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NATION MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019 OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD • — 3B THE THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FACES SCRUTINY FOR JULY PHONE CALL WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT Democrats moving to interview witnesses, take other steps in impeachment inquiry By Jill Colvin Associated Press WASHINGTON — House Democrats are marching for- ward with their impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, with more deposi- tions coming this week. Democrats are moving quickly to interview key witnesses and lock down information as they explore the question of whether the president compromised national security or abused his office by seeking dirt on a political rival from a foreign country. The probe was sparked by a whistleblower who revealed that Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to inves- tigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter — potentially in exchange for military aid money. Trump, who has defended his conduct as “perfect,” publicly called on China last week to investi- gate the Bidens, too. Calls to investigate the Bidens have come without evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden in either country. Trump’s lawyer, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, says the calls for investigations are perfectly kosher, telling Fox News that the “president of the United States has every right to ask countries to help us in a criminal investigation that should be undertaken.” Meanwhile, the adminis- tration is continuing to offer mixed signals as it struggles to respond to the barrage and as the president lashes out by tweet. What’s coming next: MORE DEPOSITIONS Staff and lawmakers from House Democrats are han- dling the inquiry. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- S.C., one of Trump’s most vo- cal backers, argued that there was nothing wrong with Trump’s July conversation with Zelenskiy. In an inter- view on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” he said the accusation look like a “political setup.” ry response, telling reporters, “I always cooperate.” A day later, however, Trump had a different answer for the same question, saying he would instead leave the matter to his lawyers. By Friday he had changed his tune again, confirming reports the White House was preparing a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., arguing that Con- MORE DEADLINES gress cannot undertake an impeachment investigation The House committees without having a formal vote have requested a slew of to authorize it. Pelosi has re- documents from the White House as well as top officials sisted taking that step, insist- ing the House is well within including Pompeo, Giuliani its rules to conduct oversight Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel-TNS and Vice President Mike Pence. Pompeo blew a Friday of the executive branch under President Donald Trump responds to cheering support- the Constitution. deadline for complying with ers during his appearance at the Sharon L. Morris Per- It remains unclear when or forming Arts Center in The Villages, Florida, on Thursday. a subpoena, but said over even if the White House letter the weekend that the State Department had sent a letter will be sent — but Democrats the House Intelligence Com- original intelligence com- do not appear to be budging, mittee, the House Oversight munity whistleblower whose to Congress Friday night even as they insist they have as its initial response to the and Reform Committee and complaint launched the the needed votes. request. He also indicated a the House Foreign Affairs impeachment inquiry said “If Speaker Pelosi did in new willingness to comply, Committee will continue to Sunday that a second whis- saying: “We’ll obviously do all fact move forward with a hear from witnesses through- tleblower has come forward out the week. Gordon Sond- and spoken to the intelligence the things that we’re required floor vote on actually proceed- ing with an investigation ... land, the U.S. ambassador community’s internal watch- to do by law.” there’s no question in my Giuliani and Pence have to the European Union who dog, further complicating the mind that she would have been given until Oct. 15 to has become a key figure in president’s case. the votes,” Rep. Jim Himes of turn over their documents, the probe, will be deposed on Attorney Mark Zaid Connecticut, the top Demo- while the White House sub- Tuesday. And Marie Yovano- said the second person has crat on the House Intelligence vitch, the former U.S. ambas- information that corroborates poena deadline is Oct. 18. Committee, said on CBS’s Democrats are moving sador to Ukraine who was the original whistleblower’s “Face the Nation.” swiftly and have said they recalled from the post early, complaint about Trump’s hope to finish the investiga- will be speaking Friday. dealings with Ukraine and WILL MORE It is uncertain whether two has “firsthand knowledge” of tion in a matter of weeks — additional figures — George key events. That threatens to perhaps even before Thanks- REPUBLICANS SPEAK OUT? Kent, the deputy assistant undermine arguments made giving. secretary of state in the Euro- by Trump and his allies that Sen. Susan Collins, R- WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE Maine, became just the third pean and Eurasian Bureau, the original complaint was and Ulrich Brechbuhl, a State politically-motivated and un- Trump has offered a series Republican senator to pub- Department counselor — will reliable because it was based of contradictory statements licly question Trump’s con- be making requested appear- on secondhand or third-hand when it comes to whether or duct when she said over the ances, after Secretary of State information. not his administration plans weekend that “it’s not OK” Mike Pompeo objected to the But that hasn’t stopped for a president to encourage a to comply with the House timing. Trump and his allies from foreign state to investigate a subpoena. continuing to try to under- political rival. Asked about the prospect MORE WHISTLEBLOWERS mine the source of the probe, Wednesday, Trump offered an The others are Sens. Ben inaccurate, though conciliato- Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt A lawyer representing the while criticizing the way Romney of Utah. Romney’s sharp criticism has sparked a furious response from Trump, who took the extraordinary step Saturday of calling for Romney’s impeachment after labeling him “pompous” and “a fool.” The Constitution doesn’t call for impeachment of a senator and Utah’s laws don’t have a provision for recalling one. It appears unlikely many more Republicans will choose to choose to take a stand against the president, who remains deeply popular with Republican voters. That’s something one of the Repub- licans challenging Trump for the GOP presidential nomi- nation, Joe Walsh of Illinois, called on fellow Republicans to do. “This president needs to be impeached, just based on what he himself has said,” Walsh said on CNN. “And Republicans better get behind that.” SLOWER SENATE If the House does vote to approve charges against Trump, it would then be up to the Republican-led Senate to decide whether to dismiss the charges or hold a trial. Some Senate Republicans have expressed concerns about Trump’s interactions with Ukraine, but there are few signs there would be enough discontent to convict. If Trump were impeached, it would take a two-thirds vote in the Senate to con- vict him and remove him from office. That has never happened. Only two presi- dents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998; both won acquittal in the Senate. 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