President Donald&nbsp;Trump's personal&nbsp;lawyer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-row-according-to-call-records-nunes-had-frequent-contact-with-giuliani-266054">Rudy&nbsp;Giuliani</a>&nbsp;returned to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;Wednesday, shrugging off the scandal over seeking dirt from Kiev on rival Democrats.

The New York Times said&nbsp;Giuliani&nbsp;had travelled to Budapest on Tuesday and Kiev Wednesday to speak with former Ukrainian prosecutors who could have information that would support&nbsp;Trump's battle against&nbsp;impeachment.

One America News Network also said it had a camera team travelling with&nbsp;Giuliani&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;for an investigation into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-willing-to-compromise-us-security-impeachment-hearing-chair-266274">impeachment&nbsp;case</a> against&nbsp;Trump.

In a tweet,&nbsp;Giuliani&nbsp;wrote that he was "working on an important project with @OANN," aimed at exposing what he said was information covered up by hearings conducted by Democratic Party&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;chief Adam Schiff.&nbsp;

According to the Times,&nbsp;Giuliani, who is the former mayor of New York, was meeting with former Ukrainian prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, a central figure in the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;case Democrats are building against&nbsp;Trump.

He was also planning to meet with two other ex-prosecutors, Viktor Shokin and Kostiantyn Kulyk.

Giuliani&nbsp;has approached all three over the past year to aid&nbsp;Trump's effort to find dirt on Democrats, especially former vice president Joe Biden, who could face the president in next year's election.

Democrats are preparing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-impeachment-witness-of-lying-defends-use-of-giuliani-264142">impeachment&nbsp;charges</a> against&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on the grounds that he, with&nbsp;Giuliani's assistance, solicited foreign interference in US elections for his personal needs.

Giuliani&nbsp;has sought to demonstrate that Biden and his son Hunter, who previously served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, had been engaged corruptly in the country.

Giuliani&nbsp;is also reportedly under investigation for his representation of multiple Ukrainian figures, including Dmitry Firtash, a billionaire facing extradition to the United States from Austria for charges of bribery and racketeering.

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani returned to Ukraine Wednesday, shrugging off the scandal over seeking dirt from Kiev on rival Democrats. The New York Times said Giuliani had travelled to Budapest on Tuesday and Kiev Wednesday to speak with former Ukrainian prosecutors who could have information that would support Trump's battle against impeachment.

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani returned to Ukraine Wednesday, shrugging off the scandal over seeking dirt from Kiev on rival Democrats. The New York Times said Giuliani had travelled to Budapest on Tuesday and Kiev Wednesday to speak with former Ukrainian prosecutors who could have information that would support Trump's battle against impeachment. One America News Network also said it had a camera team travelling with Giuliani in Ukraine for an investigation into the impeachment case against Trump. In a tweet, Giuliani wrote that he was "working on an important project with @OANN," aimed at exposing what he said was information covered up by hearings conducted by Democratic Party impeachment chief Adam Schiff. According to the Times, Giuliani, who is the former mayor of New York, was meeting with former Ukrainian prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, a central figure in the impeachment case Democrats are building against Trump. He was also planning to meet with two other ex-prosecutors, Viktor Shokin and Kostiantyn Kulyk. Giuliani has approached all three over the past year to aid Trump's effort to find dirt on Democrats, especially former vice president Joe Biden, who could face the president in next year's election. Democrats are preparing impeachment charges against Trump on the grounds that he, with Giuliani's assistance, solicited foreign interference in US elections for his personal needs. Giuliani has sought to demonstrate that Biden and his son Hunter, who previously served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, had been engaged corruptly in the country. Giuliani is also reportedly under investigation for his representation of multiple Ukrainian figures, including Dmitry Firtash, a billionaire facing extradition to the United States from Austria for charges of bribery and racketeering.

Trump's lawyer Giuliani back in Ukraine as impeachment probe escalates

Three constitutional&nbsp;scholars&nbsp;on Wednesday bolstered Democrats' case for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-willing-to-compromise-us-security-impeachment-hearing-chair-266274">impeaching Donald&nbsp;Trump</a>&nbsp;by saying the president's actions seeking foreign interference in US elections were clear grounds for removal, as the inquiry kicked into high gear in&nbsp;Congress.

But reflecting the Washington political divide, a fourth expert strongly dissented, saying there was "woefully inadequate" evidence that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;committed&nbsp;high&nbsp;crimes&nbsp;and misdemeanours necessary for removal.

Democrats have made a forceful case that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;should be impeached for trying to leverage a White House meeting and military aid to pressure Ukraine for dirt on an election rival.

In a&nbsp;theatrical hearing of the House Judiciary Committee,&nbsp;now tasked with weighing impeachment charges against the president -- lawmakers listened to damning testimony from constitutional law professors.

"On the basis of the testimony and evidence before the House, President&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;has&nbsp;committed&nbsp;impeachable&nbsp;high&nbsp;crimes&nbsp;and misdemeanours by corruptly abusing the office of the presidency," Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman told the hearing.

"We three are unanimous" in that view, jurisprudence professor Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina stated, referring to himself and fellow witnesses Feldman and Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan.

The trio was invited by Democrats to testify.

Americans tuning in to the eight-hour live broadcast witnessed clashes between Democrats and Republican&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;loyalists on the panel, who repeatedly forced procedural votes to stall the process.

The new phase of impeachment began a day after a congressional report on the high-stakes inquiry detailed "overwhelming" evidence of abuse of power and obstruction by the president.

The report mapped out a months-long scheme by&nbsp;Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, senior diplomats and White House staffers to pressure Ukraine's president into investigating Joe Biden, the current favourite to win the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election.

Trump&nbsp;"was willing to compromise our security and his office for personal, political gain," said Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler.

Watch: Democrats release impeachment report on Donald Trump

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'Proof, not presumptions'&nbsp;

Trump's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-us-public-opinion-has-evolved-on-impeachment-of-trump-266209">alleged political&nbsp;crimes</a>, including bribery and obstruction of justice and&nbsp;Congress, "are worse than the misconduct of any prior president," Gerhardt said.

"If what we're talking about is not&nbsp;impeachable, then nothing is&nbsp;impeachable."

Feldman added that if&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;is not held to account for his offences "we live under a dictatorship."

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham hit back in a statement, saying that "the only thing the three liberal professors established at chairman Nadler's hearing was their political bias against the president."

"It did nothing to change the fact that, despite weeks of hearings in this sham process, the president did nothing wrong," Grisham said.

The fourth academic who testified, George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley -- the only expert invited by Republicans -- argued there was "no evidence" that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;acted with corrupt intent.

He warned that partisan "rage" was compromising the inquiry.

"Impeachments have to be based on proof, not presumptions," he said, adding that Democrats were rushing the process so quickly that they were not hearing from key players in the Ukraine scandal.

Turley and Republicans did not, however, mention the White House's stonewalling. Despite Democratic requests, 12 current or former administration officials have refused to testify.

'Impeachable&nbsp;offence'

The president himself, in London for a NATO summit, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-panel-impeachment-report-to-be-released-tuesday-adam-schiff-266202">lambasted his opponents</a> for proceeding with impeachment hearings.

"What they are doing is a very bad thing for our country,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said. "It's a joke."

Karlan asserted that&nbsp;Trump's alleged effort to withhold military aid until Ukraine&nbsp;committed&nbsp;to investigating Biden was grounds for removal -- even though Kiev never conducted the probe.

"Soliciting itself is the&nbsp;impeachable&nbsp;offence," she said.

But Karlan found herself in hot water when she invoked&nbsp;Trump's 13-year-old son Barron when differentiating between monarchical and presidential power.

"While the president can name his son 'Barron,' he can't make him a baron," Karlan said.&nbsp;

The remark drew stiff blowback from First Lady Melania&nbsp;Trump, and Karlan apologized.

The House Intelligence Committee report is expected to form the basis&nbsp;for the&nbsp;Judiciary Committee to draw up formal charges -- articles of impeachment -- that could include bribery, abuse of power, obstruction and contempt of&nbsp;Congress.

Democrats reportedly aim to have the articles presented for a vote to the entire House of Representatives by late December.

If the House impeaches&nbsp;Trump, he would then stand trial for removal in the Republican-controlled Senate, where he is likely to be exonerated.

The Senate meanwhile released its 2020 schedule, and the entire month of January is blocked off, signalling preparations for a trial.

Three constitutional scholars on Wednesday bolstered Democrats' case for impeaching Donald Trump by saying the president's actions seeking foreign interference in US elections were clear grounds for removal, as the inquiry kicked into high gear in Congress.

Three constitutional scholars on Wednesday bolstered Democrats' case for impeaching Donald Trump by saying the president's actions seeking foreign interference in US elections were clear grounds for removal, as the inquiry kicked into high gear in Congress. But reflecting the Washington political divide, a fourth expert strongly dissented, saying there was "woefully inadequate" evidence that Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanours necessary for removal. Democrats have made a forceful case that Trump should be impeached for trying to leverage a White House meeting and military aid to pressure Ukraine for dirt on an election rival. In a theatrical hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, now tasked with weighing impeachment charges against the president -- lawmakers listened to damning testimony from constitutional law professors. "On the basis of the testimony and evidence before the House, President Trump has committed impeachable high crimes and misdemeanours by corruptly abusing the office of the presidency," Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman told the hearing. "We three are unanimous" in that view, jurisprudence professor Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina stated, referring to himself and fellow witnesses Feldman and Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan. The trio was invited by Democrats to testify. Americans tuning in to the eight-hour live broadcast witnessed clashes between Democrats and Republican Trump loyalists on the panel, who repeatedly forced procedural votes to stall the process. The new phase of impeachment began a day after a congressional report on the high-stakes inquiry detailed "overwhelming" evidence of abuse of power and obstruction by the president. The report mapped out a months-long scheme by Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, senior diplomats and White House staffers to pressure Ukraine's president into investigating Joe Biden, the current favourite to win the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election. Trump "was willing to compromise our security and his office for personal, political gain," said Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler. Watch: Democrats release impeachment report on Donald Trump 'Proof, not presumptions' Trump's alleged political crimes, including bribery and obstruction of justice and Congress, "are worse than the misconduct of any prior president," Gerhardt said. "If what we're talking about is not impeachable, then nothing is impeachable." Feldman added that if Trump is not held to account for his offences "we live under a dictatorship." White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham hit back in a statement, saying that "the only thing the three liberal professors established at chairman Nadler's hearing was their political bias against the president." "It did nothing to change the fact that, despite weeks of hearings in this sham process, the president did nothing wrong," Grisham said. The fourth academic who testified, George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley -- the only expert invited by Republicans -- argued there was "no evidence" that Trump acted with corrupt intent. He warned that partisan "rage" was compromising the inquiry. "Impeachments have to be based on proof, not presumptions," he said, adding that Democrats were rushing the process so quickly that they were not hearing from key players in the Ukraine scandal. Turley and Republicans did not, however, mention the White House's stonewalling. Despite Democratic requests, 12 current or former administration officials have refused to testify. 'Impeachable offence' The president himself, in London for a NATO summit, lambasted his opponents for proceeding with impeachment hearings. "What they are doing is a very bad thing for our country," Trump said. "It's a joke." Karlan asserted that Trump's alleged effort to withhold military aid until Ukraine committed to investigating Biden was grounds for removal -- even though Kiev never conducted the probe. "Soliciting itself is the impeachable offence," she said. But Karlan found herself in hot water when she invoked Trump's 13-year-old son Barron when differentiating between monarchical and presidential power. "While the president can name his son 'Barron,' he can't make him a baron," Karlan said. The remark drew stiff blowback from First Lady Melania Trump, and Karlan apologized. The House Intelligence Committee report is expected to form the basis for the Judiciary Committee to draw up formal charges -- articles of impeachment -- that could include bribery, abuse of power, obstruction and contempt of Congress. Democrats reportedly aim to have the articles presented for a vote to the entire House of Representatives by late December. If the House impeaches Trump, he would then stand trial for removal in the Republican-controlled Senate, where he is likely to be exonerated. The Senate meanwhile released its 2020 schedule, and the entire month of January is blocked off, signalling preparations for a trial.

Trump committed impeachable crimes: Constitutional scholars to US Congress

Democrats accused President Donald Trump of a readiness to sell out US national security to bolster his 2020 reelection effort as hearings opened Wednesday to draw up <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-panel-impeachment-report-to-be-released-tuesday-adam-schiff-266202">impeachment charges against the US leader</a>.

But in a fiery start to the House Judiciary Committee's review of the evidence, Republicans countered that Democrats were trying to reverse the 2016 election that brought Trump to power and were pushing towards <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-us-public-opinion-has-evolved-on-impeachment-of-trump-266209">impeachment</a> without due process.

Trump "directly and explicitly invited foreign interference in our elections," said House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, referring to Trump's effort to get dirt on his Democratic rivals from Ukraine.

"He used the powers of his office to try to make it happen. He sent his agents to make clear that this is what he wanted and demanded," Nadler said.&nbsp;

"He was willing to compromise our security and his office for personal, political gain."

Doug Collins, the senior Republican on the panel, countered with the suggestion the hearing was a partisan political effort to undermine a democratically elected president.

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"We're having a factless impeachment," he said, rejecting the final report on the investigation of Trump released on Tuesday.

"We have just a deep-seated hatred of a man who came to the White House and did what he said he was going to do," Collins said, referring to Trump.

"This is not an impeachment. This is just a simple railroad job. And today's is a waste of time."

On Tuesday, congressional Democrats made a forceful case that Trump should be removed from office for abusing his powers by pressuring Ukraine for dirt on a Democratic election rival.

The final report on the House Intelligence Committee's probe, led by lawmaker Adam Schiff, concluded that "the president placed his personal political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the US presidential election process and endangered US national security."

The report is expected to form the basis for the Judiciary Committee to draw up formal charges -- articles of impeachment -- that could include bribery, abuse of power, obstruction and contempt of Congress.

Kicking of the next phase of impeachment, four constitutional scholars were called to testify Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee in the first of a series of hearings to establish the gravity of Trump's alleged crimes.

In London for a NATO summit, President Donald Trump slammed the Democratic report presenting the case for his impeachment as a "joke" and lambasted his opponents for proceeding with hearings during his trip.

"What they are doing is a very bad thing for our country," Trump said when asked about the report. "It's a joke."

Democrats reportedly aim to have articles of impeachment presented for a vote to the entire House of Representatives before Christmas on December 25.

If they pass as expected, Trump would then stand trial for removal in the Republican-controlled Senate, where he is expected to be exonerated.

Democrats accused President Donald Trump of a readiness to sell out US national security to bolster his 2020 reelection effort as hearings opened Wednesday to draw up impeachment charges against the US leader.

Democrats accused President Donald Trump of a readiness to sell out US national security to bolster his 2020 reelection effort as hearings opened Wednesday to draw up impeachment charges against the US leader. But in a fiery start to the House Judiciary Committee's review of the evidence, Republicans countered that Democrats were trying to reverse the 2016 election that brought Trump to power and were pushing towards impeachment without due process. Trump "directly and explicitly invited foreign interference in our elections," said House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, referring to Trump's effort to get dirt on his Democratic rivals from Ukraine. "He used the powers of his office to try to make it happen. He sent his agents to make clear that this is what he wanted and demanded," Nadler said. "He was willing to compromise our security and his office for personal, political gain." Doug Collins, the senior Republican on the panel, countered with the suggestion the hearing was a partisan political effort to undermine a democratically elected president. × "We're having a factless impeachment," he said, rejecting the final report on the investigation of Trump released on Tuesday. "We have just a deep-seated hatred of a man who came to the White House and did what he said he was going to do," Collins said, referring to Trump. "This is not an impeachment. This is just a simple railroad job. And today's is a waste of time." On Tuesday, congressional Democrats made a forceful case that Trump should be removed from office for abusing his powers by pressuring Ukraine for dirt on a Democratic election rival. The final report on the House Intelligence Committee's probe, led by lawmaker Adam Schiff, concluded that "the president placed his personal political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the US presidential election process and endangered US national security." The report is expected to form the basis for the Judiciary Committee to draw up formal charges -- articles of impeachment -- that could include bribery, abuse of power, obstruction and contempt of Congress. Kicking of the next phase of impeachment, four constitutional scholars were called to testify Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee in the first of a series of hearings to establish the gravity of Trump's alleged crimes. In London for a NATO summit, President Donald Trump slammed the Democratic report presenting the case for his impeachment as a "joke" and lambasted his opponents for proceeding with hearings during his trip. "What they are doing is a very bad thing for our country," Trump said when asked about the report. "It's a joke." Democrats reportedly aim to have articles of impeachment presented for a vote to the entire House of Representatives before Christmas on December 25. If they pass as expected, Trump would then stand trial for removal in the Republican-controlled Senate, where he is expected to be exonerated.

Trump 'willing to compromise US security': Impeachment hearing chair

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, often spoke to Representative Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, as Giuliani peddled unproven allegations at the heart of the Trump <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrat-report-makes-forceful-impeachment-case-against-trump-266049">impeachment inquiry</a>, a congressional report said on Tuesday.

Previously undisclosed telephone records appended to a 300-page report by the Democratic-led committee showed that Nunes also contacted Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman who was helping Giuliani and has been indicted on charges of violating campaign finance law. Parnas has pleaded not guilty.

Others with whom Giuliani had phone calls included current and former Nunes staffers, the White House budget office, and a journalist who promoted conspiracy theories involving Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

Giuliani's numerous calls with Nunes and aides are significant because, as the top Republican on the committee, the California lawmaker cited those same theories as he led the fight against impeaching Trump.

Asked if he had talked to Parnas, Nunes told Fox News Channel: “It’s possible, but I haven’t gone through all my phone records. I don’t really recall that name. I remember that name now because he’s been indicted.”

Bennett Gershman, a Pace Law School professor who specializes in government ethics, said the disclosures raised "ethics questions with respect to Nunes."

"Just on the face of it, I would say Nunes has a lot of explaining to do," Gershman said. "At the very least he should have recused himself and being as aggressive as he was with this lurking in the background, I would say it’s pretty shocking."

Nunes' office did not respond to a request for comment on the phone records.

Watch: Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

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Neither Giuliani nor his attorney, Robert Costello, responded to a request for comment on the report and on Nunes in particular.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/witnesses-named-for-trump-impeachment-hearing-in-united-states-house-265830">The intelligence panel report</a>, which will form the basis of any impeachment charges, accused Trump of using his power to push Ukraine to investigate Biden in return for a White House meeting for its newly elected president and $391 million in withheld security aid approved by Congress for Ukraine's defense against Russia-backed separatists.

Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the committee, declined to comment specifically on Nunes.

But, he said that it was "deeply concerning that at a time when the president of the United States was using the power of his office to dig up dirt on a political rival, that there may be evidence that there were members of Congress complicit in that activity."

The phone records were obtained from, the report said. The company acknowledged it complied with a request.

Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Trump in the November 2020 election.

Parnas' lawyer Joseph Bondy said his client was prepared to testify to Congress about the substance of the phone calls.

In an October&nbsp;5 interview with Reuters, Giuliani said he had been in contact with Nunes about Ukraine, but "not a lot" and that the lawmaker and his staff obtained information on their own.

"We’ve talked about some of it, yes,” Giuliani said. “But we haven’t investigated it together.”

The call records showed that Giuliani maintained more frequent contacts with Washington officials than were disclosed in some two months of private and public testimony by current and former US&nbsp;officials to House committees conducting the impeachment review.

In the hearings, Nunes cited the same unproven allegations supported by Giuliani that Biden tried to curb an investigation into a Ukrainian energy firm on whose board his son was a member. He and other Republicans also referred to the debunked conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine – not Russia – that interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

The call records showed that over the course of four days in April, Giuliani had calls with Nunes, John Solomon, a conservative columnist whose articles for the Hill newspaper promoted the allegations, and Parnas.

On April 12, the records showed that Parnas called Nunes in the late afternoon. The call lasted for one minute. Less than an hour later, Nunes placed two calls to Parnas that appear to have gone unanswered. Parnas later called Nunes and the two spoke for more than eight minutes, according to the records.

During that same period, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-democrats-set-the-stage-for-trump-impeachment-with-key-hearing-265798">Giuliani received three calls</a> from someone at the White House budget office, which in July held up the security aid to Ukraine.

On May 8, Giuliani spoke with Derek Harvey, a member of Nunes' staff and a former White House official, and on May 10 with Kashyap Patel, a former Nunes staff member who is now a senior counterterrorism official at the White House's National Security Council.

US President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, often spoke to Representative Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, as Giuliani peddled unproven allegations at the heart of the Trump impeachment inquiry, a congressional report said on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, often spoke to Representative Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, as Giuliani peddled unproven allegations at the heart of the Trump impeachment inquiry, a congressional report said on Tuesday. Previously undisclosed telephone records appended to a 300-page report by the Democratic-led committee showed that Nunes also contacted Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman who was helping Giuliani and has been indicted on charges of violating campaign finance law. Parnas has pleaded not guilty. Others with whom Giuliani had phone calls included current and former Nunes staffers, the White House budget office, and a journalist who promoted conspiracy theories involving Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and the 2016 US election. Giuliani's numerous calls with Nunes and aides are significant because, as the top Republican on the committee, the California lawmaker cited those same theories as he led the fight against impeaching Trump. Asked if he had talked to Parnas, Nunes told Fox News Channel: “It’s possible, but I haven’t gone through all my phone records. I don’t really recall that name. I remember that name now because he’s been indicted.” Bennett Gershman, a Pace Law School professor who specializes in government ethics, said the disclosures raised "ethics questions with respect to Nunes." "Just on the face of it, I would say Nunes has a lot of explaining to do," Gershman said. "At the very least he should have recused himself and being as aggressive as he was with this lurking in the background, I would say it’s pretty shocking." Nunes' office did not respond to a request for comment on the phone records. Watch: Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4 Neither Giuliani nor his attorney, Robert Costello, responded to a request for comment on the report and on Nunes in particular. The intelligence panel report, which will form the basis of any impeachment charges, accused Trump of using his power to push Ukraine to investigate Biden in return for a White House meeting for its newly elected president and $391 million in withheld security aid approved by Congress for Ukraine's defense against Russia-backed separatists. Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the committee, declined to comment specifically on Nunes. But, he said that it was "deeply concerning that at a time when the president of the United States was using the power of his office to dig up dirt on a political rival, that there may be evidence that there were members of Congress complicit in that activity." The phone records were obtained from, the report said. The company acknowledged it complied with a request. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Trump in the November 2020 election. Parnas' lawyer Joseph Bondy said his client was prepared to testify to Congress about the substance of the phone calls. In an October 5 interview with Reuters, Giuliani said he had been in contact with Nunes about Ukraine, but "not a lot" and that the lawmaker and his staff obtained information on their own. "We’ve talked about some of it, yes,” Giuliani said. “But we haven’t investigated it together.” The call records showed that Giuliani maintained more frequent contacts with Washington officials than were disclosed in some two months of private and public testimony by current and former US officials to House committees conducting the impeachment review. In the hearings, Nunes cited the same unproven allegations supported by Giuliani that Biden tried to curb an investigation into a Ukrainian energy firm on whose board his son was a member. He and other Republicans also referred to the debunked conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine – not Russia – that interfered in the 2016 US election. The call records showed that over the course of four days in April, Giuliani had calls with Nunes, John Solomon, a conservative columnist whose articles for the Hill newspaper promoted the allegations, and Parnas. On April 12, the records showed that Parnas called Nunes in the late afternoon. The call lasted for one minute. Less than an hour later, Nunes placed two calls to Parnas that appear to have gone unanswered. Parnas later called Nunes and the two spoke for more than eight minutes, according to the records. During that same period, Giuliani received three calls from someone at the White House budget office, which in July held up the security aid to Ukraine. On May 8, Giuliani spoke with Derek Harvey, a member of Nunes' staff and a former White House official, and on May 10 with Kashyap Patel, a former Nunes staff member who is now a senior counterterrorism official at the White House's National Security Council.

Trump impeachment row: According to call records, Nunes had frequent contact with Giuliani

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;on December&nbsp;4&nbsp;in the&nbsp;next&nbsp;phase&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-must-comply-with-impeachment-subpoenas-court-264495">impeachment&nbsp;inquiry</a> into Donald&nbsp;Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically.

With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am.

"The committee looks forward to your participation in the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to&nbsp;Trump.

The&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;will address "the historical and constitutional basis of&nbsp;impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of&nbsp;impeachment," he added.

Under procedural rules passed by the House last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump&nbsp;is invited to attend the judiciary committee&nbsp;hearings</a>, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called."

Nadler in his letter reminded&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses.

Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony

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Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as&nbsp;next&nbsp;week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break.&nbsp;

House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his administration.

Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help&nbsp;Trump's 2020 reelection campaign.

Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of&nbsp;Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">Trump&nbsp;in recent months</a> has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine.

The remaining transcripts from closed-door&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend. Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations Trump abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically. With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of impeachment against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am. "The committee looks forward to your participation in the impeachment inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to Trump. The hearings will address "the historical and constitutional basis of impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of impeachment," he added. Under procedural rules passed by the House last month, Trump is invited to attend the judiciary committee hearings, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called." Nadler in his letter reminded Trump that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses. Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as next week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break. House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public hearings that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by Trump and his administration. Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that Trump conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board. Trump in recent months has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine. The remaining transcripts from closed-door impeachment interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

Next phase of Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">impeachment investigation</a> against him.

In a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was subpoenaed in May by the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Jackson ruled that senior administration officials cannot claim absolute immunity from testifying based on their closeness to the US leader.

While Jackson ruled specifically on McGahn's case, she said it had broad application to all current and former presidential aides.

"Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote in her decision.&nbsp;

"No one, not even the head of the Executive branch, is above the law."

Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached?

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She said Congress has the power to subpoena any of the president's advisors, whether they are involved in domestic policies or sensitive national security issues.

"It goes without saying that the law applies to former White House Counsel Don McGahn, just as it does to other current and former senior-level White House officials," she wrote.

That ruling could open a path for the House Intelligence Committee,&nbsp;which is building a case for impeachment charges against Trump based on his pressuring Ukraine for domestic political help,&nbsp;to force testimony from three top witnesses: former national security advisor John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

All are believed to have direct knowledge of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump's alleged demand</a> that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into his Democratic rivals in exchange for a high profile summit and much-needed military aid.

The ruling could also give fresh life to the stalled impeachment case in the Judiciary Committee, which has tried to develop charges against Trump for obstructing the Russian collusion investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller's final report in April outlined 10 acts of alleged obstruction by the president.

"Don McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller's investigation," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement.

"The administration's claim that officials can claim 'absolute immunity' from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today."

But <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-impeachment-witness-of-lying-defends-use-of-giuliani-264142">testimony won't happen right away</a>, as the Justice Department plans to appeal Jackson's decision, said department spokesperson Kerri Kupec.

That could take the case to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the department could seek a court stay to prevent McGahn or others from speaking before the two committees.

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the impeachment investigation against him.

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the impeachment investigation against him. In a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was subpoenaed in May by the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Jackson ruled that senior administration officials cannot claim absolute immunity from testifying based on their closeness to the US leader. While Jackson ruled specifically on McGahn's case, she said it had broad application to all current and former presidential aides. "Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote in her decision. "No one, not even the head of the Executive branch, is above the law." Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached? She said Congress has the power to subpoena any of the president's advisors, whether they are involved in domestic policies or sensitive national security issues. "It goes without saying that the law applies to former White House Counsel Don McGahn, just as it does to other current and former senior-level White House officials," she wrote. That ruling could open a path for the House Intelligence Committee, which is building a case for impeachment charges against Trump based on his pressuring Ukraine for domestic political help, to force testimony from three top witnesses: former national security advisor John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All are believed to have direct knowledge of Trump's alleged demand that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into his Democratic rivals in exchange for a high profile summit and much-needed military aid. The ruling could also give fresh life to the stalled impeachment case in the Judiciary Committee, which has tried to develop charges against Trump for obstructing the Russian collusion investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller's final report in April outlined 10 acts of alleged obstruction by the president. "Don McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller's investigation," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement. "The administration's claim that officials can claim 'absolute immunity' from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today." But testimony won't happen right away, as the Justice Department plans to appeal Jackson's decision, said department spokesperson Kerri Kupec. That could take the case to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the department could seek a court stay to prevent McGahn or others from speaking before the two committees.

White House must comply with impeachment subpoenas: Court

An irate Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the prospect of an impeachment trial, as the US leader lashed out at "crazy" and "corrupt" opponents probing potential abuse of presidential power.

An irate Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the prospect of an impeachment trial, as the US leader lashed out at "crazy" and "corrupt" opponents probing potential abuse of presidential power. After a week of dramatic impeachment testimony from current and former administration officials, an embattled Trump took to a favorite broadcaster to air a long, occasionally incoherent list of grievances -- against the FBI, his political adversaries, impeachment inquiry leaders, the "deep state," and more. "These people are sick," Trump raged down the telephone line to Fox at the start of a 53-minute tirade that showed how angered and unsettled he has been by an impeachment inquiry that threatens his presidency. Multiple witnesses, in often damning testimony under oath, buttressed charges the president conditioned much-needed military aid and a coveted White House meeting on Ukraine investigating his political rivals. But with many Republicans seemingly unmoved, Trump bashed the testimony as "total nonsense" and said he relished the chance to defend himself. "Frankly, I want a trial," Trump told morning show Fox and Friends. The House Intelligence Committee has not formally concluded its role in the inquiry, possibly waiting for a court ruling on Monday that could empower members to force senior Trump aides to testify. But Democrats appear determined to hold an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives by the end of the year, which could see Trump go on trial in the Senate in January. Removing him from office would require conviction by a two-thirds majority in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. 'Crazy as a bedbug' The increasing prospect of becoming only the third US president formally impeached, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, has riled the brash New York billionaire, and he fired off multiple attacks against rivals leading the effort. His main Democratic nemesis in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is "crazy as a bedbug" for pressing a "scam" impeachment, he fumed. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who has presided over the public phase of the inquiry? A "nutjob" and a "sick puppy" who should be sued for having "lied" about the president's "flawless" Ukraine call, Trump added. Trump was quick to say he "hardly" knows several of the witnesses, including his own ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who said Trump sought a quid pro quo from Ukraine. But he rushed to the defense of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has emerged in many accounts as having orchestrated the shadow policy to pressure Ukraine. "Rudy is a great crime fighter," Trump said, giving an unqualified endorsement to one of the most controversial figures in the Ukraine saga. "He is a friend of mine. He is a great person, an iconic figure in this country," he said of the former New York major. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election -- just a day after a former National Security Council expert, Fiona Hill, denounced that in testimony as a "fictional narrative" advanced by Russia to harm the United States. "They have the server from the DNC -- Democratic National Committee," Trump said of Ukraine, claiming that Democrats gave the computer to "a company owned by a very wealthy Ukrainian." The claim appeared to alarm Fox hosts, including Steve Doocy. "Are you sure they gave it to Ukraine?" a skeptical Doocy asked Trump. "That's what the word is, and that's what I asked actually in my phone call," Trump responded, referring to his July 25 conversation with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. Trump mentioned his political rival Joe Biden to Zelensky and pressed the new president to investigate a Ukrainian firm where Biden's son worked while his father was vice president. Democrats argue that Trump's demand that a foreign leader investigate his potential adversary in the 2020 presidential election is impeachable conduct. Trump has said he was merely pressing Ukraine to ramp up its anti-corruption efforts. But he also claims the Bidens were involved in corruption. There is no evidence to back up the assertion, but Trump nonetheless repeated it on Fox, saying "you have to say Joe Biden is corrupt." Biden, who leads the Democratic 2020 nomination race, has said Trump has smeared him with corruption allegations because he fears a Biden candidacy. Polls show American voters believe Biden would have the best shot at defeating Trump. But Trump seized on polling released this week that shows him winning in hypothetical matchups against Biden and other Democrats in battleground Wisconsin, a state Trump flipped in 2016 but which Democrats aim to retake. "I'm going through the roof," Trump boasted.

Frustrated Trump lashes out at impeachment probe

According to the head of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">congressional impeachment probe</a>, the behaviour exhibited by Donald Trump in respect to Ukraine was far worse than what led to Richard Nixon's downfall.

Lawmakers are investigating whether Trump misused his office by bullying Ukraine into helping&nbsp;with his reelection aspirations. The testimonies, as part of the hearing, have become more explosive in the last three days.&nbsp;

The Democrats based their accusation on a phone call from Trump to Zelensky on July 25, and help from accomplices, especially senior leaders within the administration.

"People look to us from all over the world," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said. "People in Ukraine who want a better future, they look to us''.

"They still look to us and increasingly they don't recognise what they see... That is a terrible tragedy for us but it is a greater tragedy for the rest of the world," the Schiff added.

Allegedly, Trump stalled $400 million worth of military aid to Ukraine in order to coerce Ukrainian president&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelensky into helping. Kiev's stressful relationships with Russia were a contributing factor.&nbsp;

Trump also pushed Zelensky to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ordered-ukraine-deal-to-probe-biden-us-diplomat-sondland-263493">investigate Democrat Joe Biden</a> and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

"In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes they are above the law," Schiff said.

Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached?

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According to Democrats, the plan would have materialised seamlessly if it weren't for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-never-discussed-ukraine-aid-freeze-with-me-us-diplomat-gordon-sondland-263472">whistleblower</a> whose complaint about the July call reached Congress on September 9, ensuring the aid was handed over two days later.

"What we've seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters," said&nbsp;Schiff, referring to the infamous 1972 Watergate break-in that Nixon ordered, eventually leading to his resignation.

"What we're talking about here is the withholding of recognition in that White House meeting (and) the withholding of military aid to an ally at war. This is beyond anything Nixon did."

Nixon resigned in 1974, two years after the burglary of Democratic offices in the Watergate complex in Washington.

(With inputs from AFP)

According to the head of the congressional impeachment probe, the behaviour exhibited by Donald Trump in respect to Ukraine was far worse than what led to Richard Nixon's downfall.

According to the head of the congressional impeachment probe, the behaviour exhibited by Donald Trump in respect to Ukraine was far worse than what led to Richard Nixon's downfall. Lawmakers are investigating whether Trump misused his office by bullying Ukraine into helping with his reelection aspirations. The testimonies, as part of the hearing, have become more explosive in the last three days. The Democrats based their accusation on a phone call from Trump to Zelensky on July 25, and help from accomplices, especially senior leaders within the administration. "People look to us from all over the world," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said. "People in Ukraine who want a better future, they look to us''. "They still look to us and increasingly they don't recognise what they see... That is a terrible tragedy for us but it is a greater tragedy for the rest of the world," the Schiff added. Allegedly, Trump stalled $400 million worth of military aid to Ukraine in order to coerce Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky into helping. Kiev's stressful relationships with Russia were a contributing factor. Trump also pushed Zelensky to investigate Democrat Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. "In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes they are above the law," Schiff said. Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached? According to Democrats, the plan would have materialised seamlessly if it weren't for a whistleblower whose complaint about the July call reached Congress on September 9, ensuring the aid was handed over two days later. "What we've seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters," said Schiff, referring to the infamous 1972 Watergate break-in that Nixon ordered, eventually leading to his resignation. "What we're talking about here is the withholding of recognition in that White House meeting (and) the withholding of military aid to an ally at war. This is beyond anything Nixon did." Nixon resigned in 1974, two years after the burglary of Democratic offices in the Watergate complex in Washington. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump's behaviour worse than Nixon: Head of impeachment probe

A senior US diplomat directly implicated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-praises-apple-chief-tim-cook-for-great-job-in-austin-after-tirade-against-technology-firms-263491">President Donald Trump</a> Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing.

Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, told lawmakers he followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal for Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for a White House summit.

Sondland said Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani led the effort at Trump's direction to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the investigation and that top official in the White House and State Department knew about it.

The unexpectedly damning testimony drew a sharp backlash from Trump who tweeted: "This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!".

Trump said he barely knew Sondland and had not spoken to him much, despite the senior diplomat having donated $1 million to his inauguration and testifying that he had spoken to the president some 20 times while ambassador.

Bombshell testimony

Democrats said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">Sondland's seven hours of testimony</a> before the House Intelligence Committee had bolstered their case for Trump's impeachment for what they have labelled "extortion".

"Today's testimony is among the most significant evidence to date," said committee chairman Adam Schiff.

"It goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanours."

A succession of Democrats hoping to win the nomination to take on Trump in next year's election also said the testimony had strengthened the case for impeachment as the issue dominated the opening exchanges in their latest televised primary debate.

Sondland said Trump directed him and two other senior diplomats to work with Giuliani.

From early in the year, Giuliani mounted a pressure campaign on Zelensky's government to investigate Biden over his son Hunter's ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and to probe a conspiracy theory espoused by Trump that Ukraine helped Democrats against him in 2016. Biden is one of the favourites to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election.

"Mr&nbsp;Giuliani demanded that Ukraine&nbsp;make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma," Sondland told the panel.

"Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky."

Far from being a "rogue" operation outside normal US diplomatic channels, Sondland told the hearing top officials,&nbsp;including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,&nbsp;were kept constantly informed.

"We followed the president's orders," he said.&nbsp;

Watch: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing

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'Can't remember'

Like Trump, a multimillionaire developer with a chain of high-end hotels, Sondland, who wore a $55,000 Breguet white gold watch to the hearing, fended off pressure from both Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;

He had not implicated the president in earlier private testimony when he answered scores of questions by saying he could "not remember".

But subsequent testimony by other witnesses which had further implicated him in the Ukraine pressure scheme had jolted his memory, he said on Wednesday.

While he confirmed the linkage between the investigations and a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump, he would not attest to allegations that Trump froze $391 million in aid as well to Ukraine to add pressure on Ukraine.&nbsp;

"I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement" of the investigations, he said, contradicting testimony from two other diplomats.

Ukraine knew of aid freeze in July

In separate testimony, a Pentagon official appeared to undermine a key <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-never-discussed-ukraine-aid-freeze-with-me-us-diplomat-gordon-sondland-263472">Republican defence in the impeachment battle</a>, that Kiev did not even know until late August or even September about the July 18 aid freeze, rendering moot Democrats' allegations that Trump had extorted Ukraine.

Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine affairs, said Kiev voiced concern over a holdup in aid on July 25.

That was the same day that Trump told Zelensky in a phone call that he wanted a favour, asking for investigations into Biden specifically and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

"The Ukrainian embassy staff asked, 'What is going on with Ukrainian security assistance?" she told the committee.

At the White House, Trump denied making the demand of Zelensky, citing Sondland's own recall of their September 9 phone call on the Ukraine issue.&nbsp;

Reading from large-print notes, he said that he told Sonderland: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing."

"If this were a prizefight, they'd stop it!" he said of the inquiry.

Speaking at the Democrats' debate, Biden dodged a question on the role of his son but said the testimony had shown that "Donald Trump doesn't want me to be the nominee."

And Bernie Sanders, another of the frontrunners for the nomination, said Trump had been shown to be "not only a pathological liar" but also "the most corrupt president in the modern history of America".

A senior US diplomat directly implicated President Donald Trump Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing.

A senior US diplomat directly implicated President Donald Trump Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing. Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, told lawmakers he followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal for Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for a White House summit. Sondland said Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani led the effort at Trump's direction to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the investigation and that top official in the White House and State Department knew about it. The unexpectedly damning testimony drew a sharp backlash from Trump who tweeted: "This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!". Trump said he barely knew Sondland and had not spoken to him much, despite the senior diplomat having donated $1 million to his inauguration and testifying that he had spoken to the president some 20 times while ambassador. Bombshell testimony Democrats said Sondland's seven hours of testimony before the House Intelligence Committee had bolstered their case for Trump's impeachment for what they have labelled "extortion". "Today's testimony is among the most significant evidence to date," said committee chairman Adam Schiff. "It goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanours." A succession of Democrats hoping to win the nomination to take on Trump in next year's election also said the testimony had strengthened the case for impeachment as the issue dominated the opening exchanges in their latest televised primary debate. Sondland said Trump directed him and two other senior diplomats to work with Giuliani. From early in the year, Giuliani mounted a pressure campaign on Zelensky's government to investigate Biden over his son Hunter's ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and to probe a conspiracy theory espoused by Trump that Ukraine helped Democrats against him in 2016. Biden is one of the favourites to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election. "Mr Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma," Sondland told the panel. "Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky." Far from being a "rogue" operation outside normal US diplomatic channels, Sondland told the hearing top officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, were kept constantly informed. "We followed the president's orders," he said. Watch: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing 'Can't remember' Like Trump, a multimillionaire developer with a chain of high-end hotels, Sondland, who wore a $55,000 Breguet white gold watch to the hearing, fended off pressure from both Democrats and Republicans. He had not implicated the president in earlier private testimony when he answered scores of questions by saying he could "not remember". But subsequent testimony by other witnesses which had further implicated him in the Ukraine pressure scheme had jolted his memory, he said on Wednesday. While he confirmed the linkage between the investigations and a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump, he would not attest to allegations that Trump froze $391 million in aid as well to Ukraine to add pressure on Ukraine. "I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement" of the investigations, he said, contradicting testimony from two other diplomats. Ukraine knew of aid freeze in July In separate testimony, a Pentagon official appeared to undermine a key Republican defence in the impeachment battle, that Kiev did not even know until late August or even September about the July 18 aid freeze, rendering moot Democrats' allegations that Trump had extorted Ukraine. Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine affairs, said Kiev voiced concern over a holdup in aid on July 25. That was the same day that Trump told Zelensky in a phone call that he wanted a favour, asking for investigations into Biden specifically and the 2016 conspiracy theory. "The Ukrainian embassy staff asked, 'What is going on with Ukrainian security assistance?" she told the committee. At the White House, Trump denied making the demand of Zelensky, citing Sondland's own recall of their September 9 phone call on the Ukraine issue. Reading from large-print notes, he said that he told Sonderland: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing." "If this were a prizefight, they'd stop it!" he said of the inquiry. Speaking at the Democrats' debate, Biden dodged a question on the role of his son but said the testimony had shown that "Donald Trump doesn't want me to be the nominee." And Bernie Sanders, another of the frontrunners for the nomination, said Trump had been shown to be "not only a pathological liar" but also "the most corrupt president in the modern history of America".

Trump ordered Ukraine deal to probe Biden: US diplomat Sondland

US diplomat Gordon Sondland said Wednesday President Donald Trump never spoke to him about stalled military aid to Ukraine or any alleged link to Trump's demands for political investigations.

"I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement of (the investigations)," Sondland told a congressional impeachment inquiry.

"I don't recall President Trump ever talking to me about any security assistance, ever," he added.

Democrats are investigating Trump for allegedly abusing his office by pressing a foreign power -- Ukraine -- to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 US election.

Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for investigations into the US leader's political rivals while withholding military aid for the US ally, which is at war with Russian proxies in its east. &nbsp;

Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, told the House Intelligence Committee he had come to understand that there was a "quid pro quo" link between the mid-July suspension of $391 million in aid and Kiev announcing investigations into Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

But he said Trump never spoke to him about the aid. He added that he had understood from Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that a White House meeting Zelensky had sought with Trump had been conditioned on the investigations.

But the link between the frozen aid and investigations "was my own personal guess," Sondland told the committee.

Democrats have sought evidence that Trump personally set the quid pro quo on both a summit meeting and aid to support allegations that he tried to "bribe" Zelensky.

Sondland testified he had several direct phone calls with Trump this summer about Ukraine policy, but did not offer evidence of a direct command from the president.

Instead, he said, he worked at Trump's orders with Giuliani, who tied the White House meeting between the two leaders to Ukraine announcing the investigations.

US diplomat Gordon Sondland said Wednesday President Donald Trump never spoke to him about stalled military aid to Ukraine or any alleged link to Trump's demands for political investigations.

US diplomat Gordon Sondland said Wednesday President Donald Trump never spoke to him about stalled military aid to Ukraine or any alleged link to Trump's demands for political investigations. "I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement of (the investigations)," Sondland told a congressional impeachment inquiry. "I don't recall President Trump ever talking to me about any security assistance, ever," he added. Democrats are investigating Trump for allegedly abusing his office by pressing a foreign power -- Ukraine -- to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 US election. Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for investigations into the US leader's political rivals while withholding military aid for the US ally, which is at war with Russian proxies in its east. Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, told the House Intelligence Committee he had come to understand that there was a "quid pro quo" link between the mid-July suspension of $391 million in aid and Kiev announcing investigations into Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. But he said Trump never spoke to him about the aid. He added that he had understood from Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that a White House meeting Zelensky had sought with Trump had been conditioned on the investigations. But the link between the frozen aid and investigations "was my own personal guess," Sondland told the committee. Democrats have sought evidence that Trump personally set the quid pro quo on both a summit meeting and aid to support allegations that he tried to "bribe" Zelensky. Sondland testified he had several direct phone calls with Trump this summer about Ukraine policy, but did not offer evidence of a direct command from the president. Instead, he said, he worked at Trump's orders with Giuliani, who tied the White House meeting between the two leaders to Ukraine announcing the investigations.

Trump 'never' discussed Ukraine aid freeze with me: US diplomat Gordon Sondland

Democrats responded sceptically on Monday to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strongly-considering-to-testify-in-impeachment-probe-tweets-trump-262993">President Donald Trump's</a> declaration that he might be willing to testify in his impeachment inquiry and also said they were examining the truthfulness of his testimony in the Russia 2016 election interference probe.

Trump said on Twitter that he would "strongly consider" House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's suggestion that he testify in the House impeachment inquiry into whether he pressured Ukraine to investigate domestic political opponent Joe Biden.

House Democrats saw his participation in the inquiry as unlikely.

"President Trump should testify," Representative Don Beyer said in a tweet. "He should allow top White House aides to testify. ... He should turn over the documents Congress subpoenaed. He should end his illegal coverup. I'm not holding my breath."

Trump has come under increasing pressure as public hearings have started in the impeachment probe, and the Democratic-led committees conducting the investigation have released transcripts of interviews conducted in closed sessions that contain potentially damaging allegations against him.

Late on Monday, they released a transcript of an interview with David Holmes, a top aide from the US&nbsp;Embassy in Kiev, who will testify at a public hearing on Thursday.

Holmes testified that he had overheard on July 26 a call, held on the outdoor terrace of a Kiev restaurant, between Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, and Trump.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ukraine-phone-call-was-unusual-and-inappropriate-bidens-aide-262643">In the call</a>, he testified, Trump asked Sondland whether Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy had agreed to announce an investigation into the son of former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, a rival in Trump's race for re-election next year.

Watch: Democrats dubious as Trump dangles impeachment testimony offer

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/democrats-dubious-as-trump-dangles-impeachment-testimony-offer-263027/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Holmes, an aide to acting US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, said he could hear the conversation and believes two others at the table could as well.

"So he's gonna do the investigation?" Holmes said he heard Trump ask.

"He's gonna do it," Sondland said, adding that Zelenskiy would do "anything you ask him to."

Holmes described the call as extraordinary.

"I’ve never seen anything like this, someone calling the President from a mobile phone at a restaurant, and then having a conversation of this level of candour, colourful language," he said.

Holmes said he was concerned Trump's call with Sondland could pose a security risk. "We generally assume that mobile communications in Ukraine are being monitored," he testified.

Asked whether <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-in-closed-door-session-white-house-budget-official-to-testify-on-military-aid-to-ukraine-262610">Ukrainian officials</a> felt pressure to announce investigations into the Bidens, Holmes said, "I think the Ukrainians gradually came to understand that they were being asked to do something in exchange for the meeting and the security assistance hold being lifted."

Holmes said the call, which came to light in Taylor's testimony last week,&nbsp;took place one day after Trump's July 25 telephone call with Zelenskiy, which prompted the whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment probe of Trump.

On that call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Trump has defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect."

Joe Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in 2020.

Separately, House general counsel Douglas Letter told a federal appeals court in Washington that lawmakers were examining the truthfulness of the written answers the president provided in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump initially offered to testify in that investigation but only provided written answers after months of negotiations.

Those answers drew renewed scrutiny after they appeared to conflict with the testimony of a former Trump campaign official last week in the trial of Trump ally Roger Stone.

Lawmakers are examining whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in aid to Ukraine as leverage to get Kiev to investigate Biden. The money, approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help US&nbsp;ally Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists, was later provided.

The Republican president has said he did nothing wrong and has railed against the impeachment inquiry and attacked witnesses, much as he did in the two-year Mueller investigation.

Holmes is one of nine witnesses set to testify in the second week of public impeachment hearings. He will testify on Thursday.

The committees also released a transcript of testimony behind closed doors by David Hale, a senior State Department official. In his interview, Hale confirmed that he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo knew ware of the campaign against Yovanovitch, but were not going to act on it without evidence.

Pompeo declined to discuss the impeachment inquiry,&nbsp;or defend Yovanovitch,&nbsp;at a news briefing on Monday.

Hale is set to testify at a public hearing on Wednesday.

Others due to testify this week include Sondland, whose direct contacts with Trump are likely to be the main focus in the investigation of whether the president used US&nbsp;aid as leverage to get Zelenskiy to dig up dirt on Biden.

Trump told reporters last week that he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland.

Several witnesses testified last week that they were alarmed at the pressure tactics used against Ukraine, as well as the role of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

The hearings could clear the way for the House to approve articles of impeachment,&nbsp;formal charges,&nbsp;against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Democrats responded sceptically on Monday to President Donald Trump's declaration that he might be willing to testify in his impeachment inquiry and also said they were examining the truthfulness of his testimony in the Russia 2016 election interference probe.

Democrats responded sceptically on Monday to President Donald Trump's declaration that he might be willing to testify in his impeachment inquiry and also said they were examining the truthfulness of his testimony in the Russia 2016 election interference probe. Trump said on Twitter that he would "strongly consider" House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's suggestion that he testify in the House impeachment inquiry into whether he pressured Ukraine to investigate domestic political opponent Joe Biden. House Democrats saw his participation in the inquiry as unlikely. "President Trump should testify," Representative Don Beyer said in a tweet. "He should allow top White House aides to testify. ... He should turn over the documents Congress subpoenaed. He should end his illegal coverup. I'm not holding my breath." Trump has come under increasing pressure as public hearings have started in the impeachment probe, and the Democratic-led committees conducting the investigation have released transcripts of interviews conducted in closed sessions that contain potentially damaging allegations against him. Late on Monday, they released a transcript of an interview with David Holmes, a top aide from the US Embassy in Kiev, who will testify at a public hearing on Thursday. Holmes testified that he had overheard on July 26 a call, held on the outdoor terrace of a Kiev restaurant, between Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Trump. In the call, he testified, Trump asked Sondland whether Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy had agreed to announce an investigation into the son of former US Vice President Joe Biden, a rival in Trump's race for re-election next year. Watch: Democrats dubious as Trump dangles impeachment testimony offer Holmes, an aide to acting US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, said he could hear the conversation and believes two others at the table could as well. "So he's gonna do the investigation?" Holmes said he heard Trump ask. "He's gonna do it," Sondland said, adding that Zelenskiy would do "anything you ask him to." Holmes described the call as extraordinary. "I’ve never seen anything like this, someone calling the President from a mobile phone at a restaurant, and then having a conversation of this level of candour, colourful language," he said. Holmes said he was concerned Trump's call with Sondland could pose a security risk. "We generally assume that mobile communications in Ukraine are being monitored," he testified. Asked whether Ukrainian officials felt pressure to announce investigations into the Bidens, Holmes said, "I think the Ukrainians gradually came to understand that they were being asked to do something in exchange for the meeting and the security assistance hold being lifted." Holmes said the call, which came to light in Taylor's testimony last week, took place one day after Trump's July 25 telephone call with Zelenskiy, which prompted the whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment probe of Trump. On that call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Trump has defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect." Joe Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in 2020. Separately, House general counsel Douglas Letter told a federal appeals court in Washington that lawmakers were examining the truthfulness of the written answers the president provided in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump initially offered to testify in that investigation but only provided written answers after months of negotiations. Those answers drew renewed scrutiny after they appeared to conflict with the testimony of a former Trump campaign official last week in the trial of Trump ally Roger Stone. Lawmakers are examining whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in aid to Ukraine as leverage to get Kiev to investigate Biden. The money, approved by the US Congress to help US ally Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists, was later provided. The Republican president has said he did nothing wrong and has railed against the impeachment inquiry and attacked witnesses, much as he did in the two-year Mueller investigation. Holmes is one of nine witnesses set to testify in the second week of public impeachment hearings. He will testify on Thursday. The committees also released a transcript of testimony behind closed doors by David Hale, a senior State Department official. In his interview, Hale confirmed that he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo knew ware of the campaign against Yovanovitch, but were not going to act on it without evidence. Pompeo declined to discuss the impeachment inquiry, or defend Yovanovitch, at a news briefing on Monday. Hale is set to testify at a public hearing on Wednesday. Others due to testify this week include Sondland, whose direct contacts with Trump are likely to be the main focus in the investigation of whether the president used US aid as leverage to get Zelenskiy to dig up dirt on Biden. Trump told reporters last week that he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland. Several witnesses testified last week that they were alarmed at the pressure tactics used against Ukraine, as well as the role of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. The hearings could clear the way for the House to approve articles of impeachment, formal charges, against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Democrats respond sceptically to Trump's willingness to testify during impeachment hearings

The phone call between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-in-closed-door-session-white-house-budget-official-to-testify-on-military-aid-to-ukraine-262610">impeachment investigation</a> was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations "struck me as unusual and inappropriate."

The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy.

As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-very-intimidating-yovanovitch-on-trump-during-impeachment-hearing-262483">Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a>. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week.

"I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics," said Morrison, who also was on the call.

Trump's call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US&nbsp;foreign policy to undermine former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election.

Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, and damage relations with Ukraine.

In a disclosure that drew the most attention in the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor's testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points.

House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear.

Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons.

"This is a technical part of our investigation," Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. "We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favours he wanted (into) the budget process."

On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation.&nbsp;Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech.

Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week.

While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, a US&nbsp;embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential.

Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son.

The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy.

"So, he's gonna do the investigation?" <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-bloomberg-to-launch-100-million-digital-anti-trump-campaign-262468">Trump</a> asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony.

"He's gonna do it," replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do "anything you ask him to," according to Holmes.

The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention his July 26 phone call with the president.

Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on Wednesday.

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.

The phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' impeachment investigation was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

The phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' impeachment investigation was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday. Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations "struck me as unusual and inappropriate." The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy. As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week. "I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics," said Morrison, who also was on the call. Trump's call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US foreign policy to undermine former US Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election. Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, and damage relations with Ukraine. In a disclosure that drew the most attention in the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated. Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor's testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points. House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons. "This is a technical part of our investigation," Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. "We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favours he wanted (into) the budget process." On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation. Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech. Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week. While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, a US embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential. Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son. The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy. "So, he's gonna do the investigation?" Trump asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony. "He's gonna do it," replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do "anything you ask him to," according to Holmes. The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention his July 26 phone call with the president. Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on Wednesday. Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.

Trump's Ukraine phone call was 'unusual and inappropriate': Pence's aide

Ex-US envoy to Ukraine testify against US President Trump. Watch this video to know more.

Day 2 of Trump impeachment hearings

A US ambassador ousted by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-attend-nato-summit-in-london-days-before-uk-vote-262476">Donald Trump</a> told a riveting impeachment hearing Friday she felt intimidated by the president, after he launched an extraordinary real-time attack midway through her testimony to Congress.

Testifying under oath before a national television audience, Marie Yovanovitch cut a resolute figure as she was grilled for five hours on her fraught dealings with Trump allies she accuses of undermining US foreign policy in Ukraine.

The 33-year diplomatic veteran earned a standing ovation from the public at the conclusion of her marathon testimony, during which spoke in personal terms about how she was subjected to a "painful" smear campaign before being abruptly pulled from Kiev.

Setting the scene less than an hour into the hearing, the president erupted spectacularly on Twitter with an attack on the highly-regarded former envoy.

"Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad," he wrote.

Asked what effect Trump's tweet might have on her and other witnesses, Yovanovitch appeared unnerved.

"It's very intimidating," she told the panel. "I can't speak to what the president is trying to do but I think the effect is to be intimidating."

On a momentous day on Capitol Hill, another official provided damning closed-door testimony to impeachment investigators, reportedly outlining how he overheard a phone call on which Trump asked about "investigations" he had requested from Ukraine into domestic political rivals.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-adviser-roger-stone-found-guilty-of-lying-to-congress-obstruction-witness-tampering-262459">Trump's</a> Twitter outburst highlighted the intensity of the public hearings that seek to establish whether the president abused the power of his office for personal political gain.

The impeachment hearings kicked off Wednesday with testimony by two senior diplomats including the current top envoy to Ukraine, William Taylor.

Friday's testimony proved richer in drama, with the president levelling attacks from afar as Yovanovitch explained to lawmakers how "dangerous" it was for US diplomats not to have the backing of their own administration.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who presides over the impeachment inquiry, hit out at "witness intimidation in real-time by the president."

Witness tampering including intimidation is a crime, but Schiff would not say whether it was an impeachable offence, or if Democrats would make it the subject of an article of impeachment.

Trump defended his tweet, telling reporters: "I have the right to speak. I have freedom of speech just like other people do."

The ongoing inquiry in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives centres on accusations that Trump froze US military aid in an effort to get Ukraine to launch political investigations against potential 2020 election rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

The investigation threatens to make Trump the third US president to be impeached, although the Republican-controlled Senate would need to convict him to remove him from office.

'Kneecapped'

Prior to her May ouster, Yovanovitch claims she was targeted by a smear campaign orchestrated in part by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who is accused of helping to coordinate the president's effort to pressure Kiev.

Yovanovitch told lawmakers her inexplicable removal plunged America's Ukraine policy into "disarray" and damaged Washington's global standing.

And when she read the memorandum of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/donald-trump-releases-record-of-friendly-first-zelensky-call-262449">Trump's</a> July 25 call with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky,&nbsp;in which the US leader called her "bad news" and said she was "going to go through some things",&nbsp;she said, "it sounded like a threat."&nbsp;

Yovanovitch was "shocked" and "devastated" to learn how Trump had personally disparaged her, she added.

But above all Yovanovitch expressed alarm that envoys could be so easily "kneecapped" by false accusations and corrupt foreign influences.

"Our Ukraine policy has been thrown into disarray, and shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American ambassador who does not give them what they want," she said.

Yovanovitch levelled criticism at State Department leadership, and by extension Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for failing to push back against forces that "apparently hijacked our Ukraine policy," or to support her in the face of "dangerously wrong" attacks against her.

'Anything you ask'

Pushing back, Republicans grilled Yovanovitch on Hunter Biden's association with Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was vice president,&nbsp;leading her to acknowledge it "could raise the appearance of a conflict of interest."

No evidence of Biden wrongdoing related to Ukraine has emerged.

Yovanovitch's testimony came amid more bad news for Trump.

His longtime aide Roger Stone was convicted Friday for lying to Congress and witness tampering related to the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Taylor's aide David Holmes meanwhile testified in closed session that he overheard a previously unreported call between Trump and US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, in which Trump asked about the status of the "investigations."

That July 26 call was just one day after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-hearing-opens-with-ousted-us-ambassador-to-ukraine-262427">Trump-Zelensky</a> conversation in which Trump asked his counterpart to investigate the Bidens.

Sondland told Trump that Zelensky "loves your ass" and "will do 'anything you ask him to,'" according to a copy of Holmes's opening statement obtained by CNN.

A US ambassador ousted by Donald Trump told a riveting impeachment hearing Friday she felt intimidated by the president, after he launched an extraordinary real-time attack midway through her testimony to Congress.

A US ambassador ousted by Donald Trump told a riveting impeachment hearing Friday she felt intimidated by the president, after he launched an extraordinary real-time attack midway through her testimony to Congress. Testifying under oath before a national television audience, Marie Yovanovitch cut a resolute figure as she was grilled for five hours on her fraught dealings with Trump allies she accuses of undermining US foreign policy in Ukraine. The 33-year diplomatic veteran earned a standing ovation from the public at the conclusion of her marathon testimony, during which spoke in personal terms about how she was subjected to a "painful" smear campaign before being abruptly pulled from Kiev. Setting the scene less than an hour into the hearing, the president erupted spectacularly on Twitter with an attack on the highly-regarded former envoy. "Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad," he wrote. Asked what effect Trump's tweet might have on her and other witnesses, Yovanovitch appeared unnerved. "It's very intimidating," she told the panel. "I can't speak to what the president is trying to do but I think the effect is to be intimidating." On a momentous day on Capitol Hill, another official provided damning closed-door testimony to impeachment investigators, reportedly outlining how he overheard a phone call on which Trump asked about "investigations" he had requested from Ukraine into domestic political rivals. Trump's Twitter outburst highlighted the intensity of the public hearings that seek to establish whether the president abused the power of his office for personal political gain. The impeachment hearings kicked off Wednesday with testimony by two senior diplomats including the current top envoy to Ukraine, William Taylor. Friday's testimony proved richer in drama, with the president levelling attacks from afar as Yovanovitch explained to lawmakers how "dangerous" it was for US diplomats not to have the backing of their own administration. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who presides over the impeachment inquiry, hit out at "witness intimidation in real-time by the president." Witness tampering including intimidation is a crime, but Schiff would not say whether it was an impeachable offence, or if Democrats would make it the subject of an article of impeachment. Trump defended his tweet, telling reporters: "I have the right to speak. I have freedom of speech just like other people do." The ongoing inquiry in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives centres on accusations that Trump froze US military aid in an effort to get Ukraine to launch political investigations against potential 2020 election rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The investigation threatens to make Trump the third US president to be impeached, although the Republican-controlled Senate would need to convict him to remove him from office. 'Kneecapped' Prior to her May ouster, Yovanovitch claims she was targeted by a smear campaign orchestrated in part by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who is accused of helping to coordinate the president's effort to pressure Kiev. Yovanovitch told lawmakers her inexplicable removal plunged America's Ukraine policy into "disarray" and damaged Washington's global standing. And when she read the memorandum of Trump's July 25 call with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the US leader called her "bad news" and said she was "going to go through some things", she said, "it sounded like a threat." Yovanovitch was "shocked" and "devastated" to learn how Trump had personally disparaged her, she added. But above all Yovanovitch expressed alarm that envoys could be so easily "kneecapped" by false accusations and corrupt foreign influences. "Our Ukraine policy has been thrown into disarray, and shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American ambassador who does not give them what they want," she said. Yovanovitch levelled criticism at State Department leadership, and by extension Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for failing to push back against forces that "apparently hijacked our Ukraine policy," or to support her in the face of "dangerously wrong" attacks against her. 'Anything you ask' Pushing back, Republicans grilled Yovanovitch on Hunter Biden's association with Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was vice president, leading her to acknowledge it "could raise the appearance of a conflict of interest." No evidence of Biden wrongdoing related to Ukraine has emerged. Yovanovitch's testimony came amid more bad news for Trump. His longtime aide Roger Stone was convicted Friday for lying to Congress and witness tampering related to the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Taylor's aide David Holmes meanwhile testified in closed session that he overheard a previously unreported call between Trump and US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, in which Trump asked about the status of the "investigations." That July 26 call was just one day after the Trump-Zelensky conversation in which Trump asked his counterpart to investigate the Bidens. Sondland told Trump that Zelensky "loves your ass" and "will do 'anything you ask him to,'" according to a copy of Holmes's opening statement obtained by CNN.

'It's very intimidating': Yovanovitch on Trump during impeachment hearing

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-hearing-opens-with-ousted-us-ambassador-to-ukraine-262427">Donald Trump</a> launched an extraordinary Twitter attack on a former US ambassador to Ukraine on Friday (November 15) as she testified to an impeachment hearing in Congress, a move she called "very intimidating."

Marie Yovanovitch, a career diplomat who the Trump administration removed from her post earlier this year, defended her anti-corruption record during the hearing and said her removal had left US&nbsp;policy there in disarray.

As Yovanovitch testified, Trump fired off criticism of her on Twitter, saying: "Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go?"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1195356198347956224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In the most dramatic moment of the impeachment hearings so far, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff then asked Yovanovitch for her reaction to the tweet. She said it was "very intimidating."

"I can't speak to what the president is trying to do, but I think the effect is to be intimidating," she said.

The session before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee is part of the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry that threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in November 2020.

Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador to Kiev in May after coming under attack by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, at a time when he was working to persuade Ukraine to carry out two investigations that would benefit the Republican president politically.

Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, who is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in the 2020 election.

The main focus of the impeachment inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected in May, to open the investigations.

Trump denies any wrongdoing.

US President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary Twitter attack on a former US ambassador to Ukraine on Friday (November 15) as she testified to an impeachment hearing in Congress, a move she called "very intimidating.

US President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary Twitter attack on a former US ambassador to Ukraine on Friday (November 15) as she testified to an impeachment hearing in Congress, a move she called "very intimidating." Marie Yovanovitch, a career diplomat who the Trump administration removed from her post earlier this year, defended her anti-corruption record during the hearing and said her removal had left US policy there in disarray. As Yovanovitch testified, Trump fired off criticism of her on Twitter, saying: "Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go?" Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2019 × In the most dramatic moment of the impeachment hearings so far, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff then asked Yovanovitch for her reaction to the tweet. She said it was "very intimidating." "I can't speak to what the president is trying to do, but I think the effect is to be intimidating," she said. The session before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee is part of the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry that threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in November 2020. Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador to Kiev in May after coming under attack by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, at a time when he was working to persuade Ukraine to carry out two investigations that would benefit the Republican president politically. Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in US security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, who is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in the 2020 election. The main focus of the impeachment inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected in May, to open the investigations. Trump denies any wrongdoing.

Impeachment probe: Trump attacks US diplomat on Twitter as she testifies that his words in Ukraine call made her feel threatened

All you need to know about Trump public impeachment hearings that began on November 13.

Gravitas: Trump public impeachment hearings begin

The White House blockade of the Democratic-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-impeachment-hearings-trump-may-expand-communications-team-to-bolster-defense-260440">impeachment enquiry</a> of President Donald Trump seemed likely to hold firm on Friday, as congressional officials said they expected two administration officials to rebuff a request to testify.

The House of Representatives Intelligence Committee late on Thursday subpoenaed acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to appear for a closed-door deposition on Friday, an official working on the impeachment enquiry said.

The panel, along with the House Foreign Relations and Oversight committees, has also called Mark Sandy, associate director for national security programs at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for interviews behind closed doors on Friday.

Lawmakers want to ask Mulvaney and Sandy about OMB's decision last summer to block, without explanation to Congress, nearly $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine that had been approved by lawmakers.

Mulvaney, a former Republican House member, started his tenure at the Trump White House as director of the budget office. Due to his role at OMB, Sandy likely would have been involved in the decision.

Congressional investigators are trying to determine whether Trump told the Kiev government it would not get the aid unless it agreed to launch an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">investigation of Hunter Biden</a>, the son of former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, one of Trump's main Democratic rivals as he runs for re-election in 2020.

Mulvaney acknowledged at an October&nbsp;17 news conference that the White House had withheld the assistance. "I have news for everybody: Get over it. There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," Mulvaney said, although he later contradicted himself, saying in a White House statement: "There was absolutely no quid pro quo."

'Witch Hunt'

Trump has denied wrongdoing and disparaged the investigation as a politically motivated "witch hunt." A White House spokesman said earlier this week that Mulvaney did not intend to comply with the request to appear.

Officials did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment on whether that still held, and on Sandy's intentions.

Mulvaney has also ignored an October&nbsp;4 subpoena from the House committees to provide <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-chief-of-staff-summoned-to-testify-in-impeachment-probe-260220">documents for the investigation</a>.

Mulvaney is now Trump's top aide, and the White House, claiming executive privilege, has argued that any official close to Trump should not have to provide depositions to congressional investigators.

So far, most officials who work in the executive branch have declined to cooperate with the investigation, although an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence appeared as requested on Thursday.

The House committees dispute the privilege argument. "As Mulvaney knows from his previous service in the House of Representatives, both Republican and Democratic-led committees have conducted depositions for decades with high-level White House aides,&nbsp;include White House Chiefs of Staff," they said in an emailed statement.

The three House committees are wrapping up the closed-door phase of their investigation before open hearings start next Wednesday with testimony from two diplomats who have been interviewed behind closed doors, William Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent.

This week, the committees have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews, including with Taylor, Kent and former US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who appears at a public hearing on November&nbsp;15.

Trump abruptly recalled Yovanovitch as ambassador in May.

Another transcript release is expected on Friday, although the committees declined to say which it would be.

The White House blockade of the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry of President Donald Trump seemed likely to hold firm on Friday, as congressional officials said they expected two administration officials to rebuff a request to testify.

The White House blockade of the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry of President Donald Trump seemed likely to hold firm on Friday, as congressional officials said they expected two administration officials to rebuff a request to testify. The House of Representatives Intelligence Committee late on Thursday subpoenaed acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to appear for a closed-door deposition on Friday, an official working on the impeachment enquiry said. The panel, along with the House Foreign Relations and Oversight committees, has also called Mark Sandy, associate director for national security programs at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for interviews behind closed doors on Friday. Lawmakers want to ask Mulvaney and Sandy about OMB's decision last summer to block, without explanation to Congress, nearly $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine that had been approved by lawmakers. Mulvaney, a former Republican House member, started his tenure at the Trump White House as director of the budget office. Due to his role at OMB, Sandy likely would have been involved in the decision. Congressional investigators are trying to determine whether Trump told the Kiev government it would not get the aid unless it agreed to launch an investigation of Hunter Biden, the son of former US Vice President Joe Biden, one of Trump's main Democratic rivals as he runs for re-election in 2020. Mulvaney acknowledged at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld the assistance. "I have news for everybody: Get over it. There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," Mulvaney said, although he later contradicted himself, saying in a White House statement: "There was absolutely no quid pro quo." 'Witch Hunt' Trump has denied wrongdoing and disparaged the investigation as a politically motivated "witch hunt." A White House spokesman said earlier this week that Mulvaney did not intend to comply with the request to appear. Officials did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment on whether that still held, and on Sandy's intentions. Mulvaney has also ignored an October 4 subpoena from the House committees to provide documents for the investigation. Mulvaney is now Trump's top aide, and the White House, claiming executive privilege, has argued that any official close to Trump should not have to provide depositions to congressional investigators. So far, most officials who work in the executive branch have declined to cooperate with the investigation, although an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence appeared as requested on Thursday. The House committees dispute the privilege argument. "As Mulvaney knows from his previous service in the House of Representatives, both Republican and Democratic-led committees have conducted depositions for decades with high-level White House aides, include White House Chiefs of Staff," they said in an emailed statement. The three House committees are wrapping up the closed-door phase of their investigation before open hearings start next Wednesday with testimony from two diplomats who have been interviewed behind closed doors, William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent. This week, the committees have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews, including with Taylor, Kent and former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who appears at a public hearing on November 15. Trump abruptly recalled Yovanovitch as ambassador in May. Another transcript release is expected on Friday, although the committees declined to say which it would be.

White House's blockade of impeachment probe likely to hold firm before open hearings

A top US&nbsp;diplomat told congressional investigators that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-impeachment-hearings-trump-may-expand-communications-team-to-bolster-defense-260440">President Donald Trump's</a> personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment enquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official.

The Democratic-led enquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani is central to the enquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US&nbsp;policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company.

Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October&nbsp;15 but only released on Thursday.

Marie Yovanovitch, the former US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy.

"His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified.

"Mr. Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said.

Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony.

Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump.

"Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US&nbsp;policy," Kent said.

For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served.

Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch.

Star Witnesses

Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US&nbsp;diplomats who will serve as star witnesses.

Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US&nbsp;security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US&nbsp;foreign policy for his personal gain.

Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">engaging in a "quid pro quo"</a>,&nbsp;exchanging a favour for a favour,&nbsp;because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything.

A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US&nbsp;Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president.

Kent and William Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November&nbsp;15.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the enquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear.

Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October&nbsp;17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said.

If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office.

Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president.

The impeachment enquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear.

Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son.

Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony.

Williams told investigators she found <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-chief-of-staff-summoned-to-testify-in-impeachment-probe-260220">Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual</a> because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source.

But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about the investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens.

Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily.

An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the enquiry was unlikely to go down that route.

Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out.

The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday. George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment enquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official. The Democratic-led enquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election. Giuliani is central to the enquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October 15 but only released on Thursday. Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy. "His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified. "Mr. Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said. Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony. Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump. "Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US policy," Kent said. For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served. Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch. Star Witnesses Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US diplomats who will serve as star witnesses. Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US foreign policy for his personal gain. Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president engaging in a "quid pro quo", exchanging a favour for a favour, because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything. A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president. Kent and William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November 15. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the enquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear. Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said. If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president. The impeachment enquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear. Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son. Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony. Williams told investigators she found Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source. But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about the investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens. Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily. An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the enquiry was unlikely to go down that route. Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out. The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

Giuliani waged campaign of 'lies' against envoy to Ukraine: United States diplomat

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 6) departed Washington for a campaign stop, amid reports that the White House was expected to expand its communications team to bolster its defense against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">impeachment</a>.

Trump, who was departing Washington for a political rally in Louisiana, ignored shouted questions from reporters on impeachment including whether he was concerned about the first public hearings on his impeachment scheduled for November 13th and 15th.

The White House is said to be bringing on former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Treasury Department spokesman Tony Sayegh to help make its case in the weeks to come, according to a senior administration official.

Democrats will bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday (November 6).

Three US&nbsp;diplomats who expressed alarm about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine will serve as star witnesses when Democrats bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday.

In a preview of what is to come, lawmakers leading the probe released testimony that showed the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, believed a White House-led effort to pressure Kiev to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma was motivated by a desire to help Trump win re-election next year.

Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, served on Burisma's board of directors. Joe Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Televised public hearings featuring US&nbsp;officials testifying in Congress about alleged wrongdoing by Trump could crowd out other issues like the economy and immigration as voters turn their minds to the November 2020 election.

The hearings would be a likely prelude to articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump being brought to a vote in the House.

Democrats said they had enough material to move forward with public impeachment hearings even though some Trump administration officials have refused to cooperate.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 6) departed Washington for a campaign stop, amid reports that the White House was expected to expand its communications team to bolster its defense against impeachment.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 6) departed Washington for a campaign stop, amid reports that the White House was expected to expand its communications team to bolster its defense against impeachment. Trump, who was departing Washington for a political rally in Louisiana, ignored shouted questions from reporters on impeachment including whether he was concerned about the first public hearings on his impeachment scheduled for November 13th and 15th. The White House is said to be bringing on former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Treasury Department spokesman Tony Sayegh to help make its case in the weeks to come, according to a senior administration official. Democrats will bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday (November 6). Three US diplomats who expressed alarm about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine will serve as star witnesses when Democrats bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday. In a preview of what is to come, lawmakers leading the probe released testimony that showed the top US diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, believed a White House-led effort to pressure Kiev to investigate Ukrainian energy company Burisma was motivated by a desire to help Trump win re-election next year. Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, served on Burisma's board of directors. Joe Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Televised public hearings featuring US officials testifying in Congress about alleged wrongdoing by Trump could crowd out other issues like the economy and immigration as voters turn their minds to the November 2020 election. The hearings would be a likely prelude to articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump being brought to a vote in the House. Democrats said they had enough material to move forward with public impeachment hearings even though some Trump administration officials have refused to cooperate.

Ahead of impeachment hearings, Trump may expand communications team to bolster defense

Nick Harper, WION Correspondent brings you the detail on Trump Impeachment Inquiry

Fineprint: Nick Harper on Trump Impeachment Inquiry

A White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal refused to testify Monday in the congressional <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-expects-trump-impeachment-hearings-in-november-259545">impeachment investigation</a> of President Donald Trump, as three other witnesses were also expected&nbsp;no-shows.

John Eisenberg, Trump's deputy counsel for National Security Affairs, defied a summons to appear before the three House panels conducting the investigation, a sign of renewed stonewalling by the White House as Democrats press to take the inquiry into a new public phase.

Trump said early Monday he felt there was "no reason" for witnesses to answer questions by investigators, in particular about his call with his Ukrainian counterpart that is at the heart of the probe.

"What I said on the phone call with the Ukrainian President is 'perfectly' stated," Trump said on Twitter.

"There is no reason to call witnesses to analyze my words and meaning. This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected."&nbsp;

Eisenberg, who by mid-morning had yet to appear for a scheduled 9:00 am closed-door deposition,&nbsp;is reported to have been on the July 25 call.

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What I said on the phone call with the Ukrainian President is “perfectly” stated. There is no reason to call witnesses to analyze my words and meaning. This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected (and before!). Disgraceful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1191325883774189568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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At least four national security officials raised concerns with Eisenberg about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-angry-majority-supports-him-against-impeachment-drive-259362">Trump's dealings with Ukraine</a> before his call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and immediately after it, the Washington Post reported last month.

Investigators are seeking greater access to officials with knowledge of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating one of his chief political opponents, Democrat Joe Biden, who is running for president in 2020.&nbsp;

Robert Blair, an assistant to the president and senior advisor to the acting chief of staff, was also due to appear before investigators at 9:00 am but did not arrive.

Trump senior associate counsel Michael Ellis and White House budget office associate director for energy Brian McCormack were due for afternoon depositions but gave no indication they would appear.

The Trump-Ukraine scandal came to light when a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower who works in the US intelligence community was made public in September.

Trump and his Republican loyalists have repeatedly pressed for the whistleblower's identity to be revealed, despite laws protecting government officials who raise the alarm about alleged wrongdoing, and for him or her to testify.

Several current and former diplomats and officials have corroborated the essence of the whistleblower complaint,&nbsp;that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats.&nbsp;

A White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal refused to testify Monday in the congressional impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, as three other witnesses were also expected no-shows.

A White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal refused to testify Monday in the congressional impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, as three other witnesses were also expected no-shows. John Eisenberg, Trump's deputy counsel for National Security Affairs, defied a summons to appear before the three House panels conducting the investigation, a sign of renewed stonewalling by the White House as Democrats press to take the inquiry into a new public phase. Trump said early Monday he felt there was "no reason" for witnesses to answer questions by investigators, in particular about his call with his Ukrainian counterpart that is at the heart of the probe. "What I said on the phone call with the Ukrainian President is 'perfectly' stated," Trump said on Twitter. "There is no reason to call witnesses to analyze my words and meaning. This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected." Eisenberg, who by mid-morning had yet to appear for a scheduled 9:00 am closed-door deposition, is reported to have been on the July 25 call. What I said on the phone call with the Ukrainian President is “perfectly” stated. There is no reason to call witnesses to analyze my words and meaning. This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected (and before!). Disgraceful! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2019 × At least four national security officials raised concerns with Eisenberg about Trump's dealings with Ukraine before his call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and immediately after it, the Washington Post reported last month. Investigators are seeking greater access to officials with knowledge of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating one of his chief political opponents, Democrat Joe Biden, who is running for president in 2020. Robert Blair, an assistant to the president and senior advisor to the acting chief of staff, was also due to appear before investigators at 9:00 am but did not arrive. Trump senior associate counsel Michael Ellis and White House budget office associate director for energy Brian McCormack were due for afternoon depositions but gave no indication they would appear. The Trump-Ukraine scandal came to light when a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower who works in the US intelligence community was made public in September. Trump and his Republican loyalists have repeatedly pressed for the whistleblower's identity to be revealed, despite laws protecting government officials who raise the alarm about alleged wrongdoing, and for him or her to testify. Several current and former diplomats and officials have corroborated the essence of the whistleblower complaint, that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats.

White House lawyer and three other witnesses are 'no-show' at impeachment probe

A deeply divided US House of Representatives took a major step on Thursday in the effort to impeach President Donald Trump when lawmakers approved rules for the next, more public, stage in the Democratic-led inquiry into Trump's attempt to have Ukraine investigate a domestic political rival.

A deeply divided US House of Representatives took a major step on Thursday in the effort to impeach President Donald Trump when lawmakers approved rules for the next, more public, stage in the Democratic-led inquiry into Trump's attempt to have Ukraine investigate a domestic political rival. In the first formal test of support for the impeachment investigation, the Democratic-controlled House voted almost entirely along party lines - 232 to 196 - to move the probe forward in Congress. The vote allows for public impeachment hearings in Congress, which are expected in the coming weeks and portends a bitter battle ahead as the United States heads into a presidential election year. Democrats who accuse Trump of abusing his office and jeopardizing national security for personal political gain were almost unanimous in approving Thursday's measure, but they did not pick up a single Republican vote. "It's a sad day. No one comes to Congress to impeach a president," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote. Televised public hearings featuring US officials testifying in Congress about alleged wrongdoing by Trump could crowd out other issues like the economy and immigration as voters turn their minds to the November 2020 election. That might damage Trump, but some of his supporters say the impeachment drive could actually boost his re-election chances by showing him at loggerheads with Washington-based political foes. Republicans accused Democrats of using impeachment to overturn the results of his 2016 election victory. Trump told a UK radio station the Democrats knew they were losing next year's vote and so were trying to take him down. "The Democrats are desperate, they're desperate. They have nothing," Trump told LBC Radio in an interview. White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham denounced the process as "unfair, unconstitutional and fundamentally un-American." A number of opinion polls ahead of next year's election show several leading Democratic presidential candidates leading Trump. The probe focuses on a July 25 telephone call in which the U.S. president asked his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymr Zelenskiy, to investigate Trump's Democratic political rival Joe Biden, a former U.S. vice president, and his son Hunter, who had served as a director for Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Biden is a leading candidate in the Democratic presidential nomination race to face Trump in 2020. He and his son deny any wrongdoing. Trump has also denied wrongdoing. Republicans have largely stuck by him, blasting the impeachment push as a partisan exercise that has given them little input. Thursday's vote showed that Democrats have enough backing in the House to later bring formal charges, known as articles of impeachment, if they feel they have enough evidence. Republic pushback "It should not be Nancy Pelosi and a small group of people that she selects that get to determine who is going to be our president," said Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican. Just two Democrats - Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey - broke with their party and voted against the measure. Both represent districts where Trump won in 2016. Other Democrats from Trump-leaning districts, such as Jared Golden of Maine, voted yes. Representative Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party this year and is now an independent, voted for the measure. If the House eventually votes to impeach Trump, that would set up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate. Trump would not be removed from office unless the Senate votes to convict him by a two-thirds margin, something that looks unlikely as congressional Republicans have been reluctant to move against the president. The US Constitution gives the House broad authority to set ground rules for an impeachment inquiry and Democrats say they are following House rules on investigations. The investigation is probing whether Trump misused the power of his office and, if so, whether that amounted to "high crimes and misdemeanours" that merit impeachment and removal from office under the Constitution. Democratic leaders in Congress declined to say when public hearings would start, but they are expected to begin in the next few weeks. The inquiry has so far taken place behind closed doors in front of House committee members. Current and former Trump administration officials have testified that the White House went outside normal diplomatic channels to pressure Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens. The top US diplomat in Ukraine, William Taylor, said Trump held back nearly $400 million in security aid in an attempt to get Zelenskiy to publicly declare that he would carry out the investigations that the U.S. president sought - a "quid pro quo" confirmed by Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. Lawmakers leading the inquiry on Thursday heard closed-door testimony from Tim Morrison, the top Russia specialist on Trump's National Security Council. Morrison resigned from his position on Wednesday. Morrison backed up the testimony of other witnesses who said the White House attempted to pressure Ukraine, according to a congressional source. He said he learned of the effort from one of those involved, a Trump donor named Gordon Sondland who serves as the U.S. ambassador to the European Union. Morrison did not criticize Trump directly, however, and said that he did not think anything illegal was discussed on the July 25 call, the congressional source said. Republican US Representative Mark Meadows said Morrison's testimony had been "very damaging" to the case for impeachment. "If any witness would suggest that the impeachment resolution that was passed earlier today should come to a screeching halt, it was this witness," Meadows told reporters, without elaborating on Morrison's deposition. Committee members have asked a prominent player, former national security adviser John Bolton, to appear next week. Others have testified that Bolton was alarmed by a White House effort to pressure Zelenskiy. Bolton's lawyer has said he is not willing to testify unless a subpoena is issued.

Trump impeachment effort passes first test in divided US Congress

"READ THE TRANSCRIPT!" United States&nbsp;President Donald Trump exhorts regularly on Twitter, referring to a telephone call with Ukraine's president that led to an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-effort-passes-first-test-in-divided-us-congress-259134">impeachment enquiry</a>. Now he is threatening to do just that, on live television.

Trump told the Washington Examiner he would not cooperate with congressional impeachment proceedings and might read out loud a transcript of a July 25 call in which Trump asks President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate a domestic political rival.

"This is over a phone call that is a good call," Trump told the Examiner in an interview. "At some point, I’m going to sit down, perhaps as a fireside chat on live television, and I will read the transcript of the call, because people have to hear it. When you read it, it's a straight call."

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READ THE TRANSCRIPT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1189897137984876545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump's reference to the fireside chat recalled the informal evening radio addresses President Franklin D Roosevelt used to reassure Americans facing hardships during the Great Depression,&nbsp;a far cry from a US&nbsp;president defending himself against impeachment.

The Trump administration in September released a detailed summary of the 30-minute call,&nbsp;not a precise transcript,&nbsp;based on notes taken by aides, as Democrats in the House of Representatives began looking into Trump's call following a whistleblower complaint.

The House, which is controlled by Democrats, approved rules on Thursday for the next, more public, stage in the enquiry into the Republican president's attempt to have Ukraine investigate a domestic political rival.

The enquiry centres on whether Trump solicited foreign interference and aid in a US&nbsp;election, which federal law prohibits. Democrats are also investigating whether Trump withheld $391 million in American aid to vulnerable Ukraine, who faced a military threat from Russian-backed separatists, as leverage to get Zelenskiy to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.&nbsp;

Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing on their part.

Current and former Trump administration officials have testified behind closed doors that the White House went outside normal diplomatic channels to pressure Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens.

Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong. He said his administration would continue to not honour document requests and subpoenas.

He told the Examiner he would fight back with a defence of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-house-formalises-trump-impeachment-process-in-landmark-vote-259117">Ukraine call</a> and use his well-honed art of the slogan, offering T-shirts emblazoned with "Read the transcript."

"READ THE TRANSCRIPT!" United States President Donald Trump exhorts regularly on Twitter, referring to a telephone call with Ukraine's president that led to an impeachment enquiry.

"READ THE TRANSCRIPT!" United States President Donald Trump exhorts regularly on Twitter, referring to a telephone call with Ukraine's president that led to an impeachment enquiry. Now he is threatening to do just that, on live television. Trump told the Washington Examiner he would not cooperate with congressional impeachment proceedings and might read out loud a transcript of a July 25 call in which Trump asks President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate a domestic political rival. "This is over a phone call that is a good call," Trump told the Examiner in an interview. "At some point, I’m going to sit down, perhaps as a fireside chat on live television, and I will read the transcript of the call, because people have to hear it. When you read it, it's a straight call." READ THE TRANSCRIPT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019 × Trump's reference to the fireside chat recalled the informal evening radio addresses President Franklin D Roosevelt used to reassure Americans facing hardships during the Great Depression, a far cry from a US president defending himself against impeachment. The Trump administration in September released a detailed summary of the 30-minute call, not a precise transcript, based on notes taken by aides, as Democrats in the House of Representatives began looking into Trump's call following a whistleblower complaint. The House, which is controlled by Democrats, approved rules on Thursday for the next, more public, stage in the enquiry into the Republican president's attempt to have Ukraine investigate a domestic political rival. The enquiry centres on whether Trump solicited foreign interference and aid in a US election, which federal law prohibits. Democrats are also investigating whether Trump withheld $391 million in American aid to vulnerable Ukraine, who faced a military threat from Russian-backed separatists, as leverage to get Zelenskiy to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing on their part. Current and former Trump administration officials have testified behind closed doors that the White House went outside normal diplomatic channels to pressure Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens. Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong. He said his administration would continue to not honour document requests and subpoenas. He told the Examiner he would fight back with a defence of the Ukraine call and use his well-honed art of the slogan, offering T-shirts emblazoned with "Read the transcript."

Trump may read summary of Ukraine call in 'fireside chat'

Congress formally opened a new, public phase of its corruption <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/house-to-formalise-donald-trump-impeachment-investigation-259008">investigation into Donald Trump</a> on Thursday as US lawmakers voted for the first time to advance the impeachment process targeting the US president.

"Today the House takes the next step forward as we establish the procedures for open hearings... so that the public can see the facts for themselves," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

"What is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy."

The top Democrat and Trump's chief nemesis in Congress addressed fellow lawmakers shortly before her chamber took a Halloween morning vote along party lines,&nbsp;232 to 196,&nbsp;to pass a resolution that lays out rules for the next stages of the impeachment process.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-adviser-tells-lawmakers-trump-ukraine-call-raised-national-security-concerns-258751">Trump has repeatedly branded the process as illegitimate</a> and politically motivated and, true to form, his reaction was swift.

"The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!" he boomed on Twitter.

He called on Republicans to rally behind him even as he faced the embarrassing likelihood of becoming the third president in history to be impeached and placed on trial for removal in the Senate, over an alleged extortion scheme to obtain Ukraine's help to get him reelected in 2020.

The embattled president retweeted a rallying cry from Fox News host Laura Ingraham that called on Republicans to "stand together and defend the leader of their party against these smears."

"This farce should never be allowed to roll into a winter show trial," read the tweet -- suggesting Trump would want the Republican leadership in the Senate to shut the process down.

Watch: Trump donors charged in campaign impeachment probe

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Holding Trump 'accountable'

Trump is accused of withholding military aid to compel Ukraine to mount an embarrassing corruption probe against his Democratic election rival Joe Biden, effectively using <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-to-vote-on-thursday-on-how-to-make-trump-impeachment-probe-public-258587">US foreign policy</a> in an illegal shakedown for his personal political benefit.

Trump and loyal Republicans dismiss the case as a "sham," but congressional investigators have heard a steady flow of corroborating evidence from government officials testifying behind closed doors on Capitol Hill.

The landmark resolution did not have unanimous Democratic approval. Two Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing the measure, although former Republican Justin Amash, now an independent, supported it.

The inquiry now moves into the public eye -- giving Americans the chance to hear on live television the evidence against Trump.

The House Intelligence Committee, which has led the inquiry so far, will host open hearings, presenting witnesses and documentary evidence and allowing Republicans to challenge the case against Trump.

The minority can also suggest subpoenas but majority Democrats have final say, a rule that has angered Republicans.

"Trying to put a ribbon on a sham process doesn't make it any less of a sham," House Republican Jim Jordan fumed.

Democrats argue that the vote neutralizes a key Republican talking point that the inquiry has no validity because the full House did not sign on.&nbsp;

Neither the House rules nor the US Constitution require such a vote to start an impeachment inquiry.

If the case against Trump is deemed strong enough, the House Judiciary Committee will draw up formal charges against the president -- articles of impeachment -- to be voted on by the full House.

That process could be completed by year end. The Democrat-controlled House is expected to approve impeachment, which would then see Trump go on trial for removal in the Senate, where Republicans have a majority.

Democrats dismissed the charges that the process is partisan.

"There is serious evidence that President Trump may have violated the Constitution," said Jim McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee which drew up the resolution.

"If we don't hold this president accountable, we could be ceding our ability to hold any president accountable."

Witnesses back allegations

Nearly a dozen witnesses so far have confirmed in House depositions the accusations that, in a concerted effort with top aides and his personal lawyer, Trump pressured Ukraine to help his reelection effort in 2020 by producing dirt on Biden, the former vice president.

The allegations focus on a July 25 phone call in which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">Trump pressed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky</a> to open investigations into Biden and Biden's son, who worked with a Ukraine energy firm.

Tim Morrison, the White House National Security Council's top Russia expert, arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday to be deposed.

According to other witnesses, Morrison, who resigned late Wednesday, has personal knowledge of the White House effort to freeze military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky to launch the political investigations.

Investigators also have called on Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton to testify, along with two White House national security lawyers.

Bolton, other witnesses have said, disagreed strongly with Trump's tactics toward Ukraine and the involvement of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in Ukraine policy.

Congress formally opened a new, public phase of its corruption investigation into Donald Trump on Thursday as US lawmakers voted for the first time to advance the impeachment process targeting the US president.

Congress formally opened a new, public phase of its corruption investigation into Donald Trump on Thursday as US lawmakers voted for the first time to advance the impeachment process targeting the US president. "Today the House takes the next step forward as we establish the procedures for open hearings... so that the public can see the facts for themselves," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "What is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy." The top Democrat and Trump's chief nemesis in Congress addressed fellow lawmakers shortly before her chamber took a Halloween morning vote along party lines, 232 to 196, to pass a resolution that lays out rules for the next stages of the impeachment process. Trump has repeatedly branded the process as illegitimate and politically motivated and, true to form, his reaction was swift. "The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!" he boomed on Twitter. He called on Republicans to rally behind him even as he faced the embarrassing likelihood of becoming the third president in history to be impeached and placed on trial for removal in the Senate, over an alleged extortion scheme to obtain Ukraine's help to get him reelected in 2020. The embattled president retweeted a rallying cry from Fox News host Laura Ingraham that called on Republicans to "stand together and defend the leader of their party against these smears." "This farce should never be allowed to roll into a winter show trial," read the tweet -- suggesting Trump would want the Republican leadership in the Senate to shut the process down. Watch: Trump donors charged in campaign impeachment probe Holding Trump 'accountable' Trump is accused of withholding military aid to compel Ukraine to mount an embarrassing corruption probe against his Democratic election rival Joe Biden, effectively using US foreign policy in an illegal shakedown for his personal political benefit. Trump and loyal Republicans dismiss the case as a "sham," but congressional investigators have heard a steady flow of corroborating evidence from government officials testifying behind closed doors on Capitol Hill. The landmark resolution did not have unanimous Democratic approval. Two Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing the measure, although former Republican Justin Amash, now an independent, supported it. The inquiry now moves into the public eye -- giving Americans the chance to hear on live television the evidence against Trump. The House Intelligence Committee, which has led the inquiry so far, will host open hearings, presenting witnesses and documentary evidence and allowing Republicans to challenge the case against Trump. The minority can also suggest subpoenas but majority Democrats have final say, a rule that has angered Republicans. "Trying to put a ribbon on a sham process doesn't make it any less of a sham," House Republican Jim Jordan fumed. Democrats argue that the vote neutralizes a key Republican talking point that the inquiry has no validity because the full House did not sign on. Neither the House rules nor the US Constitution require such a vote to start an impeachment inquiry. If the case against Trump is deemed strong enough, the House Judiciary Committee will draw up formal charges against the president -- articles of impeachment -- to be voted on by the full House. That process could be completed by year end. The Democrat-controlled House is expected to approve impeachment, which would then see Trump go on trial for removal in the Senate, where Republicans have a majority. Democrats dismissed the charges that the process is partisan. "There is serious evidence that President Trump may have violated the Constitution," said Jim McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee which drew up the resolution. "If we don't hold this president accountable, we could be ceding our ability to hold any president accountable." Witnesses back allegations Nearly a dozen witnesses so far have confirmed in House depositions the accusations that, in a concerted effort with top aides and his personal lawyer, Trump pressured Ukraine to help his reelection effort in 2020 by producing dirt on Biden, the former vice president. The allegations focus on a July 25 phone call in which Trump pressed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to open investigations into Biden and Biden's son, who worked with a Ukraine energy firm. Tim Morrison, the White House National Security Council's top Russia expert, arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday to be deposed. According to other witnesses, Morrison, who resigned late Wednesday, has personal knowledge of the White House effort to freeze military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky to launch the political investigations. Investigators also have called on Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton to testify, along with two White House national security lawyers. Bolton, other witnesses have said, disagreed strongly with Trump's tactics toward Ukraine and the involvement of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in Ukraine policy.

United States House formalises Trump impeachment process in landmark vote

Two United States&nbsp;State Department officials <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-to-vote-on-thursday-on-how-to-make-trump-impeachment-probe-public-258587">will testify</a> before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalising the impeachment process ahead.

Ukraine specialists Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson are set to appear before House committees a day after a senior White House official said Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate Democrat rivals raised national security concerns.

Later today, the House Rules Committee is scheduled to take up a resolution proposed by House Democrats laying out the procedures as they move forward with the impeachment of the Republican president.

The two career diplomats are expected to lay out how State Department officials' efforts to express support for Ukraine were stymied by the White House, The Washington Post reported, citing the pair's prepared remarks.

Their closed-door deposition will follow ten&nbsp;hours of testimony on Tuesday by the White House official, Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who raised the alarm about Trump's request - during a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,&nbsp;for Kiev to investigate Trump's political rival, former Democratic US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden.

The call is at the heart of the congressional enquiry into whether Trump misused the power of his office for personal political gain and, if so, whether that rises to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanours" that merit impeachment and removal from office under the Constitution.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

During the conversation, outlined in a memo released by the White House, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.

He also sought an investigation into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Zelenskiy agreed to Trump's requests, according to the memo.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">Trump made the request</a> after withholding nearly $400 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Watch: Trump donors charged in Campaign Impeachment Probe

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-probe-trump-donors-charged-in-campaign-impeachment-probe-255094/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Vindman, who as a Ukraine specialist listened to the Trump-Zelenskiy call, told lawmakers on Tuesday the readout of the conversation released by the White House left out information he had sought to include, the New York Times reported.

The rough transcript left out an assertion by Trump that there were recordings of Biden discussing corruption in Ukraine and Zelensky's explicit mention of Burisma, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his testimony.

More witnesses are expected later this week, including Timothy Morrison, the National Security Council Senior Director for Europe and Russia, on Thursday and Robert Blair, a senior adviser to acting White House chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, on Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">The House is expected to vote this week</a> on the formal process of moving forward with the impeachment inquiry after Republicans criticized the process as unfair to Trump.

Trump has urged his allies to directly tackle the allegations against him.

"This Impeachment nonsense is just a continuation of the Witch Hunt Hoax," he tweeted Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to "go with Substance and close it out!"

Two United States State Department officials will testify before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalising the impeachment process ahead.

Two United States State Department officials will testify before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalising the impeachment process ahead. Ukraine specialists Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson are set to appear before House committees a day after a senior White House official said Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate Democrat rivals raised national security concerns. Later today, the House Rules Committee is scheduled to take up a resolution proposed by House Democrats laying out the procedures as they move forward with the impeachment of the Republican president. The two career diplomats are expected to lay out how State Department officials' efforts to express support for Ukraine were stymied by the White House, The Washington Post reported, citing the pair's prepared remarks. Their closed-door deposition will follow ten hours of testimony on Tuesday by the White House official, Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who raised the alarm about Trump's request - during a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for Kiev to investigate Trump's political rival, former Democratic US Vice President Joe Biden. The call is at the heart of the congressional enquiry into whether Trump misused the power of his office for personal political gain and, if so, whether that rises to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanours" that merit impeachment and removal from office under the Constitution. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. During the conversation, outlined in a memo released by the White House, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. He also sought an investigation into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. Zelenskiy agreed to Trump's requests, according to the memo. Trump made the request after withholding nearly $400 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Watch: Trump donors charged in Campaign Impeachment Probe Vindman, who as a Ukraine specialist listened to the Trump-Zelenskiy call, told lawmakers on Tuesday the readout of the conversation released by the White House left out information he had sought to include, the New York Times reported. The rough transcript left out an assertion by Trump that there were recordings of Biden discussing corruption in Ukraine and Zelensky's explicit mention of Burisma, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his testimony. More witnesses are expected later this week, including Timothy Morrison, the National Security Council Senior Director for Europe and Russia, on Thursday and Robert Blair, a senior adviser to acting White House chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, on Friday. The House is expected to vote this week on the formal process of moving forward with the impeachment inquiry after Republicans criticized the process as unfair to Trump. Trump has urged his allies to directly tackle the allegations against him. "This Impeachment nonsense is just a continuation of the Witch Hunt Hoax," he tweeted Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to "go with Substance and close it out!"

More witnesses to testify as United States House prepares impeachment rules

A senior United States&nbsp;diplomat on Saturday told lawmakers leading an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">impeachment enquiry</a> that he did not know whether President Donald Trump had withheld aid for Ukraine in an attempt force an investigation of a political rival, sources said, even as Democrats said his testimony corroborated other evidence gathered.

Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, spent about eight hours with the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees behind closed doors at the US&nbsp;Capitol.

Reeker told lawmakers he was unaware of whether US&nbsp;security aid to Ukraine was withheld to pressure Kiev to launch investigations that could have helped Trump's 2020 re-election bid, according to a source familiar with the matter.

At the end of Saturday's session, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters, "We're making rapid progress" in the impeachment enquiry. He declined to say when the panels might advance to the next phase of hearings open to the public.

The Democratic-led committees are conducting an enquiry focusing on Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he investigate former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

US&nbsp;election law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election.

As part of their probe, the lawmakers are examining whether Trump withheld $391 million in security assistance until Zelenskiy publicly committed to both an investigation of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia,&nbsp;meddled in the US&nbsp;2016 presidential election.

Democrats emerging from the session said Reeker's deposition corroborated previous testimony taken by the panels.

But they offered no details and it was not clear what Reeker may have corroborated.

Representative Stephen Lynch told reporters that Reeker, whose portfolio includes Ukraine and Russia, was a "much richer reservoir of information than we originally expected."

But Reeker, according to a second source who asked not to be identified, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine, leaving it to Kurt Volker, then the US&nbsp;special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and others.

Republican Representative Mark Meadows, speaking to reporters as a long day of testimony was winding down, said it "was a good day for the president" and described Reeker as "a top-level official not giving any potential incriminating evidence."

Reeker submitted to questioning in response to a congressional subpoena that was issued after the State Department attempted to block his testimony, according to an official working on the impeachment inquiry.

The testimony was the first since a federal judge on Friday rejected a claim by Trump and his Republican allies that the Democrats' impeachment enquiry process was illegitimate because the full House had not voted to authorize it.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September&nbsp;24 launched the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-to-unveil-measure-knocking-trump-impeachment-effort-258014">formal Trump probe</a> under her broad powers as the speaker.

Watch: Donald Trump claims he's a victim of a lynching

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-claims-hes-a-victim-of-lynching-257613/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Focus on Ukraine

At the heart of the enquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens and a claim,&nbsp;debunked as a conspiracy theory,&nbsp;that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine.

William Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, testified on Tuesday that Trump made the withheld aid contingent on Zelenskiy announcing the requested investigations.

Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the possibility Trump may have withheld the aid to pressure Zelenskiy, a second source said, adding that he knew the aid was delayed but did not know why. He testified that he heard resistance was coming from Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, the source said.

Trump denies wrongdoing and, backed by his fellow Republicans in Congress, insists he is being treated unfairly.

Reeker, 54, a career diplomat, is the latest in a growing list of current and former officials who have met with investigators.

Among the issues, the committees were expected to explore with Reeker was Trump's abrupt dismissal in May of the ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. According to emails given to congressional committees this month, Reeker sought to intervene when Trump supporters accused Yovanovitch of being disloyal to the president.

Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch, according to sources familiar with the matter, which never was provided.

The committees have scheduled several depositions for next week, all behind closed doors.

Charles Kupperman, a former deputy national security adviser to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-compares-impeachment-to-lynching-faces-backlash-257586">Trump</a>, who was called to appear on Monday, has asked a court whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the administration's instruction not to testify.

On Tuesday, lawmakers hope to hear from Alexander Vindman, the White House National Security Council's top Ukraine expert.

Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant secretary of defence for international security, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, and Tim Morrison, a top White House adviser on Russia and Europe, is scheduled for Thursday.

A senior United States diplomat on Saturday told lawmakers leading an impeachment enquiry that he did not know whether President Donald Trump had withheld aid for Ukraine in an attempt force an investigation of a political rival, sources said, even as Democrats said his testimony corroborated other evidence gathered.

A senior United States diplomat on Saturday told lawmakers leading an impeachment enquiry that he did not know whether President Donald Trump had withheld aid for Ukraine in an attempt force an investigation of a political rival, sources said, even as Democrats said his testimony corroborated other evidence gathered. Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, spent about eight hours with the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees behind closed doors at the US Capitol. Reeker told lawmakers he was unaware of whether US security aid to Ukraine was withheld to pressure Kiev to launch investigations that could have helped Trump's 2020 re-election bid, according to a source familiar with the matter. At the end of Saturday's session, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters, "We're making rapid progress" in the impeachment enquiry. He declined to say when the panels might advance to the next phase of hearings open to the public. The Democratic-led committees are conducting an enquiry focusing on Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he investigate former US Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. US election law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election. As part of their probe, the lawmakers are examining whether Trump withheld $391 million in security assistance until Zelenskiy publicly committed to both an investigation of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the US 2016 presidential election. Democrats emerging from the session said Reeker's deposition corroborated previous testimony taken by the panels. But they offered no details and it was not clear what Reeker may have corroborated. Representative Stephen Lynch told reporters that Reeker, whose portfolio includes Ukraine and Russia, was a "much richer reservoir of information than we originally expected." But Reeker, according to a second source who asked not to be identified, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine, leaving it to Kurt Volker, then the US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and others. Republican Representative Mark Meadows, speaking to reporters as a long day of testimony was winding down, said it "was a good day for the president" and described Reeker as "a top-level official not giving any potential incriminating evidence." Reeker submitted to questioning in response to a congressional subpoena that was issued after the State Department attempted to block his testimony, according to an official working on the impeachment inquiry. The testimony was the first since a federal judge on Friday rejected a claim by Trump and his Republican allies that the Democrats' impeachment enquiry process was illegitimate because the full House had not voted to authorize it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24 launched the formal Trump probe under her broad powers as the speaker. Watch: Donald Trump claims he's a victim of a lynching Focus on Ukraine At the heart of the enquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens and a claim, debunked as a conspiracy theory, that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine. William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, testified on Tuesday that Trump made the withheld aid contingent on Zelenskiy announcing the requested investigations. Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the possibility Trump may have withheld the aid to pressure Zelenskiy, a second source said, adding that he knew the aid was delayed but did not know why. He testified that he heard resistance was coming from Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, the source said. Trump denies wrongdoing and, backed by his fellow Republicans in Congress, insists he is being treated unfairly. Reeker, 54, a career diplomat, is the latest in a growing list of current and former officials who have met with investigators. Among the issues, the committees were expected to explore with Reeker was Trump's abrupt dismissal in May of the ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. According to emails given to congressional committees this month, Reeker sought to intervene when Trump supporters accused Yovanovitch of being disloyal to the president. Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch, according to sources familiar with the matter, which never was provided. The committees have scheduled several depositions for next week, all behind closed doors. Charles Kupperman, a former deputy national security adviser to Trump, who was called to appear on Monday, has asked a court whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the administration's instruction not to testify. On Tuesday, lawmakers hope to hear from Alexander Vindman, the White House National Security Council's top Ukraine expert. Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant secretary of defence for international security, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, and Tim Morrison, a top White House adviser on Russia and Europe, is scheduled for Thursday.

United States lawmakers hear from 'corroborating' witness in Trump impeachment probe

A United States&nbsp;judge on Friday validated the legality of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-to-unveil-measure-knocking-trump-impeachment-effort-258014">Democratic-led impeachment enquiry</a> against President Donald Trump and ordered his administration to hand over an unredacted copy of former special counsel Robert Mueller's report detailing Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

US&nbsp;District Judge Beryl Howell, handing a major victory to the Democratic-led House of Representatives, undercut an argument that Trump's fellow Republicans have made in attacking the impeachment inquiry. The judge said the House need not approve a resolution formally initiating the effort.

The US&nbsp;Constitution gives the House wide latitude in handling impeachment. Democrats began the enquiry without putting such a resolution to a vote.

The judge gave the Justice Department until next Wednesday to provide the blacked-out material from the Mueller report that was subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee.

"The reality is that DOJ and the White House have been openly stonewalling the House's efforts to get information by subpoena and by agreement, and the White House has flatly stated that the Administration will not cooperate with congressional requests for information," the judge wrote, using an acronym for the Justice Department.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the ruling "another blow to President Trump's attempt to put himself above the law."

"This critical court ruling affirms Congress's authority to expose the truth for the American people," Pelosi, the top elected Democratic official, said in a statement, adding, "The President will be held accountable&nbsp;because no one is above the law."

The Justice Department had argued that the redacted information could not be disclosed because it contained material from grand jury proceedings that was required to be kept secret, but the judge strongly disagreed.

"DOJ is wrong," Howell said, adding that the committee's need for disclosure of the materials "is greater than the need for continued secrecy."

"Impeachment based on anything less than all relevant evidence would compromise the public's faith in the process," added Howell, a former federal prosecutor appointed to the bench by Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

Howell also ruled that the House has undertaken a legal and legitimate impeachment enquiry and criticised efforts by the Justice Department and the committee's ranking Republican Doug Collins to argue that Democrats had not met the legal threshold.

"Blocking access to evidence collected by a grand jury relevant to an impeachment inquiry, as DOJ urges, undermines the House's ability to carry out its constitutional responsibility with due diligence," the judge added.

The Democrats sought access to the redacted materials as part of their effort to build a case for removing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-again-attacks-federal-reserve-says-central-bank-derelict-in-its-duties-258005">Trump</a> from office.

The committee, Howell ruled, "has presented sufficient evidence that its investigation has the preliminary purpose of determining whether to recommend articles (of) impeachment," referring to formal charges that the House could approve that would trigger a trial in the Senate on whether to remove Trump from office.

A Republican resolution introduced in the Senate on Thursday criticised the process that House Democrats are using in the impeachment inquiry. It argued that a resolution is needed to initiate such an inquiry. The judge disagreed.

"Even in cases of presidential impeachment, a House resolution has never, in fact, been required to begin an impeachment enquiry," the judge wrote.

Watch: Donald Trump claims he's a victim of lynching

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-claims-hes-a-victim-of-lynching-257613/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
'Thoughtful ruling'

Democrat Jerrold Nadler, the panel's chairman, lauded the ruling.

"The court's thoughtful ruling recognises that our impeachment inquiry fully comports with the Constitution and thoroughly rejects the spurious White House claims to the contrary," Nadler said.

Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said the department is reviewing the decision.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sought to minimise the importance of the judge's comments on an impeachment resolution, saying Republicans had argued that it was "unfair and wrong" but "not unconstitutional" for the House to have failed to pass such a measure.

Mueller submitted his report to US&nbsp;Attorney General William Barr in March after completing a 22-month investigation that detailed Russia's campaign of hacking and propaganda to boost Trump's candidacy in the 2016 election as well as extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

But when Barr, a Trump appointee who Democrats have accused of trying to protect <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-compares-impeachment-to-lynching-faces-backlash-257586">Trump</a> politically, made the 448-page report public the following month, some parts were blacked out or redacted.

Mueller said his investigation found insufficient evidence to establish that Trump and his campaign had engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia.

Trump's administration has refused to comply with subpoenas from House committees in the impeachment inquiry seeking documents and testimony. But some current and former administration officials have defied the White House and testified in the impeachment inquiry.

The impeachment inquiry centres not on the Mueller report but on Trump's request that Ukraine investigates a domestic political rival, Democrat Joe Biden.

A United States judge on Friday validated the legality of the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump and ordered his administration to hand over an unredacted copy of former special counsel Robert Mueller's report detailing Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

A United States judge on Friday validated the legality of the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump and ordered his administration to hand over an unredacted copy of former special counsel Robert Mueller's report detailing Russian meddling in the 2016 election. US District Judge Beryl Howell, handing a major victory to the Democratic-led House of Representatives, undercut an argument that Trump's fellow Republicans have made in attacking the impeachment inquiry. The judge said the House need not approve a resolution formally initiating the effort. The US Constitution gives the House wide latitude in handling impeachment. Democrats began the enquiry without putting such a resolution to a vote. The judge gave the Justice Department until next Wednesday to provide the blacked-out material from the Mueller report that was subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee. "The reality is that DOJ and the White House have been openly stonewalling the House's efforts to get information by subpoena and by agreement, and the White House has flatly stated that the Administration will not cooperate with congressional requests for information," the judge wrote, using an acronym for the Justice Department. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the ruling "another blow to President Trump's attempt to put himself above the law." "This critical court ruling affirms Congress's authority to expose the truth for the American people," Pelosi, the top elected Democratic official, said in a statement, adding, "The President will be held accountable because no one is above the law." The Justice Department had argued that the redacted information could not be disclosed because it contained material from grand jury proceedings that was required to be kept secret, but the judge strongly disagreed. "DOJ is wrong," Howell said, adding that the committee's need for disclosure of the materials "is greater than the need for continued secrecy." "Impeachment based on anything less than all relevant evidence would compromise the public's faith in the process," added Howell, a former federal prosecutor appointed to the bench by Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. Howell also ruled that the House has undertaken a legal and legitimate impeachment enquiry and criticised efforts by the Justice Department and the committee's ranking Republican Doug Collins to argue that Democrats had not met the legal threshold. "Blocking access to evidence collected by a grand jury relevant to an impeachment inquiry, as DOJ urges, undermines the House's ability to carry out its constitutional responsibility with due diligence," the judge added. The Democrats sought access to the redacted materials as part of their effort to build a case for removing Trump from office. The committee, Howell ruled, "has presented sufficient evidence that its investigation has the preliminary purpose of determining whether to recommend articles (of) impeachment," referring to formal charges that the House could approve that would trigger a trial in the Senate on whether to remove Trump from office. A Republican resolution introduced in the Senate on Thursday criticised the process that House Democrats are using in the impeachment inquiry. It argued that a resolution is needed to initiate such an inquiry. The judge disagreed. "Even in cases of presidential impeachment, a House resolution has never, in fact, been required to begin an impeachment enquiry," the judge wrote. Watch: Donald Trump claims he's a victim of lynching 'Thoughtful ruling' Democrat Jerrold Nadler, the panel's chairman, lauded the ruling. "The court's thoughtful ruling recognises that our impeachment inquiry fully comports with the Constitution and thoroughly rejects the spurious White House claims to the contrary," Nadler said. Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said the department is reviewing the decision. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sought to minimise the importance of the judge's comments on an impeachment resolution, saying Republicans had argued that it was "unfair and wrong" but "not unconstitutional" for the House to have failed to pass such a measure. Mueller submitted his report to US Attorney General William Barr in March after completing a 22-month investigation that detailed Russia's campaign of hacking and propaganda to boost Trump's candidacy in the 2016 election as well as extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow. But when Barr, a Trump appointee who Democrats have accused of trying to protect Trump politically, made the 448-page report public the following month, some parts were blacked out or redacted. Mueller said his investigation found insufficient evidence to establish that Trump and his campaign had engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia. Trump's administration has refused to comply with subpoenas from House committees in the impeachment inquiry seeking documents and testimony. But some current and former administration officials have defied the White House and testified in the impeachment inquiry. The impeachment inquiry centres not on the Mueller report but on Trump's request that Ukraine investigates a domestic political rival, Democrat Joe Biden.

Judge validates impeachment enquiry against Donald Trump, orders Mueller document release

United States Senate Republicans will introduce a measure on Thursday that condemns the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-compares-impeachment-to-lynching-faces-backlash-257586">impeachment enquiry</a> against Donald Trump, arguing that the process examining the president is "illegitimate."

The resolution is the party's latest effort to attack the Democrat-led probe, even as administration witnesses provide congressional testimony painting a damning picture of presidential abuse of power.

The non-binding resolution, seen as a Republican test of loyalty to the embattled Trump, was crafted by Senate Majority Mitch McConnell and key Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham.&nbsp;

Graham's office said in a statement the South Carolina lawmaker would "introduce a Senate resolution condemning the House of Representatives' closed door, illegitimate impeachment inquiry."

Democrats, who lead the House, have been pressing an investigation into explosive revelations that Trump urged Ukraine to conduct investigations for his own political benefit.

A White House summary of Trump's July call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky showed the US leader asking for a probe into Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden, who did business with a Ukrainian energy company while his father was US vice president.

Joe Biden is the frontrunner in the race to be the Democrat running against Trump in 2020 and it is against the law for any American to seek help from foreigners in a domestic election.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-exhorts-republicans-to-get-tougher-against-impeachment-enquiry-257396">Trump and several Republicans</a> say the call was above board, but recent testimony by witnesses is being seen as particularly damaging for Trump.&nbsp;

Democrats say testimony from Washington's top Ukraine envoy this week shows that Trump was withholding almost $400 million in military aid in a bid to force obedience from Ukraine, an American ally battling aggression from US strategic foe Russia.

On Wednesday as a new witness prepared to testify on Capitol Hill, dozens of Republicans stormed the secure meeting room, a violation of House rules and security protocols, to disrupt the "secret" process.

The Republicans have 47 members on the three House committees conducting the impeachment probe who have full rights to attend depositions and question witnesses.&nbsp;

Lawmakers expect Trump will be impeached by the House. The process would then shift to a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed to convict a president.

United States Senate Republicans will introduce a measure on Thursday that condemns the ongoing impeachment enquiry against Donald Trump, arguing that the process examining the president is "illegitimate.

United States Senate Republicans will introduce a measure on Thursday that condemns the ongoing impeachment enquiry against Donald Trump, arguing that the process examining the president is "illegitimate." The resolution is the party's latest effort to attack the Democrat-led probe, even as administration witnesses provide congressional testimony painting a damning picture of presidential abuse of power. The non-binding resolution, seen as a Republican test of loyalty to the embattled Trump, was crafted by Senate Majority Mitch McConnell and key Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham's office said in a statement the South Carolina lawmaker would "introduce a Senate resolution condemning the House of Representatives' closed door, illegitimate impeachment inquiry." Democrats, who lead the House, have been pressing an investigation into explosive revelations that Trump urged Ukraine to conduct investigations for his own political benefit. A White House summary of Trump's July call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky showed the US leader asking for a probe into Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden, who did business with a Ukrainian energy company while his father was US vice president. Joe Biden is the frontrunner in the race to be the Democrat running against Trump in 2020 and it is against the law for any American to seek help from foreigners in a domestic election. Trump and several Republicans say the call was above board, but recent testimony by witnesses is being seen as particularly damaging for Trump. Democrats say testimony from Washington's top Ukraine envoy this week shows that Trump was withholding almost $400 million in military aid in a bid to force obedience from Ukraine, an American ally battling aggression from US strategic foe Russia. On Wednesday as a new witness prepared to testify on Capitol Hill, dozens of Republicans stormed the secure meeting room, a violation of House rules and security protocols, to disrupt the "secret" process. The Republicans have 47 members on the three House committees conducting the impeachment probe who have full rights to attend depositions and question witnesses. Lawmakers expect Trump will be impeached by the House. The process would then shift to a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed to convict a president.

Republicans to unveil measure knocking Trump impeachment effort

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-leaning-toward-leaving-200-united-states-special-forces-in-eastern-syria-reports-257155">Donald Trump</a> on Monday exhorted fellow Republicans to get tougher and fight for his presidency, saying the Democratic-led United States&nbsp;House of Representatives wants to impeach him "as quick as possible" over his request that Ukraine investigates a political rival.

Trump made his comments during a White House Cabinet meeting as Democrats sought to build public support for their fast-moving impeachment enquiry and the administration pressed its efforts to stonewall the probe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a video and "fact sheet" that may give hints about the articles of impeachment,&nbsp;formal charges,&nbsp;Democrats may pursue against Republican Trump, accusing him of abuse of power, a "shakedown" involving Ukraine and a cover-up.

Republicans in the House of Representatives tried to censure one of the enquiry's leaders, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, but the motion was blocked by Democrats who control the chamber.

Few Republican lawmakers have shown an inclination to remove Trump from office even as Democrats focus on his pushing a vulnerable foreign ally to interfere to his benefit in the November 2020 US&nbsp;election by providing political dirt on Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination to run against Trump.

Senator Mitt Romney is one of the few Republicans who have sharply criticised Trump, who has denied wrongdoing.

Other Republicans have expressed misgivings about Trump policies, including criticism from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Lindsey Graham of his withdrawal of US&nbsp;troops&nbsp;in northeastern Syria, which exposed US-allied Kurdish fighters to a Turkish cross-border offensive.

Approval of articles of impeachment in the House would prompt a trial in the Republican-led Senate on whether to remove Trump from office.

"The Republicans have to get tougher and fight. We have some that are great fighters, but they have to get tougher and fight because the Democrats are trying to hurt the Republican Party before the election," Trump said.

Trump said the Democrats are "vicious and they stick together."

"They don't have Mitt Romney in their midst. They don't have people like that. They stick together," Trump added.

In an interview aired with "Axios on HBO," Romney denounced Trump's requests to Ukraine and China to investigate Biden, questioned Trump's character, criticised his decision to "abandon" Kurdish allies and deplored his hush money payment to an adult film star.

Romney was the 2012 Republican presidential nominee but lost to incumbent Barack Obama.

 
Anti-corruption provision

Trump also labelled as "phoney" an anti-corruption clause in the US&nbsp;Constitution that Democrats have accused him of violating by profiting from his businesses, including a hotel in downtown Washington. The so-called emoluments clause bars a president from receiving any gifts, payment or other things of value from a foreign country.

An accusation of violating the emoluments clause could figure into the articles of impeachment against Trump.

Democrats mocked the president over the issue.

"It is literally in the Constitution," Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell said on Twitter.

Asked if it is a foregone conclusion that House Democrats will vote to impeach him, Trump said: "They want to impeach. And they want to do it as quick as possible."

At the heart of the inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who had been a director of a Ukrainian energy company, as well as a discredited theory that Ukraine, and not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

Another round of testimony in the inquiry is set for this week, including by Bill Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, on Tuesday.

Acting White House budget director Russell Vought said both he and Michael Duffey, associate director for national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget, would not provide depositions to the committees leading the inquiry.

Duffey had been scheduled to testify behind closed doors on Wednesday as Democrats investigate whether Trump withheld $391 million in security aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to investigate Biden and its own role in the US&nbsp;election.

A planned deposition on Wednesday by Philip Reeker, the acting US&nbsp;assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs who oversaw US&nbsp;policy toward Ukraine, has been postponed at the request of the lawmakers carrying out the inquiry, a source familiar with the matter said. He is now expected to testify in closed session on Saturday, an official working on the inquiry said.

Trump, a real estate developer, said serving as president has personally cost him $2 billion to $5 billion dollars. He also expressed annoyance at having to reverse his decision to stage the Group of Seven summit in June at his Trump National Doral golf resort in the Miami area.

His plan to host the gathering was lambasted by both Democrats and Republicans who said it gave the impression he was profiting from being president.

"I would've made a fortune if I just ran my business. I was doing it really well. I have a great business. I have the best properties," Trump told reporters.

Donald Trump on Monday exhorted fellow Republicans to get tougher and fight for his presidency, saying the Democratic-led United States House of Representatives wants to impeach him "as quick as possible" over his request that Ukraine investigates a political rival.

Donald Trump on Monday exhorted fellow Republicans to get tougher and fight for his presidency, saying the Democratic-led United States House of Representatives wants to impeach him "as quick as possible" over his request that Ukraine investigates a political rival. Trump made his comments during a White House Cabinet meeting as Democrats sought to build public support for their fast-moving impeachment enquiry and the administration pressed its efforts to stonewall the probe. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a video and "fact sheet" that may give hints about the articles of impeachment, formal charges, Democrats may pursue against Republican Trump, accusing him of abuse of power, a "shakedown" involving Ukraine and a cover-up. Republicans in the House of Representatives tried to censure one of the enquiry's leaders, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, but the motion was blocked by Democrats who control the chamber. Few Republican lawmakers have shown an inclination to remove Trump from office even as Democrats focus on his pushing a vulnerable foreign ally to interfere to his benefit in the November 2020 US election by providing political dirt on Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination to run against Trump. Senator Mitt Romney is one of the few Republicans who have sharply criticised Trump, who has denied wrongdoing. Other Republicans have expressed misgivings about Trump policies, including criticism from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Lindsey Graham of his withdrawal of US troops in northeastern Syria, which exposed US-allied Kurdish fighters to a Turkish cross-border offensive. Approval of articles of impeachment in the House would prompt a trial in the Republican-led Senate on whether to remove Trump from office. "The Republicans have to get tougher and fight. We have some that are great fighters, but they have to get tougher and fight because the Democrats are trying to hurt the Republican Party before the election," Trump said. Trump said the Democrats are "vicious and they stick together." "They don't have Mitt Romney in their midst. They don't have people like that. They stick together," Trump added. In an interview aired with "Axios on HBO," Romney denounced Trump's requests to Ukraine and China to investigate Biden, questioned Trump's character, criticised his decision to "abandon" Kurdish allies and deplored his hush money payment to an adult film star. Romney was the 2012 Republican presidential nominee but lost to incumbent Barack Obama. Anti-corruption provision Trump also labelled as "phoney" an anti-corruption clause in the US Constitution that Democrats have accused him of violating by profiting from his businesses, including a hotel in downtown Washington. The so-called emoluments clause bars a president from receiving any gifts, payment or other things of value from a foreign country. An accusation of violating the emoluments clause could figure into the articles of impeachment against Trump. Democrats mocked the president over the issue. "It is literally in the Constitution," Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell said on Twitter. Asked if it is a foregone conclusion that House Democrats will vote to impeach him, Trump said: "They want to impeach. And they want to do it as quick as possible." At the heart of the inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who had been a director of a Ukrainian energy company, as well as a discredited theory that Ukraine, and not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. Another round of testimony in the inquiry is set for this week, including by Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, on Tuesday. Acting White House budget director Russell Vought said both he and Michael Duffey, associate director for national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget, would not provide depositions to the committees leading the inquiry. Duffey had been scheduled to testify behind closed doors on Wednesday as Democrats investigate whether Trump withheld $391 million in security aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to investigate Biden and its own role in the US election. A planned deposition on Wednesday by Philip Reeker, the acting US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs who oversaw US policy toward Ukraine, has been postponed at the request of the lawmakers carrying out the inquiry, a source familiar with the matter said. He is now expected to testify in closed session on Saturday, an official working on the inquiry said. Trump, a real estate developer, said serving as president has personally cost him $2 billion to $5 billion dollars. He also expressed annoyance at having to reverse his decision to stage the Group of Seven summit in June at his Trump National Doral golf resort in the Miami area. His plan to host the gathering was lambasted by both Democrats and Republicans who said it gave the impression he was profiting from being president. "I would've made a fortune if I just ran my business. I was doing it really well. I have a great business. I have the best properties," Trump told reporters.

Trump exhorts Republicans to 'get tougher' against impeachment enquiry

"As the president of Ukraine, I won't interfere with events in other countries, unlike some others (who) may try (to)," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-zelensky-denies-trump-tried-to-blackmail-him-254961">Zelensky told AFP</a> as he met the Ukrainian diaspora in the Latvian capital Riga.&nbsp;

"We, as Ukraine, will do nothing," he said.

The leader of the impeachment investigation said Tuesday that witnesses had provided substantial support for allegations that he illegally tried to force <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-president-zelensky-calls-controversial-donald-trump-call-normal-252078">Ukraine to investigate Biden</a>.

While the White House and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani refused to turn over subpoenaed documents on the Ukraine affair to Congress, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said five witnesses had backed up allegations of misuse of power that could underpin formal impeachment charges.

Witnesses have said Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky, in which he appeared to tie US military aid to getting dirt on Biden, was planned in advance and then followed up, Schiff said.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Trump lashed out at lawmakers, saying "Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings."

Democrats are seeking to prove Trump sought foreign aid to boost his reelection next year, violating US election laws.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-discussed-biden-in-call-with-ukrainian-president-251491">Trump has admitted asking Zelensky for help</a> to probe Biden, but said it was for legitimate suspicions of corruption and not political reasons.

"As the president of Ukraine, I won't interfere with events in other countries, unlike some others (who) may try (to)," Zelensky told AFP as he met the Ukrainian diaspora in the Latvian capital Riga.

"As the president of Ukraine, I won't interfere with events in other countries, unlike some others (who) may try (to)," Zelensky told AFP as he met the Ukrainian diaspora in the Latvian capital Riga. "We, as Ukraine, will do nothing," he said. The leader of the impeachment investigation said Tuesday that witnesses had provided substantial support for allegations that he illegally tried to force Ukraine to investigate Biden. While the White House and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani refused to turn over subpoenaed documents on the Ukraine affair to Congress, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said five witnesses had backed up allegations of misuse of power that could underpin formal impeachment charges. Witnesses have said Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky, in which he appeared to tie US military aid to getting dirt on Biden, was planned in advance and then followed up, Schiff said. Meanwhile, on Twitter, Trump lashed out at lawmakers, saying "Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings." Democrats are seeking to prove Trump sought foreign aid to boost his reelection next year, violating US election laws. Trump has admitted asking Zelensky for help to probe Biden, but said it was for legitimate suspicions of corruption and not political reasons.

Ukraine 'won't interfere' in Trump impeachment probe: President Zelensky

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-officials-not-aware-of-escape-of-islamic-state-extremists-mike-pence-leaving-for-turkey-in-24-hours-256166">US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence</a> and President Donald <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-lawyer-giuliani-was-paid-500000-to-work-for-company-run-by-arrested-ukrainian-american-businessman-256142">Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani</a> said on Tuesday they will not cooperate with a US&nbsp;House of Representatives <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-diplomat-testifies-at-house-impeachment-enquiry-on-trumps-ukraine-dealings-256157">impeachment enquiry</a>, prompting a leading Democrat to say that would strengthen the case against the president.

The Pentagon also said it would not comply with lawmakers' request for documents related to Trump's effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, further illustrating Trump's determination to stonewall the Democratic-led impeachment effort, which threatens to consume his presidency.

"The evidence of obstruction of Congress continues to build," Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, one of the leaders of the impeachment effort, said at a news conference.

Other US&nbsp;government officials have not been as reluctant to cooperate.

A senior US&nbsp;diplomat, George Kent, said in closed-door testimony that he had been alarmed by efforts by Giuliani and others to pressure Ukraine, according to one lawmaker who heard his testimony.

"He was pretty detailed in talking about some of the shady characters Giuliani was dependent on for misinformation," Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly told reporters.

House Democrats are focussing on Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July 25 phone call to look into unsubstantiated allegations about Joe Biden, the former vice president and a leading contender to become the Democratic nominee to run against Trump in the November 2020 US&nbsp;presidential election.

If the Democratic-controlled House votes to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove the president from office. Success is seen as unlikely at this point as few Republican senators have criticized Trump.

A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday found that 43 per cent US&nbsp;adults believe Trump should be impeached, and 42 per cent said he should not be impeached. Another 14 per cent said they were not sure.

Kent, who has spent much of his career fighting corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere, is the second career diplomat to testify as part of the probe after being subpoenaed. The White House and State Department had ordered them not to appear.

His testimony backed up accounts from other US&nbsp;government insiders who have said they were unnerved by Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine.

Diplomats testify

Marie Yovanovitch, the former US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, on Friday accused the Trump administration in the testimony of recalling her in May based on false claims.

Kent also said that a top White House official, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, picked the officials who would handle Ukraine policy after the sitting ambassador was abruptly recalled in May.

"Here is a senior State Department official responsible for six countries, one of which is Ukraine, who found himself outside of a parallel process that he felt was undermining 28 years of US&nbsp;policy in promoting the rule of law in Ukraine. And that was wrong. He used that word, 'wrong'," Connolly said of Kent.

Two of those officials, US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and Kurt Volker, a special representative for Ukraine, worked with Giuliani to pressure Ukrainian officials to launch investigations that could benefit Trump, according to communications provided to the committee.

Volker resigned his post in late September. Sondland is due to testify later in the week in response to a congressional subpoena.

Lawmakers on Monday heard from Fiona Hill, Trump's former Russia adviser, who said she and her then-boss, former national security adviser John Bolton, were also alarmed by the effort.

Hill told lawmakers that Bolton characterized Giuliani as "a hand grenade who is going to blow everybody up," according to two sources familiar with her testimony. A Bolton spokeswoman said he would have no comment on the testimony.

Giuliani had faced a Tuesday deadline to produce the requested documents. His lawyer, Jon Sale, said the documents were protected by legal principles that shield attorney-client communications and presidential communications.

"This appears to be an unconstitutional, baseless, and illegitimate 'impeachment inquiry,'" Sale wrote, echoing language the White House used last week.

Pence's lawyer, Matthew E. Morgan, also cited the White House's response, saying the House had not voted to authorise the inquiry.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said no vote is necessary.

"There is no requirement that we have a vote and so at this time we will not be having a vote," Pelosi told a news conference.

Hunter Biden denies wrongdoing

The investigation is focussed on the July call in which Trump pressed Zelenskiy to have Ukraine officials investigate Biden and his businessman son, Hunter Biden, who had been on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

Hunter Biden, 49, denied doing anything improper in past work for the company but acknowledged he had benefited professionally from his father's political career in an interview with ABC News that aired on Tuesday.

Joe Biden has denied Trump's allegations of corruption.

Democrats have accused Trump of pressuring a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally to dig up dirt on Biden after withholding $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid intended to help combat Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine. Zelenskiy agreed to investigate. Trump eventually allowed aid.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and defended his request to Zelenskiy during the phone call, which prompted a formal whistleblower complaint by a person with a US&nbsp;intelligence agency.

US Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on Tuesday they will not cooperate with a US House of Representatives impeachment enquiry, prompting a leading Democrat to say that would strengthen the case against the president.

US Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on Tuesday they will not cooperate with a US House of Representatives impeachment enquiry, prompting a leading Democrat to say that would strengthen the case against the president. The Pentagon also said it would not comply with lawmakers' request for documents related to Trump's effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, further illustrating Trump's determination to stonewall the Democratic-led impeachment effort, which threatens to consume his presidency. "The evidence of obstruction of Congress continues to build," Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, one of the leaders of the impeachment effort, said at a news conference. Other US government officials have not been as reluctant to cooperate. A senior US diplomat, George Kent, said in closed-door testimony that he had been alarmed by efforts by Giuliani and others to pressure Ukraine, according to one lawmaker who heard his testimony. "He was pretty detailed in talking about some of the shady characters Giuliani was dependent on for misinformation," Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly told reporters. House Democrats are focussing on Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July 25 phone call to look into unsubstantiated allegations about Joe Biden, the former vice president and a leading contender to become the Democratic nominee to run against Trump in the November 2020 US presidential election. If the Democratic-controlled House votes to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove the president from office. Success is seen as unlikely at this point as few Republican senators have criticized Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday found that 43 per cent US adults believe Trump should be impeached, and 42 per cent said he should not be impeached. Another 14 per cent said they were not sure. Kent, who has spent much of his career fighting corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere, is the second career diplomat to testify as part of the probe after being subpoenaed. The White House and State Department had ordered them not to appear. His testimony backed up accounts from other US government insiders who have said they were unnerved by Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine. Diplomats testify Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, on Friday accused the Trump administration in the testimony of recalling her in May based on false claims. Kent also said that a top White House official, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, picked the officials who would handle Ukraine policy after the sitting ambassador was abruptly recalled in May. "Here is a senior State Department official responsible for six countries, one of which is Ukraine, who found himself outside of a parallel process that he felt was undermining 28 years of US policy in promoting the rule of law in Ukraine. And that was wrong. He used that word, 'wrong'," Connolly said of Kent. Two of those officials, US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and Kurt Volker, a special representative for Ukraine, worked with Giuliani to pressure Ukrainian officials to launch investigations that could benefit Trump, according to communications provided to the committee. Volker resigned his post in late September. Sondland is due to testify later in the week in response to a congressional subpoena. Lawmakers on Monday heard from Fiona Hill, Trump's former Russia adviser, who said she and her then-boss, former national security adviser John Bolton, were also alarmed by the effort. Hill told lawmakers that Bolton characterized Giuliani as "a hand grenade who is going to blow everybody up," according to two sources familiar with her testimony. A Bolton spokeswoman said he would have no comment on the testimony. Giuliani had faced a Tuesday deadline to produce the requested documents. His lawyer, Jon Sale, said the documents were protected by legal principles that shield attorney-client communications and presidential communications. "This appears to be an unconstitutional, baseless, and illegitimate 'impeachment inquiry,'" Sale wrote, echoing language the White House used last week. Pence's lawyer, Matthew E. Morgan, also cited the White House's response, saying the House had not voted to authorise the inquiry. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said no vote is necessary. "There is no requirement that we have a vote and so at this time we will not be having a vote," Pelosi told a news conference. Hunter Biden denies wrongdoing The investigation is focussed on the July call in which Trump pressed Zelenskiy to have Ukraine officials investigate Biden and his businessman son, Hunter Biden, who had been on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Hunter Biden, 49, denied doing anything improper in past work for the company but acknowledged he had benefited professionally from his father's political career in an interview with ABC News that aired on Tuesday. Joe Biden has denied Trump's allegations of corruption. Democrats have accused Trump of pressuring a vulnerable US ally to dig up dirt on Biden after withholding $391 million in US security aid intended to help combat Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine. Zelenskiy agreed to investigate. Trump eventually allowed aid. Trump has denied wrongdoing and defended his request to Zelenskiy during the phone call, which prompted a formal whistleblower complaint by a person with a US intelligence agency.

Pence, Giuliani will not cooperate in US House impeachment inquiry

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