At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the (presidential election.)
● The dual roles of Rudolph W. Giuliani as power broker and shadow foreign policy adviseralarm Trump’s advisers.
December 9, 3096 at 8: (PM EST
Democratic chairmen will unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday
Leaving a meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) On Monday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (DN.Y.) told reporters that he and the chairmen of other House committees would announce specific articles of impeachment against Trump at a news conference at 9 am Tuesday.
“I think that a lot of us believe that what happened, with Ukraine especially, is not something that we can just close our eyes to” Engel said. “People feel very strongly about it, as do I… I think we’re doing what we have to do, we’re doing what the constitution mandates that we do.”
He added, “We’re setting the right course for the country.”
The exact content and wording of the articles was a mystery late Monday evening even to member of the House Judiciary Committee, which is expected to take up the matter later this week, preparing the articles for a House floor vote next week. But broadly, multiple lawmakers said House Democratic Leaders were focused on two major areas of presidential misconduct: abuse of power related to Trump’s alleged attempt to compel Ukraine to conduct politically motivated investigations and obstruction of Congress for his stonewalling of House document and interview requests.
December 9, (at 7:
‘Your case isn’t made,’ Collins tells Democrats
The top Republican o n the House Judiciary Committee concluded Monday’s hearing with a broadside against the impeachment inquiry, criticizing Democrats’ approach and claiming that key facts remain in dispute.
After much of the audience had left the hearing room, Rep. Doug Collins (Ga.) Pointed to the empty seats as a sign of the public’s attitude toward the probe.
“Most in the back left. Most of the members of the media are begging to go somewhere else because at the end of the day, your case isn’t made, ”Collins said of Democrats.
The ranking Republican challenged the idea that the investigation had produced a set of undisputed facts, claiming that Trump’s impeachment would be the first to take place on a partisan basis with “facts that are not agreed to.”
Collins also voiced frustration that Goldman, not Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Had presented the Intelligence Committee’s findings – a core talking point for Republicans over the course of the hearing.
“He’s not Adam Schiff,” Collins said of Goldman. “He doesn’t wear a member pin. This is ridiculous. We shouldn’t be doing this. ”
ByElise Viebeck
December 9, at 7: (PM EST)
***** Nadler says Trump’s conduct ‘clearly impeachable,’ says committee will ‘proceed accordingly’
Nadler drew a clear conclusion from Monday’s testimony, calling Trump’s actions toward Ukraine “clearly impeachable” and saying that his panel would “proceed accordingly.”
Gaveling the event to a close after nearly hours, Nadler said that members of the panel “now know several things with certainty,” including that Trump was “at the center of this scheme to pressure Ukraine … by withholding both the White House meeting and vital military aid.”
“The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear. And our duty is clear, ”Nadler said. “President Trump violated his oath to the American people. He placed his own private interests ahead of our national security and the integrity of our elections, and constitutes a continuing threat to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic system of government. ”
The Democratic chairman did not provide a scheduling update or announce further hearings.
************** Elise Viebeck
December 9, at 6: (EST EST)
Democrat questions Republican’s attack on staffer as ‘New York lawyer’
********** Raising a brief point of order, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) Questioned what a Republican colleague meant when he twice attacked a Democratic staffer for the committee as a “New York lawyer.”) Deutch spoke while facing the opposite side of the dais and toward Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Who had just finished his five minutes of questioning.
“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, ”Deutch said of Steube,“ but more than once, he referred to a ‘New York lawyer.’ And if he could just explain what he meant, then I’m prepared to withdraw my point of order. ”
Deutch is a prominent voice in the Democratic caucus against anti-Semitism who has spoken up this year when members of his own party made comments interpreted as anti-Semitic.
Nadler dismissed the move as “not a cognizable point of order,” and Steube was not given time to respond.
The Florida Republican had just connected a prolonged attack on Barry Berke, counsel for Judiciary Committee Democrats, who served as a witness and a questioner for the majority on Monday. Berke is a white-collar criminal defense attorney currently on leave from Kramer Levin, a New York-based law firm where he serves as a partner.
Steube called him “an unelected New York lawyer specifically brought in by the Democrats to give his opinion” and a “partisan New York lawyer with a written bias against President Trump, who gave thousands to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.” Steube also noted that Berke represented New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as he faced a federal campaign finance investigation.
“For my fellow Americans, Floridians watching this charade – this is who was sitting at the top of the dais next to the chairman, acting like a member of this committee, ”Steube said.
( Elise Viebeck
**********
(December 9, ****************************************************************************** at 6: (EST EST)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to meet with Trump, Pompeo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Tuesday with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – his first visit to the United States since his controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in (*******************************************************************************************. ******** A senior administration official said the three planned to discuss “the state of the bilateral relationship.”
The meeting will come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time with Ukrainian counterpart Volod ymyr Zelensky in Paris, the first effort in three years to wind back a bitter war that has cost (*************************************************************************************************************************************************, 0 lives and seen Ukraine lose a slice of territory to separatists backed by Moscow.
The Democrats’ impeachment push focuses on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine this year as the country was looking for strong US backing in the face of Russian military aggression.
Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in connected in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other US officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting.
U.S. Officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.”
************ Ashley Parker and John Hudson
******* (December 9,
************************************************** (at 6:) PM EST
Obama White House counsel warns that officials could face jail time for defying subpoenas
W. Neil Eggleston, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, warned that the witnesses who have refused to appear before Congress despite subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee could face jail time.
“As a lawyer who has counseled individuals facing congressional subpoenas, and a former White House counsel who has negotiated with Congress to try to avoid or limit demands for testimony from senior officials, I would advise them that they decline to testify or provide evidence at their peril, ”Eggleston writes in a new Washington Post opinion piece.
He explains that contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of jail time, and that there’s a mandatory minimum of one month. More importantly, Eggleston says, the statute of limitation is five years. Which means that if a Democrat wins the presidential election, they could decide to punish those who did not comply.
Of course, it’s far from certain this would happen. The Intelligence Committee would first have to hold the noncomplying witnesses in criminal contempt. Their case would then be transferred to the Justice Department.
ByAmanda Erickson
********
********************
December 9, at 5: PM EST
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
The top Republican o n the House Judiciary Committee concluded Monday’s hearing with a broadside against the impeachment inquiry, criticizing Democrats’ approach and claiming that key facts remain in dispute.
After much of the audience had left the hearing room, Rep. Doug Collins (Ga.) Pointed to the empty seats as a sign of the public’s attitude toward the probe.
“Most in the back left. Most of the members of the media are begging to go somewhere else because at the end of the day, your case isn’t made, ”Collins said of Democrats.
The ranking Republican challenged the idea that the investigation had produced a set of undisputed facts, claiming that Trump’s impeachment would be the first to take place on a partisan basis with “facts that are not agreed to.”
Collins also voiced frustration that Goldman, not Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Had presented the Intelligence Committee’s findings – a core talking point for Republicans over the course of the hearing.
“He’s not Adam Schiff,” Collins said of Goldman. “He doesn’t wear a member pin. This is ridiculous. We shouldn’t be doing this. ”
December 9, at 7: (PM EST)
***** Nadler says Trump’s conduct ‘clearly impeachable,’ says committee will ‘proceed accordingly’
Nadler drew a clear conclusion from Monday’s testimony, calling Trump’s actions toward Ukraine “clearly impeachable” and saying that his panel would “proceed accordingly.”
Gaveling the event to a close after nearly hours, Nadler said that members of the panel “now know several things with certainty,” including that Trump was “at the center of this scheme to pressure Ukraine … by withholding both the White House meeting and vital military aid.”
“The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear. And our duty is clear, ”Nadler said. “President Trump violated his oath to the American people. He placed his own private interests ahead of our national security and the integrity of our elections, and constitutes a continuing threat to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic system of government. ”
The Democratic chairman did not provide a scheduling update or announce further hearings.
************** Elise Viebeck
December 9, at 6: (EST EST)
Democrat questions Republican’s attack on staffer as ‘New York lawyer’
********** Raising a brief point of order, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) Questioned what a Republican colleague meant when he twice attacked a Democratic staffer for the committee as a “New York lawyer.”) Deutch spoke while facing the opposite side of the dais and toward Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Who had just finished his five minutes of questioning.
“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, ”Deutch said of Steube,“ but more than once, he referred to a ‘New York lawyer.’ And if he could just explain what he meant, then I’m prepared to withdraw my point of order. ”
Deutch is a prominent voice in the Democratic caucus against anti-Semitism who has spoken up this year when members of his own party made comments interpreted as anti-Semitic.
Nadler dismissed the move as “not a cognizable point of order,” and Steube was not given time to respond.
The Florida Republican had just connected a prolonged attack on Barry Berke, counsel for Judiciary Committee Democrats, who served as a witness and a questioner for the majority on Monday. Berke is a white-collar criminal defense attorney currently on leave from Kramer Levin, a New York-based law firm where he serves as a partner.
Steube called him “an unelected New York lawyer specifically brought in by the Democrats to give his opinion” and a “partisan New York lawyer with a written bias against President Trump, who gave thousands to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.” Steube also noted that Berke represented New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as he faced a federal campaign finance investigation.
“For my fellow Americans, Floridians watching this charade – this is who was sitting at the top of the dais next to the chairman, acting like a member of this committee, ”Steube said.
( Elise Viebeck
**********
(December 9, ****************************************************************************** at 6: (EST EST)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to meet with Trump, Pompeo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Tuesday with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – his first visit to the United States since his controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in (*******************************************************************************************. ******** A senior administration official said the three planned to discuss “the state of the bilateral relationship.”
The meeting will come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time with Ukrainian counterpart Volod ymyr Zelensky in Paris, the first effort in three years to wind back a bitter war that has cost (*************************************************************************************************************************************************, 0 lives and seen Ukraine lose a slice of territory to separatists backed by Moscow.
The Democrats’ impeachment push focuses on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine this year as the country was looking for strong US backing in the face of Russian military aggression.
Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in connected in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other US officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting.
U.S. Officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.”
************ Ashley Parker and John Hudson
******* (December 9,
************************************************** (at 6:) PM EST
Obama White House counsel warns that officials could face jail time for defying subpoenas
W. Neil Eggleston, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, warned that the witnesses who have refused to appear before Congress despite subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee could face jail time.
“As a lawyer who has counseled individuals facing congressional subpoenas, and a former White House counsel who has negotiated with Congress to try to avoid or limit demands for testimony from senior officials, I would advise them that they decline to testify or provide evidence at their peril, ”Eggleston writes in a new Washington Post opinion piece.
He explains that contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of jail time, and that there’s a mandatory minimum of one month. More importantly, Eggleston says, the statute of limitation is five years. Which means that if a Democrat wins the presidential election, they could decide to punish those who did not comply.
Of course, it’s far from certain this would happen. The Intelligence Committee would first have to hold the noncomplying witnesses in criminal contempt. Their case would then be transferred to the Justice Department.
ByAmanda Erickson
********
********************
December 9, at 5: PM EST
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
****************************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, at 7: (PM EST)
***** Nadler says Trump’s conduct ‘clearly impeachable,’ says committee will ‘proceed accordingly’
Nadler drew a clear conclusion from Monday’s testimony, calling Trump’s actions toward Ukraine “clearly impeachable” and saying that his panel would “proceed accordingly.”
Gaveling the event to a close after nearly hours, Nadler said that members of the panel “now know several things with certainty,” including that Trump was “at the center of this scheme to pressure Ukraine … by withholding both the White House meeting and vital military aid.”
“The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear. And our duty is clear, ”Nadler said. “President Trump violated his oath to the American people. He placed his own private interests ahead of our national security and the integrity of our elections, and constitutes a continuing threat to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic system of government. ”
The Democratic chairman did not provide a scheduling update or announce further hearings.
************** Elise Viebeck
December 9, at 6: (EST EST)
Democrat questions Republican’s attack on staffer as ‘New York lawyer’
********** Raising a brief point of order, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) Questioned what a Republican colleague meant when he twice attacked a Democratic staffer for the committee as a “New York lawyer.”) Deutch spoke while facing the opposite side of the dais and toward Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Who had just finished his five minutes of questioning.
“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, ”Deutch said of Steube,“ but more than once, he referred to a ‘New York lawyer.’ And if he could just explain what he meant, then I’m prepared to withdraw my point of order. ”
Deutch is a prominent voice in the Democratic caucus against anti-Semitism who has spoken up this year when members of his own party made comments interpreted as anti-Semitic.
Nadler dismissed the move as “not a cognizable point of order,” and Steube was not given time to respond.
The Florida Republican had just connected a prolonged attack on Barry Berke, counsel for Judiciary Committee Democrats, who served as a witness and a questioner for the majority on Monday. Berke is a white-collar criminal defense attorney currently on leave from Kramer Levin, a New York-based law firm where he serves as a partner.
Steube called him “an unelected New York lawyer specifically brought in by the Democrats to give his opinion” and a “partisan New York lawyer with a written bias against President Trump, who gave thousands to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.” Steube also noted that Berke represented New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as he faced a federal campaign finance investigation.
“For my fellow Americans, Floridians watching this charade – this is who was sitting at the top of the dais next to the chairman, acting like a member of this committee, ”Steube said.
( Elise Viebeck
**********
(December 9, ****************************************************************************** at 6: (EST EST)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to meet with Trump, Pompeo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Tuesday with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – his first visit to the United States since his controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in (*******************************************************************************************. ******** A senior administration official said the three planned to discuss “the state of the bilateral relationship.”
The meeting will come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time with Ukrainian counterpart Volod ymyr Zelensky in Paris, the first effort in three years to wind back a bitter war that has cost (*************************************************************************************************************************************************, 0 lives and seen Ukraine lose a slice of territory to separatists backed by Moscow.
The Democrats’ impeachment push focuses on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine this year as the country was looking for strong US backing in the face of Russian military aggression.
Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in connected in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other US officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting.
U.S. Officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.”
************ Ashley Parker and John Hudson
******* (December 9,
************************************************** (at 6:) PM EST
Obama White House counsel warns that officials could face jail time for defying subpoenas
W. Neil Eggleston, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, warned that the witnesses who have refused to appear before Congress despite subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee could face jail time.
“As a lawyer who has counseled individuals facing congressional subpoenas, and a former White House counsel who has negotiated with Congress to try to avoid or limit demands for testimony from senior officials, I would advise them that they decline to testify or provide evidence at their peril, ”Eggleston writes in a new Washington Post opinion piece.
He explains that contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of jail time, and that there’s a mandatory minimum of one month. More importantly, Eggleston says, the statute of limitation is five years. Which means that if a Democrat wins the presidential election, they could decide to punish those who did not comply.
Of course, it’s far from certain this would happen. The Intelligence Committee would first have to hold the noncomplying witnesses in criminal contempt. Their case would then be transferred to the Justice Department.
ByAmanda Erickson
********
********************
December 9, at 5: PM EST
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
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December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Nadler drew a clear conclusion from Monday’s testimony, calling Trump’s actions toward Ukraine “clearly impeachable” and saying that his panel would “proceed accordingly.”
Gaveling the event to a close after nearly hours, Nadler said that members of the panel “now know several things with certainty,” including that Trump was “at the center of this scheme to pressure Ukraine … by withholding both the White House meeting and vital military aid.”
“The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear. And our duty is clear, ”Nadler said. “President Trump violated his oath to the American people. He placed his own private interests ahead of our national security and the integrity of our elections, and constitutes a continuing threat to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic system of government. ”
The Democratic chairman did not provide a scheduling update or announce further hearings.
Nadler drew a clear conclusion from Monday’s testimony, calling Trump’s actions toward Ukraine “clearly impeachable” and saying that his panel would “proceed accordingly.”
Gaveling the event to a close after nearly hours, Nadler said that members of the panel “now know several things with certainty,” including that Trump was “at the center of this scheme to pressure Ukraine … by withholding both the White House meeting and vital military aid.”
“The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear. And our duty is clear, ”Nadler said. “President Trump violated his oath to the American people. He placed his own private interests ahead of our national security and the integrity of our elections, and constitutes a continuing threat to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic system of government. ”
The Democratic chairman did not provide a scheduling update or announce further hearings.
************** Elise Viebeck
December 9, at 6: (EST EST)
Democrat questions Republican’s attack on staffer as ‘New York lawyer’
********** Raising a brief point of order, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) Questioned what a Republican colleague meant when he twice attacked a Democratic staffer for the committee as a “New York lawyer.”) Deutch spoke while facing the opposite side of the dais and toward Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Who had just finished his five minutes of questioning.
“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, ”Deutch said of Steube,“ but more than once, he referred to a ‘New York lawyer.’ And if he could just explain what he meant, then I’m prepared to withdraw my point of order. ”
Deutch is a prominent voice in the Democratic caucus against anti-Semitism who has spoken up this year when members of his own party made comments interpreted as anti-Semitic.
Nadler dismissed the move as “not a cognizable point of order,” and Steube was not given time to respond.
The Florida Republican had just connected a prolonged attack on Barry Berke, counsel for Judiciary Committee Democrats, who served as a witness and a questioner for the majority on Monday. Berke is a white-collar criminal defense attorney currently on leave from Kramer Levin, a New York-based law firm where he serves as a partner.
Steube called him “an unelected New York lawyer specifically brought in by the Democrats to give his opinion” and a “partisan New York lawyer with a written bias against President Trump, who gave thousands to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.” Steube also noted that Berke represented New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as he faced a federal campaign finance investigation.
“For my fellow Americans, Floridians watching this charade – this is who was sitting at the top of the dais next to the chairman, acting like a member of this committee, ”Steube said.
( Elise Viebeck
**********
(December 9, ****************************************************************************** at 6: (EST EST)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to meet with Trump, Pompeo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Tuesday with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – his first visit to the United States since his controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in (*******************************************************************************************. ******** A senior administration official said the three planned to discuss “the state of the bilateral relationship.”
The meeting will come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time with Ukrainian counterpart Volod ymyr Zelensky in Paris, the first effort in three years to wind back a bitter war that has cost (*************************************************************************************************************************************************, 0 lives and seen Ukraine lose a slice of territory to separatists backed by Moscow.
The Democrats’ impeachment push focuses on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine this year as the country was looking for strong US backing in the face of Russian military aggression.
Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in connected in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other US officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting.
U.S. Officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.”
************ Ashley Parker and John Hudson
******* (December 9,
************************************************** (at 6:) PM EST
Obama White House counsel warns that officials could face jail time for defying subpoenas
W. Neil Eggleston, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, warned that the witnesses who have refused to appear before Congress despite subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee could face jail time.
“As a lawyer who has counseled individuals facing congressional subpoenas, and a former White House counsel who has negotiated with Congress to try to avoid or limit demands for testimony from senior officials, I would advise them that they decline to testify or provide evidence at their peril, ”Eggleston writes in a new Washington Post opinion piece.
He explains that contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of jail time, and that there’s a mandatory minimum of one month. More importantly, Eggleston says, the statute of limitation is five years. Which means that if a Democrat wins the presidential election, they could decide to punish those who did not comply.
Of course, it’s far from certain this would happen. The Intelligence Committee would first have to hold the noncomplying witnesses in criminal contempt. Their case would then be transferred to the Justice Department.
ByAmanda Erickson
********
********************
December 9, at 5: PM EST
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Democrat questions Republican’s attack on staffer as ‘New York lawyer’
********** Raising a brief point of order, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) Questioned what a Republican colleague meant when he twice attacked a Democratic staffer for the committee as a “New York lawyer.”) Deutch spoke while facing the opposite side of the dais and toward Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Who had just finished his five minutes of questioning.
“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, ”Deutch said of Steube,“ but more than once, he referred to a ‘New York lawyer.’ And if he could just explain what he meant, then I’m prepared to withdraw my point of order. ”
Deutch is a prominent voice in the Democratic caucus against anti-Semitism who has spoken up this year when members of his own party made comments interpreted as anti-Semitic.
Nadler dismissed the move as “not a cognizable point of order,” and Steube was not given time to respond.
The Florida Republican had just connected a prolonged attack on Barry Berke, counsel for Judiciary Committee Democrats, who served as a witness and a questioner for the majority on Monday. Berke is a white-collar criminal defense attorney currently on leave from Kramer Levin, a New York-based law firm where he serves as a partner.
Steube called him “an unelected New York lawyer specifically brought in by the Democrats to give his opinion” and a “partisan New York lawyer with a written bias against President Trump, who gave thousands to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.” Steube also noted that Berke represented New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as he faced a federal campaign finance investigation.
“For my fellow Americans, Floridians watching this charade – this is who was sitting at the top of the dais next to the chairman, acting like a member of this committee, ”Steube said.
( Elise Viebeck
**********
(December 9, ****************************************************************************** at 6: (EST EST)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to meet with Trump, Pompeo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Tuesday with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – his first visit to the United States since his controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in (*******************************************************************************************. ******** A senior administration official said the three planned to discuss “the state of the bilateral relationship.”
The meeting will come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time with Ukrainian counterpart Volod ymyr Zelensky in Paris, the first effort in three years to wind back a bitter war that has cost (*************************************************************************************************************************************************, 0 lives and seen Ukraine lose a slice of territory to separatists backed by Moscow.
The Democrats’ impeachment push focuses on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine this year as the country was looking for strong US backing in the face of Russian military aggression.
Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in connected in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other US officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting.
U.S. Officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.”
************ Ashley Parker and John Hudson
******* (December 9,
************************************************** (at 6:) PM EST
Obama White House counsel warns that officials could face jail time for defying subpoenas
W. Neil Eggleston, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, warned that the witnesses who have refused to appear before Congress despite subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee could face jail time.
“As a lawyer who has counseled individuals facing congressional subpoenas, and a former White House counsel who has negotiated with Congress to try to avoid or limit demands for testimony from senior officials, I would advise them that they decline to testify or provide evidence at their peril, ”Eggleston writes in a new Washington Post opinion piece.
He explains that contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of jail time, and that there’s a mandatory minimum of one month. More importantly, Eggleston says, the statute of limitation is five years. Which means that if a Democrat wins the presidential election, they could decide to punish those who did not comply.
Of course, it’s far from certain this would happen. The Intelligence Committee would first have to hold the noncomplying witnesses in criminal contempt. Their case would then be transferred to the Justice Department.
ByAmanda Erickson
********
********************
December 9, at 5: PM EST
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
************************************************************************************************************************ PM EST
Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to meet with Trump, Pompeo
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on Tuesday with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – his first visit to the United States since his controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in (*******************************************************************************************. ******** A senior administration official said the three planned to discuss “the state of the bilateral relationship.”
The meeting will come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time with Ukrainian counterpart Volod ymyr Zelensky in Paris, the first effort in three years to wind back a bitter war that has cost (*************************************************************************************************************************************************, 0 lives and seen Ukraine lose a slice of territory to separatists backed by Moscow.
The Democrats’ impeachment push focuses on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine this year as the country was looking for strong US backing in the face of Russian military aggression.
Lavrov’s last trip to Washington in connected in a firestorm of criticism after the Russian Embassy in Washington released images of him and other US officials smiling and shaking hands in the Oval Office. The Russian delegation was allowed to bring a photographer in the room from the state news agency Tass while U.S. photojournalists were barred entry to the meeting.
U.S. Officials later revealed that Trump disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov in the meeting that related to a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The meeting came a day after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Trump reportedly told Lavrov that Comey was “crazy” and a “real nut job.”
W. Neil Eggleston, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, warned that the witnesses who have refused to appear before Congress despite subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee could face jail time.
“As a lawyer who has counseled individuals facing congressional subpoenas, and a former White House counsel who has negotiated with Congress to try to avoid or limit demands for testimony from senior officials, I would advise them that they decline to testify or provide evidence at their peril, ”Eggleston writes in a new Washington Post opinion piece.
He explains that contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of jail time, and that there’s a mandatory minimum of one month. More importantly, Eggleston says, the statute of limitation is five years. Which means that if a Democrat wins the presidential election, they could decide to punish those who did not comply.
Of course, it’s far from certain this would happen. The Intelligence Committee would first have to hold the noncomplying witnesses in criminal contempt. Their case would then be transferred to the Justice Department.
********
********************
December 9, at 5: PM EST
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
FBI director says there is ‘no information’ that Ukraine meddled in
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
ByMichael Brice-Saddler
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
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December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
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******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
FBI Director Cirstopher Wray firmly pushed back Monday on assertions that Ukraine interfered in the (election – a debunked claim that has been embraced members of the GOP and echoed in conservative media.
“We at the FBI have no information that would indicate Ukraine tried to interfere in the presidential election, ”Wray said while speaking with ABC News about the newly published Justice Department inspector general’s report, which examines the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conspiracy theory has been peddled by politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Who said Sunday that there was “considerable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the 2019 election. Allegations of Ukrainian interference have also been repeated by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) And Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.).
Asked whether he was concerned to see so many politicians pushing the false notion, Wray said it was on the American people to scrutinize what they see in the news.
“Well, look, there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things out there,” Wray ABC News told. “I think it’s important for the American people to be thoughtful consumers of information and to think about the sources of it and to think about the support and predication for what they hear.”
December 9, (at 5:
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GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
Amanda Erickson
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
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December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
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December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
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******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, (at 5:
GOP congressman compares Trump to Lincoln
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Made a provocative comparison between Abraham Lincoln and Trump.
“Democracy only works because the losing side always respects the will of the voters. The moment that social compact breaks down, democracy collapses into chaos, ”he said.
McClintock went on to say that has happened twice in our nation’s history: “In when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Abraham Lincoln. And it happened again in when the Democrats refused to accept the legitimate election of Donald Trump. ”
That comment drew a sharp response from Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama.
“Sorry Congressman McClintock, but and should never be compared as analogies, ”he tweeted. “That’s a disgraceful insult to those who gave their lives to preserve our Union.”
************
December 9, at 4: (PM EST
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
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December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
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December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
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Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
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Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
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Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
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December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
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Mike DeBonis
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Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
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December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
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Mike DeBonis
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
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Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Swalwell seeks to put Trump at the center of the Ukraine story
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
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December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
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Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
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***************** Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
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Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
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ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
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December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
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******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
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Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) Invoked the famous quote from Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) During the Senate Watergate hearings: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
“There” Is a reason that no one here has repeated those questions during these hearings – we know what the president did, and we know when he knew it, ”Swalwell said, before asking Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman questions placing Trump at the center of the Ukraine narrative.
“Mr. Goldman, who sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to smear Joe Biden? ”Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who fired the anti-corruption ambassador in Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who ordered his own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to withhold critical military assistance for Ukraine?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who refused to meet with President Zelensky in the Oval Office?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who personally asked President Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden?” Swalwell asked. “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“Who stood on the White House lawn and confirmed that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden?” Swalwell asked . “President Trump,” Goldman replied.
“As to anything that we do not know in this investigation, who has blocked us from knowing it?” Asked Swalwell. “President Trump and the White House,” Goldman said.
“So as it relates to President Trump,” Swalwell connected, “is he an incidental player or a central player in this scheme? ”
“ President Trump, ”Goldman said,“ is the central player in this scheme. ”********)**************************** (By****************** (Mike DeBonis) **************
********
**********
December 9, **************************************************************************************** (4):
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
****************************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
********************************
December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
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Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
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December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
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Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
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Mike DeBonis
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
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Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
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Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
By
(Rachael Bade)*********************************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at 4:
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GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
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Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
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December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
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******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
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******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Gaetz tries to undermine Democratic Counsels by questioning political donations
Top Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Chided a pair of Democratic lawyers for donating to Democrats, suggesting such financial support undercuts their work and casts a partisan shadow over their investigative conclusions.
The Florida Republican asked Goldman, the Intelligence Committee’s lead lawyer, if he was there as “a partisan advocate for the Democrat position, or are you here as a nonpartisan investigator of the facts?”
“I’m here to present the report that we did on our investigation, which was totally and completely reliant on the actual evidence that we uncovered,” Goldman responded.
Gaetz then started probing Goldman about “tens of thousands of dollars” he said Goldman has donated to Democrats. Goldman did deny it, responding, “Sir, I think it’s very important to support candidates for office.”
Gaetz then suggested Barry Berke, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary panel, had given “more than a hundred thousand” to Democrats before pivoting to an old tweet Goldman sent before he was hired for the impeachment inquiry. In the tweet, Goldman suggested that a salacious dossier, riddled with inaccuracies or unsubstantiated information suggesting Russia had dirt on Trump, was in fact true.
“Nothing” in the dossier has proved to be false, ”Goldman wrote at the time.
Gaetz then listed the inaccuracies in the document before asking Goldman:“ Do you regret this tweet, sir? ”
“ The dossier said that there was a Russian consulate in Miami when there isn’t. The dossier said that [Trump’s former lawyer] Michael Cohen had a meeting in Prague when he didn’t. The dossier said that Michael Cohen’s wife was Russian. She’s, in fact, Ukrainian. And so as we sit here today where you’ve, I guess, got a tweet mentioning a pee-tape, presenting yourself not as a partisan hired by the Democrats to pursue the president, ”Gaetz said.
“I hope you read the evidence,” was all Goldman said in response, referring to his report.
GOP takes aim at Sondland’s credibility
(
Several Republican lawmakers on Monday sought to highlight Democrats’ reliance on Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, to support the claim that Trump sought to use improper leverage to cajole Ukraine into launching politically advantageous investigations.
In his opening remarks, GOP lawyer Steve Castor pointed out more than 643 references to Sondland in the Intelligence Committee report, suggesting that Democrats had leaned heavily on an unreliable witness in making their case.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for instance, read a circuitous sentence from the addendum of testimony Sondland filed before his public testimony last month.
“Amazing – six people … having four conversations in one sentence, ”he said. “That’s the clarification. That’s their star witness. They built their case around so-and-so tells so-and-so what somebody said to someone else. ”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) Continued on the theme, asking Castor how many times in his initial closed-door deposition that Sondland said he did not remember answers to questions.
Buck volunteered the answer: “Three hundred and twenty-five. Big number. ”
Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman responded later in the hearing to Sondland’s initial inability to remember details of key questions:“ We agree it was egregious. But the advantage of doing closed depositions is that Mr. Sondland could not match up his testimony. So as other witnesses came in, then he realized that he had to actually admit to more and more stuff. ”
( Mike DeBonis
**********
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
***************** Mike DeBonis
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December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
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******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
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December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, (at 3:) ************************************************************************************************************************** (EST EST)
************** GOP lawmaker plays Hunter Biden interview footage
********* Hunter Biden , the son of former vice president Joe Biden, made his first appearance Monday in the House impeachment inquiry – albeit not in the flesh.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) played footage for the House Judiciary Committee of a recent ABC News interview with Hunter Biden where he admitted he would likely not have been hired for a lucrative board seat with a Ukrainian gas company had he not had a famous and powerful father.
“You’ve got the vice president, Joe Biden, in charge of overseeing our Ukrainian policy and his son, Hunter Biden, receiving $ (****************************************************************************************************************************, 06 0 a month with no identifiable expertise in either energy or Ukraine. Yet the Democrats won’t let us present witnesses on that, ”Chabot said. “So let’s do the next best thing since we can’t bring the witnesses here: Let’s watch a couple of videos.”
Nadler told Republicans Monday that he would not summon Hunter Biden as a witness, calling their request a partisan distraction from Trump’s conduct.
After playing the Hunter Biden footage, Chabot made reference to a tense exchange between Joe Biden and an Iowa farmer at a campaign stop last week. The former vice president was “essentially falsely stating once again that nobody said there was anything wrong with his son’s deal in Ukraine,” Chabot said. “Well, you know what? That’s a lot of malarkey. ”
After appropriating Biden’s famous catchword, Chabot declared,“ You’re investigating the wrong guy, Mr. Chairman. ”
(
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December 9, (at 3: (PM EST
Sensenbrenner tells Schiff, ‘Man up’
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff of “hiding behind Mr. Goldman, ”his Democratic counsel, instead of testifying about his report as Republicans requested. The Wisconsin Republican, who said he wished Schiff would “man up,” said he wanted to question the California Democrat about his panel’s decision to use his subpoena power to obtain and then print the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist.
The panel actually subpoenaed the phone records of Trump’s attorney who was at the heart of the Ukraine matter, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and in doing so, subsequently saw that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And a conservative commentator, John Solomon, were also in touch with Giuliani. The committee also invited Trump’s legal team to participate in the hearings, but his counsel declined.
“That I think is an abu se of power, ”Sensenbrenner said, later adding:“ They should be ashamed of themselves. … Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you’ve done with the electronic surveillance involved. ”
****************** Rachael Bade************
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
)
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, (at 2:) **************************************************************************************************************** PM EST
Trump says Judiciary Committee hearing is ‘a disgrace’
********
Trump told reporters that he had “watched a little” of Monday’s impeachment hearing.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a hoax,” he said at a White House event on school choice.
At the event, Trump also complimented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) For a “Meet the Press” appearance Sunday in which he insisted that there is “valuable evidence” that Ukraine interfered in the election.
******** You did a fantastic job on television this weekend, ”Trump told Cruz. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
ByJohn Wagner
****************************************
******** December 9, (at 2:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) used some of his questioning time to allow Goldman to explain why the panel sought and ultimately published call records, including metadata from calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon.
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
ByMike DeBonis
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
More disputes over Intelligence Committee’s disclosure of call records
Goldman called it a “very basic and usual investigative practice” to seek call metadata – the date, time and duration of phone calls – from key figures in the investigation.
“What we then did is, we took the call records and we match It up with important events that occurred during the scheme, and we’d start to see if there are patterns because call records can be quite powerful circumstantial evidence in this case, ”he said. “It just happened to be that they were in communication with people involved in the president’s scheme.”
That explanation did little to soothe Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Who lambasted Democrats for including Nunes’s name as a “partisan smear.”
“It was a drive- by – it was a gratuitous drive-by, ”Collins said. “If you were really willing to do a professional non-smear report, it [could have] said, ‘Congressperson One’ or ‘Congressperson Two’ or ‘Reporter One,’ ‘Reporter Two.’ Because if they did not actually contribute to your report, it is nothing but a drive-by. That’s the problem I have here. ”
******************************************
December 9, at 2 : (PM EST)
************** Gaetz interrupts hearing to denounce Schiff, Goldman
********** An outspoken GOP lawmaker interrupted the hearing to denounce Goldman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Who Republicans said should have appeared Monday to testify about his panel’s investigative report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Yelled at Goldman as Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democratic lawyer of making a “snide comment” about E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s donation to Trump’s inauguration committee.
As Collins continued his invective, Goldman asked: “What is the implication here?”
Gaetz then spoke out of turn from another part of the dais, raising his voice toward Goldman.
“The implication is the person that wrote the report is the person that should come and present it, and you weren’t elected by anybody, and you’re here giving this testimony in place of the chairman. I hope that clears up the implication, ”he said.
Nadler responded by chastising Gaetz, saying he“ cannot simply yell out and disrupt the committee. ”
“The gentleman has been warned before,” Nadler said.
By
* Elise Viebeck
December 9, (at 2:
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Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, (at 2:
Collins spars with Democratic counsel over phone subpoenas
Early in the GOP questioning time, Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) Drilled down on the House Intelligence Committee’s decision to subpoena phone records from various figures in the impeachment inquiry.
Those records were partially disclosed in the Intelligence Committee’s report, including calls involving Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) And journalist John Solomon – prompting many Republicans to cry foul.
In response to questions from Collins, Goldman said that Democrats targeted records of “people who were involved in the investigation and who had already been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony of their own.”
“None of members of Congress, none of staff of Congress, none of journalists, ”he said. “We only did it to the subjects who were involved in the investigation, which is a very routine and standard investigative practice.”
Collins pressed him to detail who “cross-checked” those records against the numbers that were ultimately revealed in the Democratic report: “Who ordered the match game for members of Congress and the press? Was it you? ”
Goldman said that rather than a“ match game, ”the records in question were scrutinized around“ events of significance. ”
“You look for sequencing and patterns surrounding that event,” he said. “You look then at the numbers and you try to identify what those numbers are and then you start to build the circumstantial case.”
Said Collins, “ That’s a wonderful explanation, but not an answer to my question. … Who did it? Was it Chairman Schiff or was it you? ”
“ I’m not going to get into the deliberations of our investigation with you, ”Goldman replied. “And I will tell you the reason it was included in the report is because the calls were surrounding important evidence to our investigation.”
Collins turned to Castor , who was privy to the subpoenas as minority counsel to the Intelligence Committee. Castor said he reviewed six subpoenas, the last of which was for “subscriber info” on Solomon as well as attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who are close to Trump and have played a role in probing Ukraine matters.
************************ (ByMike DeBonis
December 9, at 1: EST
Collins says Biden is ‘either a liar or he did it’
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
************** Colby Itkowitz
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
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Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
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December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, at 1: EST
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee began his cross examination by slamming Biden for threatening to withhold loan guarantees from Ukraine to pressure the government to fire its top prosecutor when he was vice president.
“Answer this question. Did he or did he not? Either Joe Biden’s a liar telling a story to make people impressed or he did this, ”Collins said.
Goldman acknowledged that Biden did,“ pursuant to U.S. official policy. ”
Collins then said, voice raised, that Biden is the only person in the federal government who pushed a quid pro quo with Ukraine and, of course, Trump would want to know about it.
Biden, as Goldman noted, was following both US policy and the belief of many Western leaders that the top prosecutor in Ukraine was not doing enough to weed out corruption.
Collins then mocked Biden’s political acumen, suggesting Trump doesn’t need dirt to beat Biden.
“Joe Biden’s a terrible candidate,” Collins said. “He can destroy himself on the campaign trail, but he can’t get by this. You can whitewash it all you want… but he’s either a liar or he did it. ”
December 9, (at 1:
PM EST
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
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December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
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******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, (at 1:
**** Castor testifies that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when he has not
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
******************** (By****) Rachael Bade********
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
GOP counsel Castor testified that Trump has cooperated with congressional oversight, when in fact the president has obstructed more than two dozen House investigations, including those looking at Trump’s financial deal ings and use of taxpayer dollars to boost the bottom line at Trump-branded hotels, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
“The Trump administration has Participated in oversight during the entire Congress until it got to this impeachment inquiry, ”Castor said.
It is unclear on what he based such a statement, when Trump has actually ignored every request for documents and testimony from Democrats. Trump bragged months ago, well before the Ukraine matter became public, that he instructed his administration officials to ignore “all the subpoenas” related to other investigations in the lower chamber.
He has continued to employ that strategy in the impeachment inquiry, directing his top officials involved in the Ukraine scheme not to testify to Congress about their own firsthand information.
Congressional experts have said that while oversight spats between the legislative and executive branches over witnesses and documents are usual, the sheer breadth of stonewalling from the Trump White House has been unprecedented.
December 9, (at 1:
******************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST
Is Biden a leading Democratic contender for 169452 ‘Too early’ to know, says GOP lawyer.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
By***************** (Elise Viebeck) **************
**************************************
******** December 9, (at 1:) ********************************************************************************************************************************** (PM EST)
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Castor testified that it is “too early” to say whether Biden is a leading Democratic contender for the White House in (*******************************************************************************************, dodging a question about whether Trump viewed the former vice president as a political rival during his call with Zelensky in July.
Barry H. Berke, a Democratic lawyer, said Trump mentioned Biden times on Twitter between January and the July 25 call. Castor said he “did look at those tweets” and could not use them or Trump’s public comments to draw conclusions about how he viewed Biden.
I don’t know what President Trump believed or did believe, ”Castor said. “I think it’s pretty difficult to draw too many conclusions from his tweets or his statements at rallies.”
Castor also declined to say whether Zelensky announcing a corruption investigation into Biden would hurt his candidacy.
“Well, I slightly disagree with that, with the predicate, with the premise of your question,” he said .
**** Amid tough questions, Republicans object to Democratic la wyer’s dual role
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Republican members of the committee took issue with Nadler’s decision to allow a Democratic Judiciary Committee lawyer to pose questions because the lawyer had presented an opening statement from the witness table earlier in the hearing.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
ByElise Viebeck
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
Sensenbrenner and Nadler spar over Berke’s pointed questioning of Castor
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
In several tense exchanges with Nadler, GOP lawmakers argued that Barry Berke’s dual role was inappropriate. Most of the interjections took place after Berke directed an aggressive line of questioning at Castor, counsel to Republicans, about Trump’s motives in asking Zelensky to investigate the Bidens.
) “I’ve been a judge, and I know you don’t get to be a witness and a judge in the same case,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). Later, Gohmert asked, “How much money do you have to give to get to [do this]?”
Nadler said Gohmert should “not cast aspersions ”on staff members and that he had not raised a proper point of order.
Republicans continued to disrupt the questioning, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) Claiming it was against the rules for Berke to ask Castor for his opinions. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Repeated the objection to Berke’s dual role.
“It is not a recognizable point of order,” Nadler responded.
“I will point out that the gentleman has been designated by me to do this questioning,” he said, citing a House resolution laying out rules for this phase of the impeachment inquiry. “It is in accordance with the rules of the House.”
)
*************************************************
December 9, (at 1: (PM EST) ********
)
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
By****************** (Rachael Bade) ******************
**************************************
******* (December 9, **************************************************************************************** (at) ***************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) Accused Democratic Judiciary Committee counsel Barry Berke of “badgering the witnesses” when he lodged a series of pointed questions at Castor about what Berke called inaccurate descriptions of witness testimony.
Berke pressed Castor on why the GOP report summarizing the findings on Ukraine only quoted Vice President Pence’s foreign policy adviser Jennifer Williams as calling a July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky “unusual.” In fact, Berke noted, Williams testified that she found Trump’s request for an investigation of the Bidens “unusual and inappropriate” as well as “political in nature” since Biden was a presidential contender.
Berke asked whether Castor was unfair to the “American peo ple ”in leaving out a key part of Williams’s testimony.
“ I don’t have any issue with how we described Ms. Williams’s testimony, ”Castor said.
Berke kept on:“ Why did you misquote Ms. Williams? ”
“ We did misquote her, ”Castor replied.
As the two bickered, Sensenbrenner called a point of order, accusing Berke of “badgering the witness.”
When Nadler refused to stop the questioning amid the point of order, Sensenbrenner again tried to rescue Castor: “Mr. Chairman, can you rule on my point of order? ”
Nadler eventually refused:“ Sharp cross-examination of a witness is not badgering the witness. ”
Inspector general report says FBI had ‘authorized purpose’ to investigate Trump campaign’s Russia ties but finds some wrongdoing
********** A long-awaited Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia rebuts allegations of illegal spying and political bias in the probe begun ahead of the (election, but finds serious faults in other areas.)
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
**************
Karoun Demirjian, Matt Zapotosky, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Rachael Bade
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
Trump campaign still selling T-shirts quoting Mulvaney’s ‘Get over it’
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
The inspector general concludes that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation and that the bureau’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with the rules.
But the report – released as the Judiciary Committee was holding its impeachment hearing – also faults the FBI for “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in its applications to secretly monitor a former Trump campaign adviser and asserts that agents “failed to meet the basic obligation” to ensure the app lications were “scrupulously accurate.”
“We do not speculate whether the correction of any particular misstatement or omissions, or some combination thereof, would have resulted in a different outcome, ”the report stated.
“ Nevertheless, the department’s decision makers and the court should have been given complete and accurate information so that they could Meaningfully evaluate probable cause before authorizing the surveillance of a US person associated with a presidential campaign. ”
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: PM EST
GOP counsel seeks to undercut Democrats’ case
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
Castor, in a – minute statement for the Republicans, argued that “the evidence does not support the allegations that my Democrat colleagues have made ”and that the majority lacked firsthand accounts regarding Trump and Ukraine.
“ The impeachment inquiry has returned no direct evidence that President Trump withheld a meeting or security assistance in order to pressure President Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden for the president s political benefit, ”Castor said.
The statement, however, ignores the testimony of more than a dozen current and former Trump officials who said they saw something questionable happening with regard to Ukraine, be it a “quid pro quo” or merely an inappropriate request for 9110 election interference that could help Trump. Castor also did not mention that the White House in fact was blocking “firsthand” sources closest to Trump from testifying about Trump’s alleged direct involvement in the scheme.
Castor also borrowed from a Senate GOP talking point, saying Trump had no “malicious intent” in his mind and he highlighted pleasantries exchanged in the July 25 phone call with Zelensky to argue that “call is not the sinister ‘mob shakedown’ that some democrats make it out to be.”
Castor argued that Trump’s request for a probe of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine engaged in the 2019 election were acceptable. He also pointed out that Trump has always been skeptical of foreign assistance to argue that the freeze of Ukraine military assistance could conceivably have other justifications unrelated to those investigations.
) “We have considerable evidence that President Trump was skeptical of Ukraine due to its corruption,” he said. “We have evidence that the president was skeptical of foreign assistance in general.”
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: 038 PM EST
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
As House Democrats begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trum p, the Trump campaign is still selling a T-shirt quoting acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s October comments that seemed to acknowledge a quid pro quo.
A video clip of Mulvaney’s admission of the very thing Trump denied doing was aired during the hearing.
When it finished, Goldman said, “There you have it. ”
At an October news conference, a reporter noted that Mulvaney sounded as if he was describing a quid pro quo while responding to a Ukraine-related query. “We do that all the time with foreign policy,” Mulvaney said. “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy. ”
Mulvaney later walked back his comments and denied suggesting that there was a quid pro quo. And yet, shortly afterward, the Trump campaign started making money off his words, putting them on T-shirts.
The $ T-shirts say “GET OVER IT,” with Trump’s hair combed over the O.
By
Colby Itkowitz
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
********
************
********************************
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, 3096 at 13: AM EST
************** Nadler denies GOP witness requests
********** House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (DN.Y.) said Monday that he would not agree to call witnesses sought by the GOP, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) And the anonymous whistleblower who tried to reveal the Trump administration’s irregular Ukraine policy.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
********
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani says he’ll give his Ukraine findings to GOP in Congress and DOJ this week
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
In a letter to Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Nadler noted that the panel already tabled those requests at its meeting last week, “and I see no reason to reconsider those requests.”
Nadler noted that the House Intelligence Committee has gathered “independent evidence for its conclusions that do not rely on the whistleblower in any way,” and noted that the panel’s top Democratic counsel will testify in lieu of Schiff.
Nadler also denied requests for several other witnesses who had previously been requested by Republicans, including Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Schiff had denied those requests in his committee’s hearings, arguing that he would not allow the impeachment inquiry to be used “as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations… that the president pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit.”
“I concur in Chairman Schiff’s assessment and also find that these requests [are] outside of the parameters of the impeachment inquiry,” Nadler wrote.
Judiciary Committee Republicans could still seek to subpoena those witnesses under the panel’s rules, though those requests would likely be voted down by the Democratic majority. Nadler told Collins he stood ready to schedule a meeting to deal with those motions as soon as Monday.
************************** Mike DeBonis
December 9, (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: ****************************************************************************************************************************** (AM EST
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney – fresh off a trip to Ukraine where he met with officials there who claim to have damaging information about Biden and national Democrats – said he plans to provide Republicans in Congress and Attorney General William P. Barr with his findings this week.
) “I was going to do an outline and present it at the convenience of the Republicans in Congress and the attorney general at the end of this week,” Giuliani said during an interview on “War Room: Impeachment,” a podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.
Giuliani, who has not substantiated any accusations of corruption by the Bidens or collusion by Democrats with Ukraine, said he has evidence to show “there was a much worse situation in Ukraine than there was in Russia. ”
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Giuliani planned to make a report to Congress and the attorney general. He said he did not know exactly what Giuliani had found while in Ukraine, but his his lawyer told him he “has a lot of good information.”
) The former New York mayor, who said he could get the outline done as early as Wednesday, added that he’d like to present his findings to congressional Republicans ahead of the House Judiciary Committee voting on articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I think it would really bear on the fact that the president was not only justified in making this call, he was required to make this call,” Giuliani said. “The people in the Ukraine told me they were very thankful because he’s the first American president who pointed out the corruption directly.”
************ ByColby Itkowitz
**************
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman runs out of time
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**********
Mike DeBonis
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Colby Itkowitz
****************
December 9, ******************************************************************************** (at) *************************************************************************************************************************************************: 00 AM EST
**** Trump ‘a clear and present danger ‘to fair elections and national security, Democratic lawyer says
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
**********************
Mike DeBonis
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
December 9, (at) **************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************ AM EST
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
Goldman used every second of the 46 minutes he had to present the Democratic findings, but that was not quite enough: He ultimately skipped over a section of his prepared testimony dealing with Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress and went directly to his conclusion.
“Admittedly, it is a lot to digest,” Goldman said. “But let me just say this: The president’s scheme is actually quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways. ”
Among those takeaways: Trump, he said, directed a scheme to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations to benefit his campaign; he used the trappings of his office to do so; “Everyone was in the loop,” including his vice president and chief of staff; and “he has not given up.”
“Despite the public discovery of this scheme… he and his agents continue to solicit Ukrainian interference in our election, causing an imminent threat to our elections and our national security, ”Goldman said.
Before he could deliver final concluding remarks, the clock ran out, and Rep . Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) Immediately objected – ending Goldman’s testimony.
**************** December 9, ********************************************************************************** (at) ************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Trump and Giuliani tweet in defense of Ukraine call within minutes of each other
Trump tweeted a familiar “Read the Transcripts!” – shor thand for his contention that the rough transcript of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing because he does not explicitly offer a quid pro quo.
Ten minutes later , Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, tweeted “#unimpeachablephonecall”
Giuliani last used that hashtag on Nov. when he told followers to “Stay tuned to my Instagram.” The only thing on Giuliani’s Instagram from Nov. is an image of a tweet from two days prior.
Giuliani last week traveled to Ukraine and met with officials there who are pressing for an investigation into the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election – the two probes Trump requested of Zelensky in their call.
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
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Mike DeBonis
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December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
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Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Goldman, the top investigative counsel for the House Intelligence Committee, summarized the Democratic case for impeachment in his presentation.
“We are here today because Donald J. Trump, the th president of the United States, abused the power of his office, the American presidency, for his political and personal benefit, ”Goldman said. “As part of this scheme, President Trump applied increasing pressure on the president of Ukraine to publicly announce two investigations helpful to his personal reelection efforts.”
He later added: “When faced with the opening of an official impeachment inquiry into his conduct, President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress – ordering executive branch agencies and government officials to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.”
Early on, Goldman pointed to Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani’s recent travels in Ukraine as evidence of the president’s continued willingness to abuse his power.
Allegations pushed by Trump and Giuliani that Biden acted corruptly in his own actions toward Ukraine are “patently false,” Goldman said.
“But that did not deter President Trump during his phone call with the Ukrainian president, and it does not appear to deter him today,” h e continued. “President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security.”
********
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
**************************************
December 9 , (at (****************************************************************************************************************************************************: AM EST
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Treasury targets corruption, makes no mention of Ukraine
****************
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.
Shortly after the Judiciary Committee hearing began, the Treasury Department announced anti-corruption action. against people in several countries including Latvia, Serbia, Cambodia and Venezuela.
A senior Treasury official told reporters the new sanctions target people who attempt to bribe public officials , and was timed for the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Ukraine was not among the countries targeted, and there was no mention of the competing Ukraine-related corruption claims at issue in the House Judiciary inquiry that is expected to result in an impeachment vote against Trump.
“Corruption is a global problem. It undermines the abilities of governments to adequately care for their citizens; erodes the legal, moral, and ethical fabric of society; and facilitates transnational crime, ”a news release from Treasury said.
The sanctions target Aivars Lembergs, described as a Latvian oligarch and mayor of the town of Ventspils . Lembergs is accused of “the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Cambodian businessman Try Pheap and military official Kun Kim were accused of widespread illegal logging and land appropriation. Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic was accused of using bribes to get around travel restrictions imposed by the U.N. Treasury listed him as well as a network of entities and individuals around him.
Treasury also took action against two Venezuelan government figures, Gustavo Adolfo Vizcaino Gil and Juan Carlos Dugarte Padron. Both were accused of abusing their office as the country’s senior immigration official.
All the decisions affect any property of money the targeted people may hold in the United States and prohibit US business or financial dealings with the individuals unless specifically authorized.