our Founders had in mind.”
He reiterated his claim that his phone calls with Ukraine were “perfect,” and added “We will win!”
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Kellyanne Conway: The White House is "very ready" for a Senate trial
From CNN's Betsy Klein
White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, Sen. Mitt Romney and President Donald Trump listen during a listening session on youth vaping on November 22, 2019.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway spoke with reporters at the White House this morning following an appearance on Fox News.
She criticized one Democratic witness, Professor Pamela Karlan, as someone who “looks her nose down on people I grew up with,” mocking her three degrees from Yale (“Yay!”) and said that “in the comfort of her ivory tower” she was “unimpeachably unimpressive.”
The White House, Conway said, is “very ready” for a Senate trial, noting that legislative affairs director Eric Ueland was on the Hill yesterday and that she’s been present for meetings with some senators.
The Senate process, she argued, “would include live witnesses who have visibility and knowledge into facts.”
She said the Senate should call on the Bidens and Adam Schiff to testify, and, interestingly, said she has a list of Burisma board members on her desk that “maybe” will be called.
It’s “more likely” that White House counsel Pat Cipollone will testify in Senate proceedings, per Conway, but she wouldn’t weigh in on whether Mick Mulvaney, Mike Pompeo, and John Bolton will testify on the Senate side before the articles of impeachment are known.
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Democrats are "working as a team" to draft articles of impeachment, Judiciary member says
Rep. Steve Cohen — a Democrat who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, which will be responsible for writing the articles of impeachment — spoke with CNN this morning about what happens next now that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has asked the lawmakers to move forward.
Cohen said that he believes the articles of impeachment will include at least two charges against Trump: abuse of power and the obstruction of Congress.
“The Democratic caucus, the Judiciary Committee, we’re all working as a team and we will see what Speaker Pelosi and her team come up with and then we’ll support it,” Cohen said.
Asked about Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler’s comments last November that impeachment should only proceed if its a bipartisan process, Cohen said, “It’s a different Republican party than Jerry Nadler was talking about.”
Cohen said, “Chairman Nadler is thinking of a Republican party that had members like Howard Baker, Barry Goldwater, what they call Rockefeller Republicans. They no longer exist.”
He continued:
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Trump campaign: Democrats "want to take the decision of who should be president out of the hands of voters"
President Trump’s campaign just released a statement following Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that the House will move forward with articles of impeachment.
Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager, said impeaching Trump has long been a Democratic goal, “so they should just get on with it so we can have a fair trial in the Senate and expose The Swamp for what it is.”
Here’s the full statement:
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Only a few lawmakers will decide on the contents of articles of impeachment
From CNN's Manu Raju
House Speaker Pelosi will continue meeting with members and getting their input on the articles of impeachment in an effort to help her understand where the votes are, according to Democratic sources.
But the reality is that the people who will make the decision on the contents of the articles of impeachment are only a handful — namely Pelosi, with consultation from House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler and House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff.
And it will be a closely held secret until it is unveiled.
They will have to make a decision on the scope of the articles, which some have speculated will encompass the Mueller investigation.
The articles of impeachment under consideration are:
Abuse of power and bribery
Obstruction of Congress
Obstruction of justice (including evidence from the Mueller investigation)
The possible timeline: Articles could be voted on next week (the week of December 9th) in House Judiciary and the week after (the week of December 16th) on the House floor.
Expect one more hearing in the House Judiciary committee next week, when the House Intelligence Committee attorneys present their findings.
Then, if a simple majority of the House votes in favor of the articles of impeachment, the trial will move to the Senate.
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Pelosi called for the House to write articles of impeachment. Here's what comes next.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced at a press conference this morning that she is asking House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler to proceed with articles of impeachment.
Articles of impeachment represent a key next step in the impeachment inquiry.
The Constitution explains that offenses that could prompt impeachment are treason, bribery or “other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
A president is not impeached until the full House votes to approve articles of impeachment.
The House Judiciary Committee, which held its first hearings yesterday, will draft one article of impeachment for each alleged offense, and the House will vote on each article separately.
In this case, Democrats are considering multiple articles of impeachment, including charges of abuse of power, bribery and obstruction of Congress for defying subpoenas.
What comes next: In the House, if a simple majority votes in favor of the articles of impeachment, the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over a trial in the Senate. A two-thirds majority is required to convict and remove a president from office.
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White House reacts to Pelosi's announcement: "We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate"
From CNN's Betsy Klein
The White House has reacted to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement moments ago that Democrats are moving forward with articles of impeachment against President Trump.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted, “@SpeakerPelosi & the Democrats should be ashamed. @realDonaldTrump has done nothing but lead our country - resulting in a booming economy, more jobs & a stronger military, to name just a few of his major accomplishments. We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate.”
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Pelosi: Trump has "abused his power" as President
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced moments ago that she is asking House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler to proceed with articles of impeachment.
She began her statement my referencing some of the founders of the US.
She added, “In America, no one is above the law.”
She then said Trump has “abused his power” as President.
“The President abused his power for his own personal political benefit at the expense of our national security,” Pelosi said.
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BREAKING: Pelosi asks House to write articles of impeachment
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi just said the House is moving forward with articles of impeachment against President Trump.
“Today, I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment,” she said.
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Pelosi will talk about impeachment any minute now
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to deliver a statement about the impeachment inquiry at 9 a.m. ET.
We’ll cover it live here.
We’re not exactly sure what she’ll talk about, but remember: She also gave a statement when she first announced the impeachment inquiry. This could be a sign she is ready to announce the next stage, according to CNN’s Manu Raju.
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Trump: "If you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast"
President Trump is tweeting about the impeachment inquiry, saying Democrats have “gone crazy” and that they have “no Impeachment case.”
He urged the House to impeach him “fast” so the process can move to the Senate, where there will be a “fair trial.”
Here’s are his full tweets:
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The Senate is getting ready for an impeachment trial, but details about it are still unclear
From CNN's Phil Mattingly
As the House continues its impeachment inquiry into President Trump, the Senate is getting ready for a possible trial.
Senators know it’s coming. Their respective leaders have held closed-door briefings walking through procedural and technical aspects. The White House is fully engaged with the chamber’s 53 Republicans and is forming an aggressive trial operation and defense.
Every senator CNN has talked with has started personal preparations and study in one form or another. Staffers — from counsel to communicators — have largely done the same.
And yet in conversations with more than three-dozen Senators and top aides, nobody has any idea what exactly is about to happen when articles of impeachment land on the doorstep of the Senate floor.
Here’s the bottom line: There’s a reason nobody knows what’s coming next. But the stakes are enormous — and not to mention the importance of this moment in history, the reality of that the chamber that could potentially remove a sitting US President from office.
In the words of one Republican senator: “bizarre. It’s kind of surreal. I don’t know, it’s just a strange moment.”
So how is this all going to work? As of this moment, the answer was best laid out by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week:
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Democrats are debating whether to include the Mueller report in articles of impeachment
In the House Judiciary Committee’s first impeachment hearing, Chairman Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, said Trump had obstructed justice during both Mueller’s two-year investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 US election and the House’s impeachment inquiry, which is focused on Trump’s alleged abuse of power in pressuring Ukraine to politically damage Democrats.
In his opening statement yesterday, Nadler said Trump’s latest actions showed a “pattern of conduct” seen since his first year in office.
The remarks appeared to reopen a debate simmering within the Democratic Party since the release of Mueller’s 448-page report in April: Were the President’s actions impeachable?
What the report said: Mueller found that Trump did not illegally conspire with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election, even as Trump and members of his campaign appeared to have sought its interference. Mueller also declined to say whether Trump had illegally obstructed justice, citing the Justice Department’s position that sitting presidents cannot be indicted.
But Mueller did lay out several examples of potential obstruction, including Trump ordering then-White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller and pushing then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his decision recusing himself from overseeing the inquiry in order to curtail it (both officials refused).
While many liberal Democrats in the House had pushed then for impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sided with her members in tough races, who were wary of charging the President with obstructing an investigation that did not find an underlying crime. Polls showed that support for starting impeachment proceedings was well under 50%.
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SOON: Pelosi will talk about the impeachment inquiry
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will deliver a statement about the impeachment inquiry at 9 a.m. ET.
We’re not exactly sure what she’ll talk about, but remember: She announced a similar statement when she first announced the inquiry. This could be a sign she is ready to announce the next stage, according to CNN’s Manu Raju.
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What happens next in the impeachment proceedings
From CNN's Manu Raju
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
As soon as tonight, we should expect the House Judiciary Committee to announce a future hearing for next week. That is expected to include testimony from Democratic and GOP staff attorneys on the House Intelligence Committee presenting the findings of their investigations.
Under the rules, the committee can schedule a hearing within 24 hours.
The White House has a Friday deadline to decide about whether to participate in that or future hearings. We will see what they do.
Here’s what we’re expecting in the weeks ahead:
Next week: A staff counsel hearing. (We don’t when it will happen.) And there could be votes on articles of impeachment in the House Judiciary Committee. That committee vote could be more than one day. The exact timing could change on the vote if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decides to hit the brakes.
The week of Dec. 16: Potential votes on the House floor on articles of impeachment. Again, the timing could change depending on Pelosi’s actions.
One thing to note: While we don’t know when the articles of impeachment will be introduced, it’s clear what they are considering:
